REV. O. FITZGERALD'S SERMON.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19815, 31 December 1929, Page 11

REV. O. FITZGERALD'S SERMON.

TO TSTB BOITOX OT THB FBKSB. Sir,—Your report of the Rev. O. Fitzgerald's sermon, in reply to his correspondent, makes interesting reading, whether one claims to be Christian or not. I do not approve of such a vicious attack by his correspondent for •o slight and insufficient reason. But neither do I think the rev. gentleman has displayed too much of that Christian charity "that suffereth long and is kind." May I ask him to read again the letter he received and tell ns where in it he gets justification for his statement that "the real parasites are the men who were always standing by. and talking a lot of Socialist noniense," and who these parasites are ? I have been an active propagandist, for Socialism for many years and have been associated with many of the finest Christian spirits in the country, Anglican and Nonconformist, while I have experienced the most vindictive hostility from persons who described themselves as Materialist and Rationalist, amJ even by Unitarians, whom the rev. gentleman describes ns being less logical than the person who wrote him the letter. The attitude of the French Revolutionists towards the Church and of those in Russia at the present time seems to me to be irrelevant. Perhaps some knowledge of the part played by the Church in Russia and its dignitaries in support of the tyrannies overthrown may enlighten Mr Fitzgerald as to the reason for the present hostility towards what was until the Bolshevist Revolution the National Church rf Russia,—Yours, etc..

J. A. McCTJLLOTTGH, Riocarton, December 30th, 1929.