The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-24
OF COLENSO,
 FIRST BISHOP OF NATAL

Dr. John William Colenso, the first
 bishop of Natal and the principal in
 8 renowned lleresy trial. was born
 in Cornwall, 105 years ago today. In
 the South African state which was
 the scene of his labors the echoes of the controversy which ragged about
 him are still heard, and the thous-
 ands of South Africans who sym
 pathized with him will join in paying
 tribute to his memory at Durban. where the eminent churchman died
 in 1SSg.
 It was siXty-1ive years ago that
 Dr. Colenso, whose ability as a theo- logian and pulpit orator had made him famous in England, was dis
 patched to Natal to become the first
 bishop of the infant British colony. His first work was to master the Zu- lu language and translate the prayer book and parts of the bible into the tongue of the savages. It was Dr. Colenso's belief that any attempt to detach the savages from their an- cient social customs and laws would be disastrous to the cause of re-
 ligion. and that, in order to bring | the Zulus to a conception of Chris 1 tian morality, it would be necessary 1 to make haste slowly" His pro- 1 posal that the Zulu converts should l be permitted to retain their plural 1 wives aroused a bitter controversy l and much 'antag0nism in England 1 This storm was as nothing, how
 ever, to the torrent of abuse that ! burst on D.. Colenso's head when, in ] 1862. he published his work, ''The Pentatuch, and Book of Joshua Crit icalIy Examined" In which he ques- 1 toned the Mosaic authorship and ! historical accuracy of the Penta- tuch. Today Dr. CoIenso's conclu- sions seem very mild. and there are | many men occupying Anglican pull pits in both England and America who preach doctrines compared with
 which the theories of Colenso seem , staid and orthodox. Dr. CoIonso suffered the fate of the pioneer, how ever, and was deposed from his seat 1 by the bishop Of Cape Town, while 1 in England the bishops. in convoca- | ton, declared that Colenso's book 1 contained 'errors of the gravest and ! most dangerous character" Bishor 1 Colenso appealed from his deposi- l tion to the privy council, which de 1 cided that the action of the Cape l Town metropolitan was legally un.
 sound. Despite this decision, Bishop
 Gray of Cape Town publicly excom-
 municated Colenso at Maritzfburg cath
 edral in 1868, and Rev. W. R. Ma. l crorie was made bishop of Maritz | burg, 10 act with the clergy Of Nata
 who were opposed to Colenso. Bishor Gray then attempted to have MT Macrorie elevated to the Natal see 1T
 place of Dr. Colenso, but his propos al was disapproved by the Englisf and Scotch bishops. In the mean 1 time the Colonial Bishopric Funt 1 trustees had attempted to withhold Dr. Colenso's salary, but the court decided in Dr. Colenso's favor Il 1 1874 Bishop Colenso went to England
 to advocate his case, and, while man.
 of the churchmen still doomed hin 1 heretic, his upright and chivalrou 1 character won their esteem. Whil, l Bishop Colenso was the first to trans late parts of the bible into Zulu, hi
 cousin, William Colenso, performed
 q similar service in New Zealand b,
 publishing a part of the New Testa 1 ment in Maori.