DUTY OF THE CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 7

DUTY OF THE CHURCH.

v.:; ■ ITS SOCIAL MISSION.''/..1 LABOUR CENSURES CHURCHMEN. AND DEMANDS THEIR AID. (ST TWBOBiPH—fEBSS ASSOCIATION—OOPTBIQHT^ Sydnoy, May 12. The Federal Prime Minister, Mr. Fisher, at the invitation of the Presbyterian General Assembly, addressed a large gathering on the subject of " Tho Church and Labour." ' ' The Rot. Mr, Waugh, in'opening; the cussion, said organised Labour was looking at 1 the Church with curious, sceptical oyes, wondering what tho Church' was going 1 to do. ; That there was need for something being done was undeniable, A largo number of persons were not getting a living wage; >" Not a Cuardlan of the Poor ' Mr. Fisher declared that tho question was not political, but social, touching the very roots of civilisation. Instead of , being in the lead in dealing with tho matter, the Church had dragged behind, and proved unequal to its first social duty. ' , '■ 'What estranged people from tho Church was tho fact that they could make more progress by association with a movement which was not of the Church, but which contained for women and men something making for the welfare of thedr follows.. During the last sixteen years Australia had doubled Its wealth, but the increase had not gono to tho struggling people who wore its backbono. If the Church allowed those things it would not progress, but be left behind by tho social movement and be ignored. . ' , - "We' are, in a way, civilised," said tho speaker, "but ,wo are not really Christians or civilised when we allow honest men to starve."

Mousing and Monopolies. • Continuing, the Prime Minister said- it would bo impertinent to say there what ,the remedy was, but he claimed tho Chureh'a sympathy for thoso in danger, not ! only of the ,pangs of hunger, but of moral dangor also. ■ Tho. Church had failed , miserably l regarding the housing of,tho poor and their working conditions. , .■■ Vested intorests were standing against the lives of . our women and children. Here were rings and oombincs oil every' hand. Some pcoploj—High Church—said that' theso things operate for the good of tho public. They thought nothing of cornering, foodstuffs.- ' ; .t ; ■ It was a degradation to the country, a disgrace to Parliament, and a reflection upon every Church that failed to condemn such practices. These wero the honest convictionsof his heart. He hoped the Church wcnld deal with the question speedily, oven if it, had-to call' a special sossion of tho Assembly. : , . . . "Wo Will Stand Behind You." Further referring to tho social evil, Mr. Fisher declared that if tho> united' body of tho Christian Church werfc to say,, "This must not continue,"• it could not continue, .because, said the Speaker,' !'wo who stand a'body outside churches, 'will stand behind you liko one man." ;.' v :: ' '1' ,-to.i criticisms of his speech, Mr.' FisSier, ,said ho did not deny,that tho Church preached the Gospel of "Loyo your neighbour as yourself," hut, preaching did not clfoct tho result desired.. The Assembly oxprossed thanks to Mr. for. his-address.

THE OTHER SIDE. , STATEMENT BY A ROMAN CATHOLIC . BISHOP. , ' (by TELSGEArH—PBESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, May 12. • The cabled account of Mr. Fishbr's remarks wero referred •to the Anglican' iuid Roman Catholic Bishops of Auckland (Drs, Ncligan and Lenihan). . . ". i . Bishop Noligan refused to discuss the matter. Bishop Lenihan Baid that if he: wanted to refute Mr.'Fisher's arguments by giving a state, mentis to what the. Roman Catholio Church had done for tho poor/ he need only point to this many institutions which anybody who had travelled would know of that that Church had established in various parts of tho world to copo with all tho needs of humanity and alloviate misery. Ho instanced tho Little Sisters of the Poor..' "Our Church," said the Bishop, "is known as the poor Church, and it is over at work amongst the poor. ."If it is magnificent institutions that men like'Mr j' Fisher ore looking for, then wo: cannot produce tliom. What-' ever we aro, doing is being done in an unostentatious way. . ' a' ."I think the Presbyterian Assembly," continued Bishop Lenihan, "made tho'greatest mis-' tako in asking' such a man as Mr. Fisher to' address thoir meeting. • You do not as a rulo invite a man to insult you,,. It is o&sy to bring up,all sorts of objections to the Churoh upon which it is simply impossible to argue, because do what we can wo snail always havo distress.' As- for the Churches'influence upon millionaires, you- do not look to tho very rich for help; My experience 'is-that: if -suck/peoplo rivo heln thoy want a fad/ If thoyi are asked to join in a legitimate work of charity or benevolence they may give a donation occasionally.; If you .want success «r obtaining assistanco it is to bo eot from the moderately';rich dowtf to" tho-' noor themselves. •• ; "Personally," conoluded tho Bishop, "I should like to ask Mr, Fisher what lie has done for , . , ?? or warrant him in making ' such a diatribo against tho Presbyterian Church t"

NONCONFORMISTS AND ANGLICAN. The'position of tho Churches on tho question of . social reform appears to be a very difficult and delicate one. ; On tho one hand they aro told that they aro not moving, qniokly enough, . an fl,. on the. other they arc accused of plaoing' politics _nrst and giving, religion ■'• a secondary pmde. Iho Nonconformists• in. England have given so much prominence; to social problems' ' that, according to a recent cablegram,'some of them are oailing a halt, and a society has been .formed'to check the alleged tendency towards Socialism. In the Anglican Churoh a remarkable movement in-the samo direction is in progress/especially among tho-younger generation of High Churchmen. Mr.: Fisher's'. "High Church reference is not very olear. This movement has found expression in-the Church Socialist League, tho Christian Social Union, and othor societies, mid tho Community, of "thfc Resurrection, which, numbers among its mcmbors some of tho ablest scholSrs in the Church was recently accused of:being a hotbed of So-. cialism. Things havo been moving so quiokly •in a socialistic direction that some of tho bishops have; warned the clergy of the ovil of" identifying tho Church with any. political partv. The socialists clergy/however, cOntond thai ■ they aro acting in accordance, with the resolutions of the Lambeth Conference of 1908,' which declared, among other things, "that tho social mission and social principles',of Christianity should be given a more prominent placo in the study and teaching of tho Church, both for tho clergy and laity"; also that''"a Committee' or organisation for social service should bo part of the equipment of'oVery diocese, and as far as practicable of ovory;parish."