CHAT WITH A CLERGYMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 89, 11 May 1909, Page 4

CHAT WITH A CLERGYMAN.

HEV. It. KEITH EWEN,

The Rev. >]{. Keith ICwen, who is at present conducting mission services' at the Baptist Chureii, in Gill street, is a Scotchman, ami as such, is observant. Before coming to New Zealand a few years ago lie was ministering in Australia, occupying the Melbourne Tabernacle, which was the first church to tackle .lack Wren's "tote." It was also the first church in which the well-known Or. Dowie preached. The rev. gentleman, in a conversation with a Daily News representative, made some interesting comparisons between Australia and New .Zealand. The latter he described as being "absolutely the finest country I've been in, for any man. Workers in this country enjoy the best conditions that I have even seen in a'iy country," he said, "and the conditions are far and away ahead of Australia." Asked to particularise, Mr Ewen «ud that first of all the New Zealand workers were well oil' in point of legislation. "The legislation here is all on the side of the worker. No man need be a drudge here to his employer as many are in Australia, for the law protects him. Living conditions are better nere, too, althougn rents are higher as well. -But I notice in New Zealand greater consideration for the house-wives in erectingiiouses, Over there there are no stoves in the Australian workers' homes." Taking everything into consideration, he thought the standard of living and the standard of comfort was 'higher here than in Australia. "There's one thing Pd like to say hj favor of Australia," he said. ''The spirit of union that is making itself manifest in the churches of Australia is moat commendable. The churches are coming together. The Anglican Church doesn't- hold itself aloof from the others', as she does j in this country. Ministers of the Jiiigli-i can Church in Australia may frequently | •be found working heart and soul with, ministers of the other denominations. In ■ fact, all the churches in Australia .seem to be coming together, and denomhiationalism is losing its distinctiveness. People are beginning to recognise that character is superior to creed. A null's creed may he all right, and the, man still be ail utter scoundrel. If a creed does not produce good, noble character, there's something wrong with the creed. T.u> greatest asset in any nation is character in its people, and the reason why 1 firmly believe in the New Testament and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ is because 1 believe the Gospel is the greatest factor we have for the production of noble and unselfish character. If the principles of that Gospel are given full sway in a man, he must be a good eiti- , zen. a good husband, a good father, and a good man. "The No-license movement here, too, is far ahead of anything I've ever known in Australia. It is very, very difficult to get live interest in the work there, but here the people are thoroughly interested and aroused to a recognition of the fact that the drinking sysccm of to-day is an evil, destructive of character and an enemy to morality in its-true sense. J. know publicans who admit that the drinking system of to-day is an evil. It is a great problem, however, and'l quite recognise that we have not reached its solution yet. I'm not a faddist on uoliceuse, but J sympathise with the movement because i believe drink is agaiust the best interest of our national life."

No-license being a well-worn theme in those columns, the reporter tried the rev. gentleman on another tack. '" Have you studied file problem of why people don't go to church ?" he asked. "Yes," he replied, " 1 have, The reason, 1 believe, why the church has lost its grip of tho people is simply because there lias been a great amount of failure in the church. I recognise myself tlrtt there has been failure in church, a fanure to rise to its ideals. But the ideals 'ai'c still there, and when, every now and again, wo timl a man determined to roach those ideals he exerts a powerful influence oil the. nation. Jn respect to the masses, it is one of the greatest of mistakes to say that the eliurch is not the friend of the woricing man. No one who roads history can help being impressed with the fact that those who had held to the principles of the new Testament liave ever been the friends of the worker and worked in his best interest. AYlien 1 speak of "the Church" in this connection 1 don't mean any sect or denomination, but the Church of Jesus Christ, composed oi all believers, in all denominations. Tyndall and others had preached the Uospcl of " tho survival of the fittest/' What a merciful doctrine. It meant that there was no room in the commercial world for the weak man, and tho sooner lie was got rid ot tho better. The Church says, "We stand by that man." Tho church has failed iu as far as it has bowed too much before men of social position and men ot wealth. I am glad to be able to say that the denomination to which I belong has never had in its communion very many wealthy men to bow to. The Baptist Church, as far a* 1 know, has been very clean, ami its record will stand investigation. " The worker has manifested a good deal of selfishness in absenting himself from church. The church calls for selfdenial, and we find among tho masses men who are not willing to recognise any self-denial. They think more of their pot of beer and a game of football than anything else. People nowadays are so wrapped up in selfishness, in the greed of gain, that they absent themselves from the church. Man to-day is clutcaing. His creed is summed up in the words, "to have." Tne church says, "to be." It is not what a man has, but what he is that matters. A man may be possessed of thousands, and yet be a curse to his nation."

Concluding, the ltev. Ewon said that the Press and the Cuurch should work hand in hand. They anould recQgnise each other's inlluonee on the community. ,You may denounce the church, but n;■ sane mail will despise it. Jn the same way the church must -not denounce or despise the newspapers. "Tile pen of the Press is a sword, and a mighty sword. It is a great mistake to ignore the inlluonee of the Press. Very oft»n it is ihe working man's guide ; lie reads little or nothing else." The newspaper should be supported, for a healthy, moril tone in it was advantageous to the community. They wanted to keep it pur-, and ministers of tho Gospel would be wise to give editors the impression that I they regarded the Press as a friend. 1