Church Teaching.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 7, 1 April 1917, Page 77

Church Teaching.

(Erom the Church Standard).

It is surely of the gravest imppr- . tance that the Christian Faith should be , taught clearly, definitely and as a whole. We commented on the fact that some clergy drag" m, say, Confession usque ad nauseam, but it is equally true that a much larger number ignore the Prayer Book doctrine of private confession and absolution altogether, never making the slightest reference to it from year's end to year's end, with the result that they are continually ignorant of the very things which as parish priests it most concerns them to know. It is the whole Faith that needs to be clearly and definitely taught. Loyal, consistent, ""•and enthusiastic Churchmen cannot be brought up on vague generalities. Do we believe our Church to be the most true and valid representative of the Christian Church m our land ? If we hesitate to say so from fear that some Nonconformists may interpret our statement as uncharitable towards themselves, can we expect that our people will think that it matters where they worship ? Do we neglect to explain the Holy Eucharist and the vital position it has always held m the Christian Church ? Can we wonder that communicants are few ? Do we ignore fasting, self-denial and penance ? Can we wonder if the sense of sin among our people is not keen ? Church Teaching is not a book of " Choice Extracts " from which we can draw what we like and leave what is not to our taste. It all hangs to* -,gether, and every part is related to every other part, and taken as a whole it is one of the most powerful forces m the world for influencing men. However much we may wish m theory that every man, woman and child should be an independent philosopher surveying the whole realm of philosophy and religion, and deliberately selecting that which appears to be true, such an idea is ludicrously inconsistent with facts. As a matter of fact we accept what we are taught and it is only later y and of ten never, that we review or criticise it for ourselves. If the ideas of religion that we are taught are vague and nebulous and lacking m definite connection with action and practice, then our working religion will be characterised by the same vagueness and absence of practice. It is useless to treat a child or

ignorant person as though he was a trained philosopher, and leave him to deduce practice from abstract principles. We must say with conviction " this is truth " and "this is the practice of the loyal Churchmen," if we are' to. obtain any practical results, and we cannot imagine anything better suited to bring about good results than the little book of Bishop Q-ore's because it asserts and believes m the reality and continuity of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Creed. The future lies not with the vague empiricists, who are for ever changing their teaching and their aims, but with those who know what they want and teach what they believe to be true regularly and consistently. The evidence of Mr Charles Booth is clear, that only those bodies which give clear and definite religious teaching are making any real progress m London. The lesson is much needed m Australia, where the temporary inclusion m a congregation of many who are not members of the Church often leads to vagueness and want of Church teaching, intensified also by the long distances, and infrequent services. The difficulties must be fairly and patiently faced and no effort spared to give Definite Church Teaching, that is the Catholic Faith m its fulness and entirety, if the Church iff to have its proper and legitimate influence m this land.