SHAMS: RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2325, 4 June 1887, Page 3

SHAMS: RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL

, — . TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—l do not like to associate with men who are irreverent. My nature revolts against coming \yith contact with minds which are not high in reverence for the Supreme Being. But a hundred times more do I revolt at being forced be friends with professors of religion. Fifty yoars' observation has made me come to the conclusion that you cannot both be a professor of religion and a religious man; that the two together cannot be. Let any man of common observation look into it; and examine, and I think he will come to sco that it is so. How it is so or why it: should be so, is not for us to question. • Mr Editor, it does not follow, because a; man is a great "'Kirk" man, or,because he is friend's" with the parsons, and is great at tolling you to remember to keep the Sabbath holy—it does not follow that though his talk is all "Kirk" that he is a religious man. . It just so happens that: in ninety-seven cases out of a hundred that ho is the very reverse, and that when , you coma to see him and know him, yon find to your great disgust that he is a sham, a ptetence. Instinctivly you are on the watch, not to be done. ' I know many good men who are. truly, as far as poor human nature can be, religious, but it is not by their professions and by talking of the Kirk that I judge, thorn ; it is by their thoughts, feelings and' actions. I wonder when men will arrive: at the wisdom to know that it is by actions| that one neighbour forms an opinion of another? They are fools who think they; can gammon others by talk. I am sorry to say I do not believe ministers believe'in what they teach. It is the ministers themselves who are to blame for: my believing so, and to my dying day I shall nuver forgive them tor giving me this belief, for in this case 1 would much, much,, much rather have remained in ignorance than know the truth. In my days I have; known a hundred—perhaps a thousand— ministers remove from one congregation to another, but always at a larger stipend. Now, it is quite right that ministers should, like other men, go in for a higher salary, but in doing so it is not right that they should mock, blaspheme, make fun of, and dare God. In every instance, without exception, they always said it was a call from God; that it-was a larger sphere of duty, and more souls to be saved. I never yet knew there were more souls to be saved where the salary was less ! To me it is an utter impossibility for men to vso blaspheme God, and believe in Him. Why, if they believed in Him, they would have been afraid , that God in his just wrath and indignation would have struck them down dead. That! they could so defy, dare, blaspheme, and mock God is sufficient to me that they do not believe in what they teach. No doubt there am ministers who do believe in what they teach —it is impossible that all could or would remain hypocrites—but many, very many, perhaps one out of every two are careless, unbelieving men, who do their preaching and praying as a mere matter of business. I would give ministers all allowance for not believing in the Scriptures literally as they are written, but I would have no mercy on men who publicly and profanely innck God.

Mr Editor, as it is with professors of religion, so it is with professors of Liberalism. It just so happens that having pronounced Liberal opinions and being in possession of Liberal opinions cannot both exist in the same person. He must be blind that cannot see it is so. Just in proportion to the fervency of talk, so in proportion has there been degeneracy in action in the present century. Nowhere has there been such high profession. s ! of Liberalism and denouncing with vengenco till maladministration as we have had here in New Zealand, but, lamentable to say, tho.-w who were highest in talk were most vile in action.

It always is so, both in religion and politic-, the more talk th-3 less reality. It is o:imi£h to make ono mad when one thinks, on this L\ir and beautiful country being ruined by a lot of rascals and scratchers of backs. "You scratch my back, and I scratch your back." And so we work a dodge, a robbery, a swindle for one another.

l)h, you poor benighted inhabitants of New Zealand, when will you come to know sham from real '! That you have not alroady done so is to your shamo. Examine' and pry beneath the surface. For God and yov.r country be no longer deluded by gab aud sham !—Yours truiy, HarAPHT.