Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 28 February 1907, Page 9

Current Topics

The Lash Desperate diseases require desperate remedies. In London in the seventies " the ga rotter Jaughod at -gaol locks and locksmiths all and went on serenely garotting _ until his pranks came to be punished as a. matter of course with the cat-o'-nine-tails. Then the -garotters learned that the risks of their profession "were not worth the red meat they, won by it. And gaiok ting came to a speedy end. The ' Auckland Star 'of February 19 stands .stoutly for the infliction of the . same persuasive, penalty upon a class of sexual crimV ' nals that are apparently becoming a igreater menace than ever to unprotected women and children in New "Zealand. ' Imprisonment ', says our Northern contemporary, ' appears to us likely ta effect little as a deterrent, however useful it may be for the porotectio'n of society for the time. But we believe that much may be done by a judicious lapplicaticm of the " lash. We are, of course, familiar with the old cry tha*t flogging merely brutalizes. But the good people who cling to tftiis doctrine a ppear to forget that physical punishment is. generally* accepted as indispensable to the formation of : the average child's character. Further, it may 'b;e pointed out that a creature, so far de r graded asi to prey upon defenceless women and children, can har/dly ;be in, serious danger of suffering morally from a flogging ;■ while to such selfish and cowardly natures physical pain is often a most effective argument. ... In the lash the law has at least one remedy, which has been tried- with success in such cases before, and may be trusted to exercise a distinct influence upon the imagination oi the humian animal in the future, if once he understands that it is the inevitable sequel of such infamous and degrading crimes.' The New • Theology ' From the Catholic stand-point the ' New Theology ' movement, which is receiving so much attention in the secular papers, is significant in two ways': Firsts, as an illustration of the extent to which the Protestant principle of private judgment, when driven on to its logical consequences, unidermines* and -diestroys all definite dogmatic belief ; and second,- as showing the amazing extent to which the Protestantlaity have been, and are be ng deceived as to the views actually held by their, pastors. • - " With regard to the first— the disintegrating effect of the principle of private judgment— it is a very old story. Since the time when Luther first raised the standard of rebellion against the authority of God's Church and promulgated the doctrine that every man should foe his own Pope dogma after dogma has been abandoned toy the non-Catholic world, belief in the supernatural has almost disappeared, and now_ the very Bible itself— once supposed-* to be the great . bulwark of Protestantism— is "being violently assailed. fAs Mr. W. H. Mallock aptly expresses" it in one of his latest works : ' Slowly, and yet inevitably the centuries have - wrought their changes. That old foundation, the Bible, has ceased, in it-self, to be; a. foundation any longer. It moves, it shifts, it totters. It will support no structure, unless" something outside itself shall Jbe found which will support it.' That ' something ' we .Catholics have in' the Holy Catholic Cihurch : that ' something ' Protestants must- find ' if they are to get any logical resting-place. • Of the fact that the Protestant laity have been very largely- kept in ignorance of the views ' really held by their ' pastors regarding the authenticity amd veracity of the Scriptures there is unmistakable" evi-

donee. The public avowal of ' new theology ' views by tine Rev. R. J. Campbell, of the City Temple, London, has been blazoned in the papers as ' a theological thunderbolt ' not because these, views have not long been, held by a large proportion of Protestant clergymen, but because t>hey -have been held, so to - speaky sub rosa. On this point Mr^ Campbell himself has been very outspoken. « Even in the ranks of the Christian .ministry,' 1 ' he' said in a recent - sermon, ' there --are not a few who have been found willing to -degrade their sacred oilice for the sake of temporary popularity .or material gain. . . There ' are some of them " who' dissemble,, or. worse, with" the truth that God • has . committed to their charge. They "have the fear, of men before their' eyes ; they would rather please the unthinking , mob, or those who provide them with their daily bread, rather - swim with the stream than speak -as the prophet of truth. . . .Therefore, with all solemnity and deliberation I say these - men are ■ liars, like their predecessors in- days of old. Liars.,- not so much by what they say as ' by, what they do not say. Liars, by trying to ig- * nore or misrepresent or distort the trOth, preaching •as though they do, net believe it ' fwheoii ".they do. Liars, because- they will not . look facts in the face; liars using the name oi G,bd.' This is- strong language, 'but Mr. Campbell has" a v specially close ac- * quaintance with the Protestant clergy .of England, and may be taken to know whereof .he affirms. On reading' the report of this seimon-^a^ country ■ minister wrote to Mr. Campbell to Say that he had a -small church whose deacons had intimated to him that he would' either havei to leave off preaching the - 'new theology or leave the place. The minister ■ confessed that vrpth a wife" and/ four children dependent upon hinv he had -yielded to pressure and had been hedging ever since. ' Evidently there are many such cases, and we do ' not envy either the clergy or the laity so situated. * ' ' With, the -particular brand of "New Theology ' enunciated /^by Mr. Campbell and his League we have no sort "of concern. In many cases- the so-called ■ higher critics are taking precisely the- position formerly taken "by professed infidels, and our feeling towards such men is pretty much that implied by the American humorist when he said that he ' wouldn't give fifty cents to hear Ingersoll on C( The Mistakes of, Moses," but he would "give fifty dollars^to hear Moses on " The Mistakes of Ingersoll." So 1 far as the problems" connected with .-the inspiration and authenticity 'of the Sacred v Scriptures ' are concerned, Catholics can await th.eir • solution without fear and without anxiety. Our faith in God's Word depends, not on the conclusions of critics, higher or otherwise, but on the infallible, authority of the Church—' the pillar and the \round of • truth.' And, as his Eminence Cardinal Logue has eloquently ry expressed it : '-We rest firm in the belief and confidence that when so many fanoiful conjectures shall have proved groundless, as in the past; when so many gratuitous suppositions shall have vanished ; when so many theories ingeniously built up to support a foregone conclusion, that the Bible, in whole or in Jpart, is without supernatural sanction or "Divine authority, shall fall to pieces from their intrinsic unsoundness. ; when the names of the higher critics shall be a bare memory and their books shall moulder in some forgotten corner of the library, the Word of God shall still live and do His work in the souls of - men.' ' Public Worship Statistics The latest instalment of census figures published in the Government '. Gazette ' consists of a table showing the numiber of churches, chapels, and other buildings used for purposes of public worship ' by* the different denominations in April, 1906, when the ' census was

taken, also the number of persons usually attending services, and the number , for whom there was . accommodation. The figures are given according to the returns furnished to the Registrar-General. No information is given as td ~the method adopted in compiling the returns, -and the attendance at" service", and other details have probably been made up in different "ways by the several denominations, thus seriously affecting their value .as a, means of comparison. . The figures as given in the ' Gazette ' are as follow :— . : <- ,No. of Persona.

The list shows that already in New Zealand, we have a fairly varied assortment of the ' fancy religions,' and the number is steadily increasing, As the only means of forming a comparison in the matter of church attendance we have calculated, in "the case of the five leading denominations, the percentage of the total membership of each denomination who are returned as attending service' and the resul_t pans out as follows : Methodists, 38 per cent, attend service ; Roman Catholics, 32.9 per. cent. -; Presbyterians, 25.6 per cent. ; Baptists, 32.3 per cent. ; Church of England, 13.6 per cent. Thus, Koman Catholics are second on the list, the Church of England last, and the pushful Methodist a good first. As, we have said, the figures cannot 'be accepted without qualification owing to the widely different methods adopted in estimating the average numbers attending service.

* Always a Roman Catholic when Locked up' - The ' Tablet ' A\&s. again and again pointed out the absolute unraliafcftlitjr— for purposes of comparison— of even ' official '"- "statistics relating to the religions of criminal offenders owing, to' the way in " which' the ' Catholic ' totals are swelled- by the false declarations oft ryon-Oatiholic " : criminals. -When a C&t'Wolic is in trouble the -first thing' he thinks of, is ■ the priest, and. as he is sure to be in need of either spiritual or temporal help there is little likelihood of his denying his faith. It is otherwise with other religious denominations, and by a system- of false declarations at the Police Office the Catholic body is continually being saddled with the crimes ,and misdemeanors of the black sheep in other folds. - A striking and instructive case in point -cropped up the other day in the-Syd-ney Central Police and is recorded -in full in tlie Sydney 'Catholic Press/ A charge, was. brought ■ against one Edward Nathan, a young- Jew, of selling liquor, and during the course .of the case the following remarkable evidence was given by the accused. ~Wp 'qjuote from* the ' Press ' the daily papers' report of the matter :—: — - ■ ■ >

What religion are you ?— A Jew. , Then why did you put yourself ' down 'on the charge-sheet as a Roman Catholic ?— When I was locked up I .gave my religion as Roman Catholic. . But why ? — I always am a Roman Catholic . when I get locked, up. - Why ?— I please myself about what I am. " Why not give some of the others a chancerMethodist or Presbyterian, for instance? — I don't believe in change. , Do you believe in the sanctity of an oath ? — Of course, 1 do. - v Do you believe in rejigion at- all? — Oh, yes. • . Then •* why did you state you were a Roman" Catholic ?— I didn't want to bring disgrace upon my friends; I didn't want them to know: -. Nathan was being questioned as -to the correctness of a long list of convictions, and after fencing for awhile, admitted it "was true. According ' to Nathan, eleven Catholic convictions ought- to be debited to the Hebrew persuasion. , - Our contemporary justly remarks that if other religious denominations^ unload , their -misdoings onu s in even half the. ? same proportion— and there is room for' the suspicion that they do—it is very easily understood why nominal Catholics bulk so large on the. - charge-sheet; and it explains also, we may*, add, how it is that the bigots, when beaten 'on every other point, are still always able to fall . back on this 1 false and malicious-... charge that the largest amount of criminality in all denominations is found among the Catholic citizens. ~ ~ . .

Side Lights on the Situation in France : A Mother's Protest Straws often serve to show in what direction the stream is flowing^ and a couple of apparently trifling incidents, recorded in our Home exchanges "just to hand, _, will bring out more vividly than whole pages of elaborate disquisition tlve state of pure and unadulterated atheism towards whicn Unhappy France is being driven -by her brutal Government. • The first is the issue, on - January 5, of an innocent-looking Government decree, ordering that the 20-franc gold pieces of Prance shall henceforth hear the words ' Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. 1 The decree would seem to be without any special significance until it is remembered that the words are not^ to go on a blank space on the coin but are meant to take" the place hitherto occupied by the ancient and honorable superscription, ' Dieu protege la France '—God protect France. The heroes of the 'Bloc' have evidently decided that the whole universe can be run without any protection but their own. Their action in this matter is a very- petty piece of fanaticism but it" is eminently significant. • The other incident is the case of the treatment meted out to a little girl, seven years old, attending one of the primary schools at PowtarlierV The Government Inspector had excluded the ltytlet'girl from school for two days because she had made the Sign of the XJross when" the school exorcises began, and he 'threatened to expel her altogether if she - persisted in the practice. Thereupon the indignant mother of the child wrote a strong letter of -' protest >r to the functionary. The letter is published in the Co mtois,' and -. the New York ' Freeman ' furnishes the following translation :— ' Our little Jane, aged seven years, was suspended from school ".for two- days- because at the commencement of the school exercises she made the Sign of the Cross. Subsequently you sent me a ' letter in which you .threaten to exclude her altogether if she persists in~ making the Sign^ of the Cross. You quote .article 19 of, the_school laws in defence of this proceeding. Last Sunday the Comtbis " proved clearly that this-article does not justify your action. This must be- so since you have made no - attempt to refute "this _ statement. Now I serve notice on you that little Jane will continue making the Sign of the Cross in school. If you expek her we .will refuse to 1

pay our pro rata.of the school taxes. Among tho members of the legal (profession there certainly, will be found some one^ who will cjiamipion our rights. Why did you single out for attack this little child of seven years ? Is. it because she is defenceless ?< ls> not that cowa-ndly ? The children of Municipal Councillors have also made the' Sign of the Cross in school, but you have never threatened them.' ,

Imagine it. Forbidden to make the Sign of the Cross, and— the coins stamped with ' Liberty, Equality,. Fraternity ' ! The picture of France in these ' awful days is one to sicken the heart. The Ohristian'world can only look on with gfief^ and amazement, awl cry with the Psalmist of old : ' How long, O Lord,, how lone. 1 '-" • - -^ v

Churches and Denominations. . Chapels. 'huroh of England ... 516 'resbyterian ... ... , 382 ioman Catholic ... ... 290 3atholio Apostolic - ... 5 Methodists — • ' "■"' Churoh of Australasia ... - 322 Primitive ... ... 62 Free ' 2. )ther Denominations — Baptist ... ... . 46 Congregational... ... 22 Chrißtian Brethren ... 50 Plymouth Brethren ... 19 Church of Christ .... 32 J Lutheran ..." ... "14 Society of Friends ... I Christadelphian ... 2 Seventh Day Adventißts... 1 1 * Gospel Mission... ... 1 Churoh -of Our Father ... — Unitarian ... ... 1 Salvation Army ... 73 Hebrew ... ... 5 Spiritualists ... ... — Theoßophists ... ... — Confuoian ... ... 1 No denomination ... 15 Totals ... >.. 1,872 For whom. Accommodation. > 85,185 80,558 65,565 520 59,234 11,906 570 12,706 6,691 . 8,250 2,690 7,510 ' 1,690 60 '735 1,860 500 350 240 20,095 1,240 820 100 50 . 6,783 375,908 L Attending Servioe. 49,946 52,103 41,512 235 34,623 6,490 315 / 7 034 4 065 3,066 1,248 3 661 743 15 120 447 100 140 180 - 10,213 '. 530 510 48 50 2,869 ' £20,263