UNDERMANNED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 10

UNDERMANNED.

——-fr- —■—; : i GKBAT NEED AND A GKEAT . PROBLEM. In bis sermon at St. Paul's pro-Cathe-dral yesterday moaning, tho Rev. T. H. Sprott said' one of the most. striking features of the General Mission was its demonstration' of tlie power of the Anglioan Church of evoking a response on the part of the. people. This had been proved in a most striking' way at Auckland, in Waiapu; and again in Wellington. It was not . anything' .to boast, about; it ; was rather something to'.be frightened at, for the 'question at once arose; Could they meet this '.response the mission, had evoked? At present they, could not, and this admission made it quite clear : that the ministry. of' the Church must be properly manned. .-This was their great need at - the present | time. . Prependary Stuart had told, them that in his parish in. England, . which was a little; smaller than .St. Peter's, arid a little larger than' St. Paul's, he had six curates, whereas'he (Mr. Sprott) had none, and it St. Peter's they had 'one. This. undermanning had disheartened the clergy. But What could fo'done? The' effective members of : the Church in. New Zealand wiene not, las a rule, wealthy people. They would, however, only be playing with the matter , unless, this 'question ! o f. manning ..was faced. ' Two outstanding, thoughts suggested by. the mission. were, the power. of the .Chureh to evoke a response .on the .part of the. people, and. the: need' for -more clergy. THe mission had • also, shojvn that there wits an ''immense amount' of urihappiness, and . unrest . in : our midst. ; ' This was. proved by the requests for' prater.. The j missioners,- who. were, men.; .of large -\«s-. perience, declared. that' they, -had never had; so'many requests ■ fpr 'prayiGr—and-, •what a tale they, told!. It was.the.same thing .: aU over the- 'country. . What ,a inocKTyvit-'-was to talk of prosperity, and happiness! It' was, a sad ..story, of, sin and; storm,. ■ and : the only • 'thin? to; j meet it-was'the-Gospel of .Christ. .They, heard'>much' intellectual' difficulties;: tew the greatest: problem: was' the sorrow: and i tinxost in, the World, J for, ,on, the solution, ■of;:that dispendei ihe. answer .to,; the.| question whether;- life itself, was . worth living, or -whether suicide ; 'was riot: after - ail the best course. . Many men, , in. spite j of intellectual difficulties,. clung ; like grim death ,to the Gospel of Christ, because that, and nothing else could meet: the 'fundamental, problems, of. life.:. Bui- j •ing the mission, some had experienced, in a sp'scial iriahnw 1 the direct consciousness of:. God.; '' Intellectual. difficulties', would | never- be;' removed by arguments, but by this Tealisa-iiion' of God's: presence in' the. heart. /'Another.. ksson .'of tho mission was the-.power , of prayer. : :.v Striking. ex' amples of this had occurred, things had happer.ed of which he . pouidj.giyeno other : explanation than. Gcd'6 answer .to prayer., vA'great need , existed;.for strengtheniiig; the'r fellowship' of.j . the. Church. They wanted a, warmer- and stronger: fellowship—a 'large and earnest company; that' wouldattract' and /-pro--tect tho weak 'arid ' tlie wayward, . and help peoploV to .liye' :.their .life/ y.- It: was very lard, to:do this ill isolation.; ;i the:';forees oi'.'*good-; iiess.' The Anglican Church had- beein too ' -'individualisiic..'' - The .!,mi«ipn vmight, b? 'tho..'be^nnirig : jof ..a 'refor,matioiii ; i-f not'; a ; revolution. 1 1 Individualism^; had go.ne in. the State,-and 'it;must go in' re-, ligion. ; The Church must' become: .the' place Where - the.splendour, of.God- shone' forth,'.'the: refuge :-of; ,the' ; week: and .the-' eorrowful, and tho . place ■ 'where. the isolated . could 1 fine , fellowship -, and ; . a home.- ,'■..-: