THE REV J. W. HARENS AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 81, 17 August 1868, Page 2

THE REV J. W. HARENS AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.

* Tlvis gentleman delivered an address on "Some reasons for not going to Church," before ft pretty numerous audience, at the Theatre Hoyal, yesterday afternoon, The proceeding)* wore opened by Hinging the 1 00 th Psalm, after which Mr llabcns read from the <ith chapter of the Gospel of Ht Luke, and then entered upon his subject. Ho made iv few prefatory allusions respecting the terms in which (he advertisement was couched, and afterwards, dilated upon the reasons which hoiuo people had for not going to church, were many in number — ilrstly, pcrflonn didn't care to go to church becanae they did not appreciate the clergyman whoever he uiiglit lio; secondly, tlioy eon«idorod that nothing wan said in the Mormons which they did not nlrcady know, while nil thoso matters which required explanation wcro quietly parsed over •, thirdly, those who made ft practice of staying away from church, pointed at church-going people as ho many hypocrite* who made a mere cloak of religion; fourthly) It was complained that no civility was tthown to atmngcrrf •, and that It was out oil the question for the man in humble circumstances and shabby attire to sit beside the aflluont and well-dressed ; and lastly, it was objected that one couldn't go to church without having the plate thrust before ly^L With regard to Uw flr*t reason for not going to church, lie had very little to imy, except to remark that more want of appreciation of any particular pastor waa a very poor excuse- for not obeying God's commandment. By Homo of those who stayed away it was urged as an excuse that nothing win natd by clergymen explanatory of tho.se points of Scripture which occasioned scepticism. Now to thin objection lie would answer that It -was not the province of clergymen to dlseuss Scripture, but merely to point out to their congregations tho way in which they should nerve God, no an to obtain Hal ration. \\y others It wiw said that tho clergyman mad« use of high-sounding language, interspersed with Oroek and Latin quotations, which had the o fleet of placing his dlMcoui'HO entirely beyond their comprehension. Hut thin reason had no foundation, for lie did not believe that there wan u. single clergyman In (!hrl»tvJmrvlt who aimed at a mere show of words when addressing hts congregation. With regard to the third reason, he would not contend, as ho said on the Jlrnt occasion on which he addressed the people at the Theatre, that all those who made iv practice of going to church would gain the kingdom of Heaven. There were black sheep in almost every Hock, and no doubt hypocrites would In; found in the ranks of what were termed the "eliurehgotng" people. But ho didn't believe there were many of this class, and, because there happened to be an exception here and there was no reason why those who stay away should point at those who go to church and call them hypocrites, As to the fourth reason — that no civility was shown to ritrangei's— he had heard that tho /act was just the other way— that in Canterbury, the congregations were no extremely civil that they made a stranger feel 111-at-casc before everybody else by the attention to his wants during Divine Hervlce, If there were any Hiich thing as downright inattention paid to Hirangerri, it might arise from tho well-known fact that many who had pat In tho «nmc church for two or three years, still Imagined that they wore strangely, and likewise expected to be attended to, because, as they said, they did not, ius in the church in the old country, feel themselves at home in a church in Canterbury. There was no such tiling as a reason why a man in humble attire should not flit beside the rich and well-dressed in church. No matter how shabby the clothes, they could be kept clean and well ventilated, anil who could object — who would object— to nit beside a man who had paid attention to an important law of nature ■ cleanliness— and dressed in accordance with his means? Could ho not elbow his way with the rich and welldressed in church, iw well M he does at a popular cntci'btlttmcnt ? Was it not us easy for him to do on a Sunday the very thing he did on tho Tuesday before, in his best clothes •—elbow his way with thoso in better circumstances ? There was nothing to prevent him, and therefore the fact of having nothing but shabby or inferior clothing was no excuse for not going to church. Respecting collections at church, no one waa expected to give unless ho waa in a position to do so j there-

fore no reason rould be found on that score for staying nwny. The revd. gwrtleman spoke for about un hour, nnd the foregoing i» the merest outline of his address, and tho points touched upon in the conrse of its delivery. Towards the conclusion, he exhorted nil those w"ho were not in the habit of going to- church, to l>cgin a new life and serve God a--? they were commanded, lie assumed, of course, that no one In tho community would bo found to assert that there was no God. The address was very attentively listened to, and prayers were said at its termination.