The Church and the Workers. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 9

The Church and the Workers. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — Every now and again the question is raised generally by the clergy, why they cannot get more of the workers to go to their churches. following, copied from the Sydney Bulletin, will perhaps explain some of the reasons why so few workers enter the churches : — < -„■-' -• •- • *■' "The Heathen": The Anglican Diocesan' Synod lately invited the members of Melbourne Trades Hall Council by circular to attend a special series of Sunday evening services at St. Paul's, and listen reverently to addresses on "Aspects of Christian Citizenship." The following heated remarki from the "Church of England Messenger" indicate the distressing result_of the invitation, and how the scheme for the propel instruction of the workers fell through with a crash: — "The unfriendly attitude of the Trades Hall Council towards the proposed sermons at the Cathedral on social subjects is both regrettable and natural. It is natural because we are only too well acquainted with their ignorance of the Church's real attitude and province; it is regrettable because we cannot hope to dispel that ignorance until we can induce them to give us a hearing. Their claim that Labour repre- ' sentativee should be amongst the preachers of course shows that they do not understand what a sermon it, or what the Cathedral is for. That we should degrade our services to the level of a pleasant Sunday, afternoon is unthinkable." There isn't much meekness or humility in these sentiments, and the quantity of brotherly love is strictly limited. It is & rather violent reminder that the Church of to-day i« a very different Church from thafc founded by the Carpenter, assisted by «. few fishermen and men of lowly birth. In its first stage the Church was wholly Labour. Capital took no official notice of it until it began to spread among the workers ; and when it did take notice it was with the idea of suppressing it. But the thing survived, and persecution only served to make it flourish. In the fulness of time it became so big that the rich man came and took the front seat, and at last the preachers lost sight of the poor man at the back. In return for the rich man's regular payment of its stipend the Church has adopted his point of view, and the camel-needle remark is not stressed unduly, but delivered in a soft tone with qualifications. Now and again the Church ia troubled in its conscience about the benighted working classes, and, reaching out in a half-hearted way, tries to bring them back to furnish fhe vacant pews. But it is firm on the point that the class from which the institution orginally rose must submit to the doctrines laid down by the nriesta of the rich man. The tone of the Church towards the worker is arrogant — even whilst it is inviting him to come back to the fold and the collection-plate. It is plainly eager for his attention and his money; but in return it will not let him raise his voice. He must- pay to be preached at on social subjects, and his ignorance ("with which we are only too well acquainted") may be aired elsewhere; but only after the rich man's religious servants havo interpreted the Scriptures to him according to the ideas of their masters. After thi« clergymen surely will not waste time asking why men don't go to church. Would "anything" go to church under the cir« cumstances? Thanking you beforehand for reprinting the above, as it thoroughly agrees with th* opinions of, — Yours, etc., - - Westport, September 4. W Henbt. ; "

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