THE NEW BISHOP OF CHRISTCHURCH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2042, 6 May 1890, Page 3

THE NEW BISHOP OF CHRISTCHURCH.

Last Friday afternoon the new Bishop of Christchurch and Mrs Julius were entertained at a luncheon in the handsome chamber of the old Provincial Buildings, Christchurch, which was filled with all the principal members of the church in the diocese. A large number of ladies were also present, and ministers of the Presbyterian, Congregational, Wesleyan, and Baptist denominations attended. An apology was made for the absence of Father Gumming, of the Roman Catholic Church. The Right Rev. Bishop Harper was the first to enter the chamber, having on his arm Mrs Julius ; the Primate fel!°7 W - 6d ' with Mrs N"evill; the Bishop of Waiapu, with Mrs Jacobs ; and then came the guest of the day, leading the venerabla lady of the Primate. Bishop Harper occupied the chair, having Bishop Julius on his right and the Primate on his left, while the Dean of Christchurch occupied the vice-chair. The toasts of " The Queen " and «' The Governor," proposed by the chairman, were duly honored, and then the Dean gave " The Legislature of New Zealand." The Hon. W. Reeves, M.L.C., and Mr W. B. Perceval, M.H.R., responded, welcoming Bishop Julius to Christchurch. The chairman In proposing '• His Lordship the Bishop of Christchurch," said that he did not know of another instance in church history where a bishop had been spared to lay hia hands on the heads of his successor. He trusted that the new bishop would have strength and grace to carry on the work of head ®f the diocese, and he had no doubt that with the gifts with which he was endowed he would be blessed under God with the advancement of the church's work in the colony. Sir John Hall also spoke, and Bishop Julius replied in a happy speech. The Hon. H. B. Gresson, the Bench of Bishops, and several other toasts having been duly honored the proceedings terminated.

PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting to receive the new Bishop was held in the Palnce Rink last Friday evening. The attendance was enormous, ticket-holders coming in in a steady stream immediately the doors were opened, so that long before the commencement of the proceedings the seating accommodation, extensive though it was, was pretty heavily taxed. In all there were about 5000 persons present. The chair was occupied by Sir John Ha'l, who in the course of his speech said that though the face and form of their new Bishop were strange to most of them, it could not be said that he was unknown, for reports of him and of his work had reached them from time to time. He came accredited with the testimony of all creeds and classes, bearing witness to bis work in Victoria The testimonies told of his eloquence, of his sagicity and wisdom, of his earnestness, and of his greathearted sympathy with all humanity—that great-heartodness which was the surest key to the hearts of other men, and which the speaker was sure would be found a precious possession here. Though he came as a Bishop to the Church, whose fabric it would be his care to extend and strengthen, he came also as a patrio'ic, eminent citizen.

Addresses were presented by the clergy and laily, the Young Men's Christian Association, and the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council. The Bishop replied at considerable length, in the course of which he said : I verily believe there was a time when the diocese of Christchurch thought that if I ever entered upon it I should come with two pounds of dynamite in my pocket. (Great laughter.) Whether it was caused by the telegrams from Ballarat I cannot say. I have come to the conclusion that telegraph wires are immoral, because you put truth in at one end, and it comes out lies at the other. (Great laughter.) What is the truth of it? I will tell you. I have lived foe Bix years in London. I haye worked in London, and I Lave lived among the very poor, and I have seen such poverty, such hideous wretchedness, as have been burned into my very soul. Do you wonder that the thought of it should make me cry to God for help for the poor of the great cities of Europe ! And when I was in BalUi-at, and that terrible London strike was in full force, I spoke about it, and I spoke as I should speak it anywhere on any platform, bishop or no bishop. (Tremendous cheering.) I should bd the last man to set the poor against the rich, labor against capital, one man against his brother man, but I say, while there are men living in London, as there are at this time, whether it be by the temporary disorganisation of the money market, or the labor market, or what you will, we must find some change in the order ot things, and it is the duty of every man to look earnestly and deeply till that change is i brought about (Loud cheers,) What; change Don't misunderstand ms, I j am no advocate of any panacea for the wrongs of the suffering poor. 1 am not standing here to advocate Land Nationalisation or Socialism in any form or shape. They are matters for profound thought and study and care, not by talk, not by loud speeches, not by force or violence, not by influence of djnamite, but by slow and certain methods which belong to the Anglo-Saxon race. (Applause.) What I do say is this, that the days are gone by for ever, thank God, when churchmen shall look around upon their poor, wretched brother with fifteen children and 9s a week to feed them on, bnd say, " My dear brother, you mast be contented with that [ state of life into which it has pleased God to call you." (Loud applause.) 1 do not expect all my brethren to Bgree with nae in everything, but I cannot say that, to a man when he is half-starved, for I do not believe that God put him there at all. It is our false system, our commercial frauds J —1 wont go into it, I don't know he got there—but it is the dut} of every Christian man to give a hand to pull him ou', (Loud cheers.) 1 know and believe from my very heart that the truest Socialism is that of" Ghrißtianity—(applause),—that in the Christ alone we are brothers one of another ; that in Christ alone we learn fraternity, liberty, and equality. But, then, I am not to say to my poor suffering brethren, "Christianity will bring it about; sit down and starve on a mutton bone, and wait for the millennium." (Laughter and applause,) No, if I believe Christianity can do it, I am to bring the principles of Christianity to bear an these questions 5 to bring the love and selfsacrificing spirit of the Christ to the minds of those who are wealthy, and to indicate endurance and patience to those who are 1 poor and suffering. Let me say this alone

I then, I am no Socialist. I will never strive to sat one clasa against another, but if 6ver in this vorld I see sign of cruelty, oppression, injustice and wrong, and that which has all these elements combined, the sweating system, I will come forth and 1 will speak every word I have got in me to crush it down. (Loud cheers). After referring to the Education question, he said:—"We will fight, God helping us, and we may get our way in time, or a bit of it. But meantime shall we be content with protests 1 God forbid. I am afraid we have been too ready to do this, although I speak with an imperfect knowledge of New Zeakud. Our Roman Catholic brethren have set us a very noble and grand example. (Applause.) They protested; they did not believe in a secular education ; but they built their schools and gathered their ohildren into them, and they paid for these schools and supported them without a farthing of Government grant. I say they deserve the blessing of God on their work." He went on to say that they would do their best to establish schools, and where this was not practicable they would push forward Sunday school work. He would always work with members of other churches on the platforms of purity, temperance, and education, and do his best to promote peace harmony and goodwill amongst all classes.