THE TEACHING OF THE MISSION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2095, 10 December 1885, Page 2

THE TEACHING OF THE MISSION.

Wk have been naked to publish the following letter, addi eased to a resident of Hamilton by the Rev. G. E. Mason :— Chiillinor House, Pitt-street, Auckland, Dec. 3, 1885. Mt Dk\h Sir,— I thank yim tor your letter, which has been forwarded to me from the Thames. I am worry that any bitter feelings haAO been aroused by my instruction on the Chuirl). Nothing could havo been fin thcr from my intention than " cruelly to taunt " anybody. I always endeavour to teach the whole truth perfectly plainly, so that there c.vu bo no mistake, but at the name time with charity. I cannot withdraw any part of my teaching on the Church, because I belicvo it to bo absolutely true. I havo sct>n so much, since I havo boon in New Zealand, of Church people drifting oft from the Church into the sects, th.it I feel deeply the importance of teaching pl.nnly th.it there is such a sin as schism, against which wo pray m tho Litany. My teaching on the Church in briefly as follow s :—: — Tho Chinch is (1) one.— Eph. IV., 1., etc. There cannot be two, for tho Church is tho Body and tho Brido of Christ. (2) Holy -By union with Chri-t, and hec.ui'e it ts filled with tho Holy Ghost. All tho ordinance* of tho Church aro holy ; and her object is to make men holy. (3) Catholic— Not load, but universal; being tho '•atne .illoxcrtho wot Id ; tenching, not ruu'of the truth, but \M, truth; ombracing all classes of persons, young, old, learned, unlearned, rich, poor, bl.«ck, white, bond and fne ; curing all sins, and posseting all virtue. (4) Apostolic — Being historic illy connected by continuous succession with the Apostolic Chinch of Jerusalem, founded on tho day of Pentecost. There are four marks which distinguish tlu> Church from the Socts. They are the»o : (1) Tho Creed : Apostles, Nicone, Athanasiaii . (2) Tho Ministry : Bishops, priest", deaci n^. (3) The Sacrament* : Baptism and Communion, and the other five sacramental rite* of Confirmation, Hepentaneo, Matrimony, Orders, and Visitation of the Sick. (4.) The Commandments: That is the morality. Thoso four mark « of tho Church are possessed by the tluco gieat historical Churchi's, tho English, the Gicck, and tho Roman and, no doubt by others, such as tho S. Thomas Christians of India, and by other Eastern Churches. Tho Sects, such as tho various kinds of We-leyans, the Congiegationalists, the Baptists, tho Salvation Army and the Christadi'lphians do not possess these four marks, though some of them possess t>omo of the mark--. None of their, aro histoi ically connected with the Church of Jerusalem, and, therefore, none of them have any authority whatc\ er to teach or to administer the Sacraments. They may— and often do — toach tho truth, but their teaching h not authoiitativo ; they havo no commission. • When I Hay that they havo no authority to administer the Sacraments I do not mean that tho baptism of Wesleyaus and others if. invalid. I have always taught tho leveiso, that if anybody — even n woman — baptises a pei-mii with water in tho Namo of the Father, the Son, and the Holy (Jhot-t, th.it tho baptism is valid, though irregular, and Confirmation by tho bishop supplies any defects in tho Baptism. Lastly, I draw (as I said at Hamilton), a Rre.it distinction between individual dissenters and tho societies to which they belong. Tho individual disminter, if baptised, is a member of tho one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolick Church, and h distinctly not outside the pale of tho chinch, so long as he believes tho Apostlos' Ciecd ; but tho Sect to which he attaches himself is nut, and cannot bo "a Church." It is «imply a voluntary society founded by man for some particular object. But, m Government, in authonty, in historical connection and in every other way is utterly distinct fiom the Holy C ithoilc Church. The Wesloyans aro no more a church than the S.P.C.K., or tho S.P.G., or tho G.RS., or tho Young Men* Chiistian Association. The Wesloyans know perfectly well that John Wesley was ;i priest of tho Church, and that ho almost bittoily opposod any of his preachers administering tho sacramontn or holding Herviccs at tho namo timo as tho church. Wesley simply intonded to found a guild for religious purposes within tho church ; and hucu tho Wealoyans still might bo. They havo done a great and good work, and lam nuito free to acknowledge it ; but they would have dono incomparably a greater and a better, if they had beon under tho guidance of the church and in union with it. To thin it is my earnest prayer that thoy may return. If tho Wosloyan Ministers wore ordained by tho Bishops, and tho " members " con firmed by tho bishops, thoy might still continuo to carry on thoir work of preaching, clames, and «acratnont» «h thoy do ut present. They would then occupy a position analogotiH to that of tho religious ordern of the middle-age*. I hopo nono of thin letter noems harsh. You aro at liberty to make what uso you ploase of it. But life is too abort, religion too serioun, and divisions too many, and too mischievous to allow us to give an uncertain Hound. Truth is mdepondent of opinions and remains ctoinally truo. I remain, my dear Hir, With all affectionate regard to those who do not agree with mo nor worship at tho same alter, — Yours Very Sincerely, G. E. Maison.

The average duration of life in Rugsi* is twenty-six years— the lowest of any European nation. Rennic and Co.'s salvage sale i^ now on. Tenders are called lor tho supply and delivery of twenty thousand toUra sleepers for tho Iljamcs Valley Rttgrua Railway,