Bishops and Cremation.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 176, 30 October 1886, Page 5 (Supplement)

Bishops and Cremation.

The Bishop of London, in speaking at the Church of England Funeral and Mourning Reform Aeeoclation, gave the cremationists a lift by the way, and in all probability intended to do 80. There were certain objec- • turns, he eaid, to that* practice, arising partly out of prejudice and partly out of the possibility of its destroying the evidences of crime. But, in dealing with this aspect of the question, he gave conclusive proof that he not only understood chemistry but theology touch better than the Bishop of Peterborough. That eloquent prelate years ago spoke as though the incineration of human remains would destroy the body, and thus render the resurrection impossible. He was probably not aware that the materials of the body are often taken up by plants, and thus pass in the shape of food into other human bodies, and possibly many times over. The Bishop of London knows these facts well, and without directly rebuking his right rev. brother, openly confuted both his theology and his science. He was anxious, he said, for his hearers to get rid. of the heathenish idea that it was desirable /to keep the body as long as possible apart from the earth, when the true object of burial was to restore the corruptible elements as quickly as possible to their native earth. He seemed to, think that thoae methods of burial which most quickly perform this necessary and ultimately inevitable process are moat to be preferred. The cremationist* claim it as the chief merit . of their system that it does this in the course of a few hours, whilst the quickest modes of burial in practioereqilire years to Sliah it. .^They, wilf certainly claim ibe ish'op ofjuondon m one of their most ardent champions. . Jlrbin the.toiieof hWipeech we imagine .that he will not bo seriously; diaquietod by their ihforendoi-^rA^t-- 'fe#*«