CHURCH CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 6 October 1911, Page 5

CHURCH CONGRESS.

■' V " I PLAIN SPEAKING BY BISHOPS. CLEEICALISM AND THE LABOUR MOVEMENT. By Telegraph—Pre6s Association—OoDyriffht London, October 4. At tho Anglican Church Congress at Stoke-on-Trent, the Bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Digglo) gave an address on "Clericalism—a Canker," which, ho said, many countries wore ruthlessly abolishing. Tho process, though painful, was inevitable and necessary. Tho Bishop of London (Dr. Ingram) declared that tho Church did not heed tha passionate desiro for Heaven on oarth, which was tho basis of tho Labour movement. Tho latter was a definitely religious movement. Tho reason of tho Church of England's want of influence was becauso it was a class Church, apt to like tho poor so long as they kept in their proper places.

The Church Congress has no legislative powers, and carries no resolutions, but it is valuable as an opportunity for the exchange of ideas, which enables tho leaders of thought in the Church to deal with the pressing problems of tho day in their religious aspect. Tho Bishop of London is not' distinguished either as a thinker or scholar; but ho is a great worker and a most inspiring personality. As head of Oxford House, Bethnall (jrcon, aud Bishop of Stepney, bo obtained first-hand knowledge of the life of tho poor in the East End of London, and has made his mark as an organiser, a missioner, and an open-air preacher. His methods aro quite unconventional, and few men understand the lav mind better than he does. The Bishop of Carlisle is well-known as a fearless and unsparing critic of tho shortcomings of Church and nation. According to a cablegram published on September 22 ho declared "that tho Theological Colleges were sending out men steeped in caste feeling, which is a form of clericalism. It will bo remembered that Dr. Sprott, in his first address to the Synod as Bishop of Wellington, uttorod.a warning on tho dangers of clericalism. Ho .declared that "the term ia not always understood by thoso who oftenest use it as a term of opprobrium. But, rightly undersixiod, clericalism is an evil thing.'" As an illustration, he stated that "ministers of religion are yielding to clericalism when they imagine that just because thoy are ministers of religion, and apart from any qualifications of serious study and competent knowledge, they are entitled- magisterially to decide what is tho right and what is tho wrong solution of complicated social and political problems."