THE POPOTUNOA CASE.—WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1081, 24 January 1879, Page 5

THE POPOTUNOA CASE.—WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.

? {To Kh EditorJ Sib, — Almost, along with your paper contai^g the" petition of Mr Connor on the Wretched cue, cornea the

intelligence that on certain conditions ho has agreed to resign. 'Speaking for myself, 1 think it is well that he has come to such a resolution ; but the disgraceful nature of che proceedings which have resulted in this resolution, are none the less disgraceful on that account. It is a curious thins; to find the Synod giving Mr Connor & Y&ry high character indeed, and yet not cetflnring both the Presbytery and the office-bearers of Popotunoa, seeing they have hounded to death this un fortunate man, and caused him to take the step he had done. Some of us do not exactly know what to make of it; here we find ■ Presbytery and people combined a few years ago, saying the Spirit of God had sent this man here; and now they turn round and say, that in sending him here a mistake was made, or perchance he was only sent as a wayfaring man, and must bnndle office the morning. One gets sick of such cant for cant, it surely if seeing that the same thing is being repeated again and again. Here then O you people in Waihola, Inch Clutha, Balclutba, ect., and last, tho' not least, Puerua .here is encouragement for you ; get up a strife if you are offended. Make mischief in the district, the Presbytery will hear you, they will take your part Ac.,— -well your pastor must go. There, sir, are in every congregation wolves in sheep's clothing, men whose conduct is the strongest possible argument, for the assertion that man has no soul: Men who are too small for anything in the shape of power outside the Church j but who, partly because they are hypocrites, and partly because self-imposed, and get into the small power which their adherence to a church permits of, and then they take a certain feilow animal turn, and rend their helpless pastor. Such is voluntaryism ; such is free churchism ! The shepherds have permitted, or rather encouraged the wolves in this case to enter. Let them look out for themselves.— l am &c:, A Tkue Dog: