Musings by the Way.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 September 1910, Page 32

Musings by the Way.

[By " Sdtor' 7 )

As I muse and jot down my musings this morning, the sun is streaming m at the window, the rain has ceased, the trees and grass are "as green as green," and it is difficult to believe we are only at the end of winter. The sea is on his very best behaviour just now (it must be "he," you know, because, if you remember, he fell m love with the moon, and still pursues her round our globe), and with all Nature smiling, I am reminded of the cry, '• Let us get back to Nature." Well, there is no doubt that m many ways our lives are too artificial — less so, fortunately, m New Zealand than m older countries. But the question is — how far are we to " get back to Nature ? " Are we to go to bed wilh the birds and rise with them ? Think how awkward that would be, especially m high latitudes 1 In summer we should get very little sleep, and m winter we should do very little else but sleep. No ! man is an animal, but not of the animals, and our minds were given us by God to control and to go beyond Nature, and to subjugate the powers and forces of Nature to our own well-being ; and we are able to accustom and to adjust ourselves to any environment and state of life. This is true of the Church also : whilst holding fast the faith once delivered to the saints (and be sure, my friends, there is no new faith), yet the Church is able to adapt herself to altered conditions, to make use of new ways of presenting the faith, and to welcome research. But both m Church and m Society -beware of "cranks," and beware of having too open a mind. There was onee — so the story goes — an English gentleman, who possessed, among other things, an "open mind." So " broad-minded " was he that he was always ready to accept any new cult that came along, and the nearer it took him back to nature the more pleased was he. He became m turn a Vegetarian, a Fruitarian, a " Na-ture-arian," a Socialist, a Theosophist, a Christian Scientist, and I daresay, had time allowed, he would have been many other "arians" and "ists." However, he became seriously ill, and had time to reflect. His skin was blistered with sun-baths ; his digestion

was ruined (but his appetite not satisfied) by a course of vegetables and fruit, including apple and orange pips; he founded a " Nature colony" on Socialistic principles which, "bust up" m a week or two, and when m the Christian Scientist stage, was only saved from certain death by the timely interposition of his sturdy old friend, the vicar of the parish. Finally, a sadder and wiser man, he returned to the bosom of Mother Church, which he ought never to have left. Now, there is a certain amount of truth m all these cults. As a general rule, what Separatists affirm, is true; when they deny, they are wrong. For instance, Christian Scientists affirm that sick persons can be healed by faith : they deny that m any instance are either a doctor or medicine required. The affirmation is true , the negation is wrong. Look m your Prayer Books at the office for the Visitation of the Sick, and note also the " Prayer for All Sorts and Conditions of Men." Our Church teaches the right and proper use of prayer and faith m cases of sickness, and it would be better if we heard that phrase more and more often from the clergyman's lips : ' ' The prayers of the congregation are desired for So-aud-so who is grievously sick." But the parish priest cannot ask the prayers of the faithful, unless desired to do so by the sick person. <r I have no room for any more, but must just mention this: — So long as the Church keeps up the un-Christian system of " paid-for" seats m church, so long will Socialists be able to point the finger of scorn at us. And just so long as we emphasise class, and selfishly shut our eyes to the idea of Christian Brotherhood; just so long as we neglect our privileges and duties as Churchmen and Churchwomen, and are ignorant of the full, true, Biblical and beautiful heritage we have m our own dear Mother Church, just so long will strange " isms" appeal to us, and, it may be, carry us all or part way with them.