RELIGION IN ENGLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2099, 16 September 1890, Page 1

RELIGION IN ENGLAND.

Speaking on the subject of the increase or decrease in faith Cardinal Manning, in a recent speech, said “ I have had a long experience of nearly 60 activjs years of religions life. I believe thjt faith and religion have enprmously and expanded in England, dating frotjn the time of John Wesley in the century, which was the lowest and basest religions condition of England, Religion bad s.teadily declined since the time l of Elisabeth until about 1760. The reaction of Wesley, and those followinlghim, both within and without the liahed Church, has restored the fragmentary Christianity, which remained. There is a certain development of Ration-, alism among a number cjf educated and,” he very smilingly addetjl, “ for the most part idle people. There; is also rr.ncb freelhonght which appears to me to be irrational rationalism, or,” and here his Eminence fairly laughed, ”qr reason run to seed. There is also ajn immense Amount of apathetic non-belief in the material mind of the middle classes, a good cleal of acute scepticism the educated artisans, and a sad amount of spiritual ignorance in the mass of over-worked population. I do nc(t account this to be unbelief. When the truth is placed before them they reoeivjr it with joy. I have faithful and fervent believers among my working men, j