THE BISHOP OF WELLINGTON ON TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 275, 2 November 1880, Page 4

THE BISHOP OF WELLINGTON ON TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS.

The, Bishop of Wellington, in the address which ( he delivered last week, expressed the following views regarding, temperance organisations arid their i Value.: -^r u T-Ljet General -Syjnod has again: agreed to aTesolution on intemperance ; l aud has recommended Diocesan Synods tp encourages temperance movement similar to that adopted by the Church of England Temperance Society, But it has not indicated any practical ..mode of procedure. While the General "Synod was unanimous in" desiring to abate intemperance, which is doubtless ! a great evil in Christian communities, no suggestion was made as to the kind of action to be taken in order to effect this. In spite of the great efforts which ore said to have .been made in England during the last few years to counteract the intemperance/ of the people^ it seems an admitted fajcfc that it has greatly increayed; during 7 the same period. ;I feel ; a;dee'p; conviction^th'afc. in a coTihtry like ihis,-,where s the energies of the .clergy jare OYer-fcaxed in attending to Iheir immediate spiritual r juji^thej.' will best discharge theeer"a f rid; iricidbri tally do Motelfeoodeveh to thatfporfioh.' of. the community who are given to intemperance, by seeking to spread the knowledge 1 of iß[biy j Scnpture t -ahd to piomote l 'tHe J development ''"of spiritual life in their people, than by expending their energies in prompting jmere for the suprirelsioti of intemperance. |uch or ( ganissa^ions are frequently, met^ and- frustrated by counter organizations. The latter, set on foot; by men for the purpoW of a traffic by, m of which they obtain their livelihood, are often'worke'd Vjfcb, r.emarkab.le.yigor. and success. I cannot but think that '.he clergy would best employ any time they : can/ spare from their manifold necessary duties in sturdy ing Holy Scripture— m endeavoring to grasp lie deep; meaning, arid reproduce this in a form Buitab]o r tQ v those to whom they ministers ? afid in aßdekalning and riß--9ecting^n f the >view;s jpafreligiQUS arid moral subjects which prevail among their people. What is now needed -is not the enunciation of theories or the passing, of fdrmal J resolutions. Tlie subtle influences npjf actually afc work, whether those drawing the young away towards speculative irifidelityy euphemisticaily called honest doubt, cr those which allure ihera away from the church in. tjie ya,ln, expectation that. .by. means. , of schiematic novelties they will become more spiritual— these are the enemies the clergy would do well to derote their energies, to< abate and repress. It is the existence arid growth^ of true religion in the tearfc ,'w;.hich^^alone.wiU effectually tend to arrest the progress of vide of every kind. , ■