A FAMOUS BISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 6

A FAMOUS BISHOP.

DR. SHEEPSHANKS RETIRES.. '.HIS STJCCESSOS. ...'■.;'. By Telesraph—Press Association—ConyriEht 'London, 'January 13. . The Bcv. ' Bertram .Pollock, : M.V.0.," Master, of. Wellington' College,' has ■ beenappointed to; succeed -Dr.' Sheepshanks, who has retired: ;from ;tho Bishopric jof Norwich. -.'■ ' V,.''.;;!-,: ' : 'ADVENTURES IN ASIA. . PKEACHED .TO BIIIGHAM ; JOUNQ;:. ' "I'm'-., a. Gladstbniari-Liberal—a.' Liberal of the..old-'school.: But,: mind, I; don't believo in a political clergy," Dr. Sheepshanks : told a representative of - the ■London."Daily News" a : few. weeks ago.. ■ It, was towards the close of a long conversation about, his -career—his:.experiences as a'provincial:.ourato, his.adventures in i the Wild .West,- his' amazing journey through: Central Asia, his quiet years' spent under . the shadow: of .'Norwich spire—that they' had touched upon politics,.-, and .then, not on v the Bishop's, 'initiative. . .Ketiring. liow. ■ at; the .' age: of. . seventy-sis from the . Bishopric.. of. ; Norwich, Dr., Sheepshanks has tad time to come to this conclusion (in' his,,. own words):-' r "rhat-'we:, clergy., are ordained to .preach the: Gospel and :save - souls,, not to teach the;peoplo politics. We have as much right' to,.political, opinions as you laymen , have,. and' we ougnt to vote: according', to ..our consciences, but,-if ,by taking .up, a political standpoint we alienale; any ,of our follpw-creatures. so. that they.; won't.' hear-,. the ...Gospel,;', we ..do wrong."' '■,'■;."'-. . '■'■.';■<'/ •:-.'.;■•'..': -''.■,: . ,Ho ,spoke (as, indeed, he- does', upon- al' topics) with- much, of: that -strong,determination/and'. self-confidence 1 which, must havo ; served 'him'well -among ; the; gold-J diggers of California fifty-years, ago. But ] for the. .white -beard; of - patriarchial, pro-., portions, which : makes , him . ono:.of:.tile most easily, distinguished: of the Bishops . on the Bench, you would not' call him an, old- man".yet \ 'Tin-,seventy-six -years! I' believe I have:,:had less than fourteen' days' .illness," he. was able:to : assure me.'Shooting "At.Sight'! I. :,,-;,::.;;■: -.His physique, as- a young /man must have been remarkable.; When, in, 1867, i° went: to California' from , a curacy ■ wivl Dean Hook, ■ at Leeds, the'. Far West was no place for. bread-and-butter misses. To hear him:talk'recalls vividly a first readmg.of .Brei.Harte.'•--./'•::• • .■. .-;■-.-• "There was'a pale-faced littlelman who was anxious'. to be allowed ; to beat the gong : regularly, for service .at New, Westmiriter, but-said'he.:ought'first'';to' tell me. something about 'himself," he' relates. ".Tm just/out of the gaol- at-' 'Frisco,' he-wont'on. 'And'what : yere'you in fori"' 1 asked.' .'Murder," was the- reply. His wifa had- been:'unfaithful, he' had-shot her .'.seducer, 'at'--sight,', and V got'/three months .for it.-;-. - ■': •'---■

. "Shootings: of,: that kind—regulated /by a certain cbdo' of honours-were-not very rare in'those' days.' .• The' usual'' thing was. to send a .written: notice 'something like.this:'Tou',-r—. villain. I,give you notice: I shoot" you, at sight.'"/, m One of the ■ Bishop's• strangest■' adven-. .tares •occurred upon' his.'journey across America : byi, niail-coach—such 'a : coach upon such roads that he bad to .be tied : .down with arms outstretched, in order, to got a :wihk of sleep;.. It- was.-the adventure .of preaching before Brigham - Young and,3ooo Mormons, in the Tabernacle at> Salt'lake City.,-: : The. autocrat: of the Latter Day; Saints 'appears. to have taken a strange fancy, to -the young English clergyman; with his brave eyes and hum-: orous mouth/for it hyas by; special request that;,-Mr.'':Sheepshanks- discharged :a-duty, never attempted/before 'or' ; since.••.■'■•••■ '~-.;■ ./.He-was'much moved as he- told me', tie sequel. •--.' /-.■'://:.- :v,:'.-\v.. ■-./-'.-'

. ."Recently;" saidhe,"l got a. letter from a clergyman in the United States,: which' said that recently an .'American"bishop met in Salt JL'ake,City an elderly woman. 'I'khow that woman .well,' remarked one of tho,party.j-;-Wheh'-the Bishop of Nor-,wjch!was'here;-ftir'tyVye'ars'ago,' she heard him, preach; .and: was so: impressed that she; went/away.to,the East and abandoned ; Mormobism. ■ ■'. Some . yeaf s ' later she re- . turned'to; Salt Lake-City, and has occu-pied.'.-herself .fever since 'in preaching Christianity.'"v. .. '■ - -.- . t ;- ;. ■'.-,■."■ ■:•/■.;.-.-././- ' "Blessed.text!":; exclaimed / the v aged Bishop, as Mib recalled the verses begin- 1 ning, "Now„then, : we are rkmbassadors' for Christ," upon .which he based: that famous "sermon. "Truly bread: cast upon the' waters-r—"'/::' 1 .'''./'-• "■

In tht: Lama City, .:',-.:/./". ; Dr.' ■ Sheepshanks, is one of the very few Europeans, .also, who have witnessed .the ceremony Oof the; Adoration of-the Great Lama lVOurga,.' the. sacred city of -the Mongols. In 1867 a lonely, journey through the heart ;of:Asia from Peking to Moscow; was. a; deed■ of daring that>ery few young clergymen indeed ."would have dared to" attempt, _ but the, future/Bishop., accomplished ,it: with'.':the 'utmost .sangfroid,, droppinginio .Ourga by the "way,. and •'encountering,- quite '.unabashed, what! he described 'to .be as the; "ferocious frown" bf^: .the iGreat Lama- himself../ The, Bishop delights', especially./in one -littlo: story; riected'-with this tour;:. -. /■;'.-;-,"/ -.-.

';'.-' Mr;. Birkbeck,; the ;.weli-known .Norfolk ;layman,-.'had occasion .a few -years: a'gb'-'to' visit'a convent.not 'far from the Caspian Sea.'.The; Archimandritß..of;the''convent recalled how, .thirty: years before, : ,a,young. Englishman: had':.discussed .'ivith • him -at. Pbsblsky;/in > Siberia,;;the "subject' of,, the payment of the; clergy,: and had expressed the : opiiiioh—in Latin, :f or.>hat- was. the only'lahguage/thoy.h'adin commonr-tha-t. English:-,Bishopsl^wero"'paid/too much,, while their clergy were paid too little... It was- with'a twinkle'-, in his: eye. that': he heard 1 - that ; that .young 15nglishnian : \vas .now. ■ himself lord of;.a- palace and' : an. episcopal income, '•"■' : ;; ; .■■ ■"I wonder if ;he has changed'his mind?" :said the' Archimandrite.:'.■.'..-.:-'/'

: "And have you?" I inquired., •!■ ;. . ,"1- am still. of 'the same' opinion," my host •declared.- .'."Only if s no* use' cutting, down, our stipends: unless you get' rid of our ,palaces.. ->That, is the .first essential step.- Now this place"—with, a glance at the • splendid proportions -of : : the .■ iroom— .'"wouldn't■ make' a.'Tjad workhouse,, or tea-', rooms,','perhaps, considering, the. garden,. I know.-it has;beena bishop's palace for : 800'years,' and- has' .associations. ; But it: :costs:''me-.-d82300r a' year- to! up.-. Is', it-worth .it?'::.-.':/ , •'■ , >''.-■■"-..;.■ v.'.- ■•'/''■

;'Of course, we discussed disestablishment —Dr.- Sheepshanks believes it would-be good .for; the > Church,-: but. bad; for the nation—and came finally:,to'.the condition'; of.' the Church to-day. as compared-, witlr its.condjtion in tie.Bishop's youth.';' !■ ■' ', '7ThB ; 'improvement '■ is enormons,"V ; ha said. ' "Yet,- why is it. that tho very flower of. the people,' >as .I' think tho ". Labour party, in Parliament may' fairly be' called, still stand.aside?' How much,-though, we have; to be.thankful for!",; : :.i ■'■''■-'

.". -Dr.;, Sheepshanks's [successor as Bishop of .Norwich (Dr., Bertam Pollock) . has been' master of Wellington College since; 1893.' He was educated at Charterhouse,' and had, a successful career '■ at Trinity College,; Cambridge./ Ho,;was ordained deacon in' 1890; ~'was assistant master of Marlborough CoHege'from .1866 to ,1893; . ahd N . is,' a ■.Chaplain-in-Ordinary ..to.'; the Kihg:'and an'M.V.O.' /He'was a-running man ;in 'his, Cambridge days: j ':.-■;' i - /«.;< : :..