ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD AND PROTESTANTISM.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 15000, 19 September 1900, Page 1

ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD AND PROTESTANTISM.

SERMON IN REPLY BY REV. (i. ])cm>. I There vis a l::rge congregation at Trinity i Church on Sunday evening last, when the Rev. U. Bond, as advertised, dealt with the utterances of Archbishop Redwood at the opening o£ tho Cathedral at Sydney. As the rev. gentleman usually does, when caking subjects of general interest, in on this occasion he took two texts, one from Matthew 7, and 18th verse : "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a 'corrupt tree bring forth good fruit," and one from the daily Press ; reading from the Chronicle of September 11th, 1900: — "High Pontificial Mass was celebrated. I Archbishop Redwood preached a- lengthy i sermon, contrasting Roman Catholic with I non-Roman Catholic Churches. He said 1 that, the swarms of contradictory denominaj tions existing, in the world to-day had i neither unity, sanctity, catholicity or aiiostolieity. Protestantism, in all its branches, .teemed with conflicting sects, which were j on the . increase. Its main principal was private judgment. The Bible, inteipi-eted by private opinions, was the source of variijj tions, division, and utter anarchy. This anarchy was the fountain head and great force of modern infidelity and agnosticism..' After a protest from, the Evangelical AlI linnce at Sydney against the' official recognition of tho service by the Governor, ti>;e Archbishop had written to the Press, Anting that the words quoted were "not actually used, but were in the manuscript | handed to tha Press." The 'preacher said, I "whether the ■words were used or not, mattered little; they .were intended to be. The motives that kept them back may haVe been cowardice, or a laudable desire not to hurt the feelings of some of his hearers, but we must at least give the archbishop credit for candour in stating his opinions of Protestants, and he muus-t not complain if Protestant ministers in turn arc equally candid and faithful in dealing, with the subject. We,'aa Protestants, have been -weighed in the Archbishop's balances and found wanting. Let us examine arid see whether these balances arc just, or whether they are swayed by prejudice and bigotry, as if the Archbishop is right, our only course will be to cjofce our Bibles, shut up our churches, and Igo into the fold- of the so-called true I churches. I Ist. We are found wanting in Apostolic Succession. The Sacerdotal Churches teach ; that there are three orders, Bishops, Priest's I and Deacons, and that if not administered through these; the Sacraments are not valid. If this doctrine were true, it would unChristianise all Protestants. The Anglican High Chnrch shuts out all Dissenters, and the Roman Catholio Church shuts out all, even the High Church. Does it not seem a terrible thing that the salvation and healing that Christ came to bring to all, should only como through this one channel?. How much better the word' of Christ himself to the woman of Samaria, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when yo shall neither ijv^ this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,, worship the Father. God is a Spirit, and tlwy that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Where two or- three aro gathered together in my name, there am lin the midxfc of them." Not the Priest or Prelate, but tho Master Himself. This doctrine of Roman Catholicism belittles and degrades the Qod we serve, but let us enquire ft little more closely into the Apostolic Succession. Bishop Lightfoot and others tell us that in the New Testament Church there were no Bishops, as we understand the word — that Bishop and Ekleivwere mterchangablc terms, as Minister and Pastor are with us to-day. Wo. do not read that the Apostles ordained anyone to. take their places; they only ordained Elders; When they, died the Apostolate died 'with thrm, so that ii is utter nonsense to suppose a direct line descended through them to the Church thai claims it to-day. Paul was not appointed an Apostle, by the twelve. He was an irregular, and when challenged with it, did he. feel humbled in the du&t? ' Not o bit of it ;. but in writing to the Church at

(Joiintli lie said of h's apostUship,. "Ye r.re mj' seal in the Lord" j and so to-day the ' Protestant Church cures not about Apostolic Succession, but points io the fruits of its labour as the sign and seal of God's favour i:iul blessing ; and does it not seem reasonnble to support that our own simple form of worsh'p, is more in harmony with tl(o usages of the Apostolic Church than the genefluxions ami elaborate Ritual of the Roman Church. 2n.1. Want of Sanctity. Sanctity, in the best dictionaries is defined hs a state of purity or Godliness, and if Protestants leek this, they lack the chief thing m>xt to !ove. I think 'the Archbishop should have been careful not to have made ;i charge like this, unless ho were prepared to prove it. It' it wove desirable, we have only to draw aside tho veil of, say the middle ages, to show .some terrible tilings which have taken pi. ice under tho auspices Qf Rome. Does he dare to appeal to character as a test? Then we do not fear the result of the verdict. Iso (ioubt the Roman Catholic Church has produced some grand men, but we deny that .they have a monopoly, as some of the grandest men of this or any century have been found in the Protestant Church ; and, further, what do the statistics tell ua today ? Taking the New Zealand Year Book as ouv authority, what do we find? That while tho percentage, of convicted criminals for Protestants is 2.3 per thousand, for Roman Catholics it is no kss than 6.3 per thousand, or nearly three times the number. 3rd. Want of Unity. We will admit -.hat wo Tiave not the mechanical unity of the Church of Home, neither do we want v unity which keeps men under the thumb of tho Priest-, and prevent them thinking for themselves. Rome is supposed to be united, but ©very once in a while something conus out to show that there is a great deal of schism even in their boasted unity. Our disunion, on the other hand, is more apparent than real. Take the Ministers' Association of this town, for instance. We represent different branches of Christ's Church, but it; does not prevent us from meeting and working together for the common good. And, again, look at the Seven Churches of Asin^'symbolised by the golden candlestick with; Clmst in . the midst, and the Free Church Council of the Old' Land, representing eight millions of .adherents. AH these ar* united to-day to make the world more like, what God intended it to be, as the Ronish Church is not united. "4th. The, Archbishop tells, us. that private judgment is parent of infidelity, etc. Thank God wa do claim right of private judgment. But what is that? Here is my conscience in itself a judge. What does a judge do before giving a verdict? He gets all the evidence available, weighs and sifts it ; and then comes to ft decision. What, in contrast to this, does Rome require? Let me read you some extracts from the Manilla Times of April" 9th lost :— "(l).The commands of tiie Church must : "be obeyed in tho same manner as the Law of God. (2) You must subject your . own judgment to that of the Cbjnrch, .and think exactly, as the Church thinks, for the Church cannot be overcome, according to the promises made by Jesus Christ and the obligations imposed on us to believe just what the .Church tells us. (3) You must reject and condemn the Masonic sect, so frequently rejected and condemned by the Supreme Pontiffs. (4) You must also reject and condemn liberty of .worship, liberty of th« press, liberty of thought, and otliPr liberties of perdition (as Pope Leo XIII. calls them) condemned and rejected by the Church. (5) You must also reject; and condemn liberalism, and also modern progress? and civilisation, as being false progress and false civilisation. (6) You must utterly abominate civil marriage, and regard it is pure concubinage. (7) You must also condemn and reject the interference of the civil authorities in any ecclesiastical affairs, so much in vogue nowa- [ days. (8) Finally, you must hold the belief | that the Church "has a divine, and supernatural authority, by its origin, . and is moreover superior to the civil authorities. And ( reject and condemn. the doctrine that the Church should submit to the State, or that the State is independent or ought to separate itself from the Church. Children must j bo brought up in the above views .... cqndemning whatever' tho Church eon--1

I deinns. And children must b; educated I solely in Cathojic schools by genuinely Citholic teachers, and not (.n r.ny account in iinsectarian or mix°d schouls, which are strictly foi bidden by tho Church." Wo woulj rather have private judgment, with the blessings it brings, thnn hand over our judgment to a Church which at) the close of the 19th century could publish such rules nnd exercises as i have just rend to you. Even if the statement of the Archbishop were true, which we do r.ot admit, where is tho home. of imcrchy and infidelity today? Is it not in the stronghold? of Ttorounism, Catholic Italy »nd France? And where pro the countries which arc in the van of progress? Are they to bo found under the iron heel of Rome, or where men are allowed freedom of thought and speech? Compare Germany with Austria, Switz°rl:mu with Belgium, England with France, .mi 1 »cc where we come out. 'Here, my friends, ia our grand Charter of Freedom, the Bible ! Let us follow its teaching, prove all things nnd hold fast that which is good. The sermon, which took three-quarters of an hour in its delivery, was listened to with rapt attention by the large audience, and was a masterpiece of oratory.