DEFECTS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 27, Issue 4, 1 April 1937, Page 3

DEFECTS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

(From a sermon by the Bishop of Bradford.) I suggest that the real defects of the Church of England are threefold. In the first place, too many of its members are lacking m personal devotion to Christ, and personal witness for Christ. They may be dutiful and loyal to their Church duties; they may even be parochial or diocesan functionaries. But the Lord Jesus Christ is not a real Person to them. His word is not a flame m their hearts, nor are His claims a compelling force on their wills. Their prayers too often are a routine performance; their Communions are infrequent and uninspired. Christ is no Intimate of theirs; they cannot declare, because they have not seen and heard. , In consequence, secondly, the spirit of our Church fellowship leaves much to be desired. Some clergy are rampant individualists. Some congregations are hotbeds of malice and quarrelling. The Church at times seems to be riddled with partisanship. These are no new phenomena m Church life. They existed m New Testament times. Corinth, was seamed with Church parties, though it was free as yet from the curse of Church party

newspapers. At Philippi Euodias and Syntyche, who, I have no doubt, were, district visitors or Sunday school superintendents, toere not "of one mind m the Lord." And St. James' Epistle makes plain the presence of social snobbery m the Churches which he addressed. Weakness of Christian fellowship is always bound to exist where personal devotion to Christ is lacking or defective.

Thirdly, I reckon the lack of missionary enthusiasm and sacrifice. Many Churchgoers have but a pewoccupying religion. The challenge of Christ to active witness is heeded by so few. Parochial selfishness towards home and foreign missions is still too common, though less common than it was fifty years ago. This also is the natural result of an inadequate Christianity. How can we share Christ's desire that all shall come to the knowledge of the truth, if we do not realize Him as a living Lord and Master and Friend?