A NEW PRIMATE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 387, 10 September 1880, Page 11

A NEW PRIMATE.

(From the Sydney Exjrress. Having been recognised, according to the " Consti-tw©-tion," as representative head of the State at the lighthouse, Sir Henry Parkes, as is fitting, has now been recognised as representative head of the Church by the Anglican hierarchy at the Hymposium at St. PaulV. And we must confess that the Premier proved himself mere than, equal to the occasion, and read such a lesson to the Right Rev. Bench and to the major and minor clergy as ought to serve for a startingpoint for a new era in the Protestant religion. Under the pleasing disguise of proposing " health and long life " to the bishops and cleigy, the " illustrious statesman," as Bishop Pearson cleverly called him, not only took his place amongst them as Primate, but also entered with gusto into vexed church questions, laying down the law, distributing praise and blame and dealing out "sweetness and light," of his own peculiar sort, whilst indulging in those indefinite generalities which sail very near tbe verge of nonsense, but are not nonsense because they have no outline. For a politician to claim to be the representative of the Church of England, is one thing ; for him to be accepted by the Church of England, with unmitigated jingling of glasses, and universal post-prandial applause, is another. We do not remember ever having come across a similar instance. Men of business will possibly consider that their church is wise in its generation, in exchanging the monotonous proprieties and mental woodenness of Bishop Barker for the elastic metaphysics, the soaritg faith, and the unapproachable morality — commercial and otherwise of a really successful adventurer, who knows how to put his apron on with any bishop on the bench, and how to turn the world, the flesh, and the Devil himself, to good account.

The new Primate was good enough to inform the bishops and clergy that, in his humble opinion, the " Gospel " could never be excelled ; which opinion, considering the times we live in, and some of the Evangelical provisions concerning honesty, no doubt, is reassuring. He then proceeded to inform them what their duty waa with regard to the teachings of Revelation. Above all things they should strenuously exercise themselves in the " very priuciples of tbeir Church politic," which consist, it seems, in encouraging "freedom " and " discussion " and "diversity of opinion"' regarding the Christian faith ; evidently, with the objict of avoiding that terrible monotony which ever seems to accompany the possession of acknowledged truth. Having laid down this important canon regarding their theological proceduie with the people, the Lord Primate went on to inform the clergy that they had especial advantages in this country for making their mission a success. Slightly differing — no doubt on the principle of " diversity of opinion" — from St. Paul, he attributed these exceptional advantages to the natural wealth of tbe colon}', and to the fact that " uuitß " come here every year " from the most enlightened nations of the earth," and that our population is composed of " the very best elements that could enter into the formation of a nation." So that having " units" to work upon with plenty of money in their pockets, and made of the " very best" lmuernil, the clergy had no excuse for not stirring up plenty of animated '• di cussions" and " diversities of opinion," about, for instance, the existence of God, the divinity of Chri&t, the immortality of the soul, and the character of the Old and New Testament ; which exercises, forming the " very principlee of their Church politic," they ought to be continually employed in. We, in our simplicity, imagined that the Anglican clergy had not done so badly in this respect. But the Primate seemed to think otherwise. A shade of regret passed over his chiselled features as he told hia spiritual children that though he did feel tempted to flatter them — brought to have been proposing their " health " — he would sternly do violence to his nature. He would, notwithstanding his tender love for them, or rather, perhaps, in consequence of it — leave them in agonising suspense as to what his opinion was — as to whether they had made a disgraceful Jiaxco or not. At all events, he would not allay their curiosity further than by saying that if they had been a failuie, it was their own fault, for they had had every possible chance of being a great success. Having thus prepared the wry, he let it out upon them with great gravity — such as would have made Mr. Justice Windcyer's fortune — that they were, in spite of all their advantages, altogether behind tbe age. He informed them that there was another Church — a Church which, in its folly, discountenanced all wrangling over the Creed, admitted no " diversity of opinion " on articles of faith, and encouraged simple belief in the Gospel — which, in spite of all these drawbacks, was outpacing them in the race of influence and power. With solemn sadness of tone, and one fair-sized tear floating in hia apostolic eye, the Primate referred to the " discouragement " he was suffering from the fact of the Catholic clergy " outstripping " the Anglicanß in zeal, and extending their influence beyond that of the Church of England. And what he felt to be more heart rending still was, that the Catholic priests were not only more zealous, but, comparatively, also far more numerous than the Protestant parsons.

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