THE TEACHING OF THE MISSION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2101, 24 December 1885, Page 3

THE TEACHING OF THE MISSION.

TO THK EDITOR. Sin, — I write to thank you for publishing Archdeacon MaunHell'a letter in The Waikato Time*, and in doing So I believe I am but echoing tha feelings of a large majority of the Churchmen among your reader*. I do not agree with your correspondent " Habot " in considering Mr Mason* lettrr to be "of a nature that cannot be discussed in the columns of a public newspaper." It contain* items of vital interest to every Churchman, and indeed to Christian •ociety in general, and as such ought to be, And can only be disciiHued through the public press. It is right that the public ■hould knew what thn "decided " teaching of the miHuioners is, and it should, u|*o know, ax the Archdeacon ban 10 ably told. Us that it jh di&inetrica.ll y opposite to the teaching of the Prayer Book. Tho question! a«ked by the Archdeacon are " decided" quentions which can only be answered in his favour. The Prayei Bonk define* the Church an " a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God ifl preached, and the sacraments {"two only") duly administered according to Christ's ordinance." Art XIX. Christianity is now pausing through a great crinw, perhaps more important than the Reformation. A. large number of our clergy, of all denomination", ha\e fallen behind the age. They are unable {<> in.cot the «qiontj»t, the pafyonalinti tfl« posjtivini, They tell tb« people, an Mr Bodington did At Cfanibrjdge, if anything troubles them, not to think of it — in short, to prejudice theranelve* in favour of certain creeda, little thinking that There lives more faith in hone«t doubt, Believe me, than in half tho creed* Mttowwtwonwot tlwy *ro Uovotiog

a large amount of their time and ability in wrangling about tne "colour of ecclesiastical petticoats," as Fioude has it, about sptmkhug and dipping, and other such paltry matter", leaving undone and unthought of the weightier matters of the law. I consider, Sii, that Archdeacon Maun s°ll hns nobly vindicated our Church of the charges of narrowness and bigotry to which iii.my of our clergy of Mr Mason s persuasion have exposed it. The Church that conld produce such a character as Dean Stanley is ,i Church founded not on a manmade creed, nut even on our esteemed Prayer-book, but on the Word of the LhmgUod. That Church is in danger. The alaim has been given of foes within the camp— foes who would destroy her latitude and her liberty, who would nairow her bordeis and bet up the Chinch in the place of the Bible. "There is yet a hope" says Froude, "that the laity, who are neitherdivmesnor philosophtr-., may take the uwtter in their <.\vn hnndh, as they did at the Reformation. If Catholicism can revive, far more may Protestantism revive, if only it can recover the spirit that gave it birth. Religion may yet be separated from opinion, and brought back to life." Now, just a word in conclusion on the Apostolic Succession. I hate been brought up to look upon this as an historical fact, and have never yet met anything to prove tho contrary. There may be— there doubtless are— fl,nv« in the Succession, for what human institution is there without a flaw ? But literal succession is of little avail without the spiritual. lam afraid some of our clergy are falling into tho same error with regard to this as the Pharisees of old did as to their descent from Abraham. Jesus said unto them, " If ye were the children of Abraham >c would do the works of Abraham." Has Henotfullilled his saying that " God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham " by rawing up the Presbyterian, Wesley.ui, and other clergy to do the works which wore neglected by the literal descendants of the Apostles ?— I am obediently yours, Broad Chckchman.

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