BISHOPS AND CREMATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2503, 18 January 1887, Page 2

BISHOPS AND CREMATION.

The Bishop of London, recently, in spuaking at the Church' of England Funeral and Mourning Reform Association, gave the cremationists a lift by thb way, and in all probability intended to do so. There were certain objections he said, to the practice, aiising partly out of prejudice and .partly. out of. the possibility of its destroying the evidence of crime. But, in. dealing vwith* this 'aspect, of the question, he gavo conclusive proof that he not only under, .'stood; chemistry 'but theology ; iniioh better'than the Bishoo of Peterborotigli.' That eloquepb prelate-years ago spoke. "asthougn.th(';inoineration of human wmains would 'destroy the body, and resurrection impossible. .tle'wa'Bpbably not.aware.that,.the materials of the.body are often, tafeen L frp by plants, and thus pasß inthe shape -of-fp6dinto.:et!}'er human bodies, and possibly many times over, The Bishop of Jjondon knows these faote.we'll.; arid without directly,rebuking bis right rev. brother) openly confuted his theology and his science. He was anxious, hesaid, for his hearers :to giit rid of the heathenish ideathat it was desirable to the body as long as possible apart from the partb, when the true ol'ject of. burial was to restore'the" corruptible element?,<.as! 'quickly- as. possible. to the,;native earth," M& seemed to thjilk that those metlipds of burial which. ,niost quickjy perform this necesnaiy and '"ultimately; inevitable process are rnpst tp preferred. The cremationists clain^ t it-ab the chief merit of. their system ihjt it dmkhiain the courseof a 1 few"DOu'rs, whilst

the .quickesjl modHrufihurial prac , tice rei|iiire.: years- /to aoconiplislii' it. i e y 'M certainly,clajiii■:' ihe '/Bishop... of; London ' one of the moat ardent champions;: FroiniHo.'tone ,p£: his speech wer imagine be aeriou3ly'digquirte^;Seirm^renc«.y