THE ANGLICAN MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 3

THE ANGLICAN MISSION.

ALLEGATIONS OF RITUALISM

(By Teleffrapn— Special Correspondent.) Auckland, May 27. , Some strong sentiments are expressed in the annual report of the Laymen's League against the forthcoming Anglican Missio.i. Tho report, which was adopted amidst applause, said that considerable interest had been aroused in ;tho .diocese, and elsewhere by the publication of an extract from tho "English Churchman" giving some details regarding the personnel of the mission which was timed to arrive here in September nest. Now, while opposition to the entrance of a mission to tho Church in this country might 'prove hi the. result a wrong course, surely the? rough analysis by a writer acquainted with his subject of the known proclivities and teachings of individual members of the mission was a legitimate and timely service rendered to tho people who were to bo missioned. (Applause.) It was worth noting that nobody had ventured to deny the fact that many of the coming missioners were ritualists of a most pronounced type.' Members of the reformed Church of England may well be ' pardoned for doubting whether tho inclusion of a few genuine Evangelical clergy in the mission can neutralise the harm eventuating from the advent here of other men of the ritualist type. Tho charge had frequently been made, openly or secretly, directly or by implication, that the league was a party, organisation. Those persons who' branded and decried the movement as a mere exhibition of party spirit should loam that the league was brought into existence only after all other efforts had failed to restrain some of tho high dignitaries of the Church in the diocese from embarking upon a policy bound to wrench the hearts and consciences of many godly people and to wreck the peace or the Church. THE OTHER SIDE. It is only fair to state that in an article describing the scope of tho mission (published in yesterday's lissue of The Dominion) the Rev. H. A. Kennedy, one of the "forerunners," denies the allegations made by tho Laymen's League as stated in tho above message. He writes: —"There has been ■ a foolish effort on the part of somo | people to prejudice others against the mission as a whole by labelling it 'High Church.' Now it is indeed as broad, in regard to the opinions of those who are coming out, as tho Church of Eng- ! land is, and will continue to bo in spite of the efforts of those who would like to thrust out all who do not happen to tako their own narrow view; tho mis-, siouaries fairly equally represent all schools of thought, including on the one hand representative evangelicals like Canon E. *.. Stuart and Mr. Lullingstono (the vicar of Hull), and on the other two members of tho Community of tho [Insurrection at Mirfield; but all these men are able to work together in Hie common cause, for they know that if in some details their methods or their languago might-differ, yet that they are at one in loyalty to their Master, and in the end \hey sot before themselves the conversion of sinners, tho building up of the faithful in tho love of God, the revival of the life of the. Church." When the article in the "English Churchman" was brought under the notice of the Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Neligan) some weeks ago by a "Herald" reporter, he said:—"The paper that says what you have shown me is a party organ, and works for party purposes. Nobody but an extreme party man would think of giving it a txmsideration at all."