MR. CHARLES BRIGHT’S LECTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5253, 24 January 1878, Page 3

MR. CHARLES BRIGHT’S LECTURE

There was a large audience at the Polytechnic Hall last night, and the lecturer on making his appearance was very well received. He commenced by saying that thore might be some people present who would consider that iu undertaking to deliver a lecture on Christianity he was trespassing on a sacred subject, with which only the clerical profession was qualified to deal, and that he ought not to lay sacrilegious hands on carefully protected mysteries, and ho would therefore explain that to his mind the words “sacred” and “profane,” as distinctive terms, had no meaning. Everything appeared to him sacred when he tried to discern its inner significance and connect it with its Divine causation ; and everything was profane, in being open for the direct, examination of the humblest mind, irrespective of clique, caste, diploma, or degree. He regarded primitive Christianity, so far as it could be inade out from the best traditions, —those contained in the first three books of the New Testament, — as having been obscured, degraded, and almost lost when it was nominally adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine, and combined with paganism as a State system. He argued that religion was made a trade of, and the simple and beautiful doctrines of Christ were perverted. After speaking at considerable length and with much ability to this effect for more than an hour, Mr. Bright concluded with the following peroration ; “ Pear not that tyrants shall rule for ever. “Yes, this political religion will pass with other temporalities and illusions, away into outer darkness ; but the white flower of Jesus’ life and teachings will remain, aud the fragrance arising from it will unite with the odour shed by other similar blossoms, and be accepted as a divine gift by all races of mankind.” At the conclusion of tho lecture, which was listened to throughout with marked attention, and frequent applause, a gentleman iu the body of the house said he wished to ask some questions of the lecturer. Mr. Bright said that as there was no chairman present he would not enter into any further argument that night, but the next evening he hoped there would be a chairman, and he (Mr. Bright) would then be most happy to answer any questions that might'be put to him by the gentleman who had now addressed him, or by anyone else. He added that he was staying at York House, and if any one wished to call upon him and discuss the subject with him, he should be glad to talk over the matter. He was only going to stay in Wellington until Monday, and would lecture at the Polytechnic next (this) evening, on free thought and fettered thought, and at the Theatre Royal on Sunday, on the doctrine of evolufon iu relation to prayer.