BISHOP OF WAIKATO DEFENDED

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 73, 19 December 1928, Page 12

BISHOP OF WAIKATO DEFENDED

STERN REBUKE TO “MALCONTENTS” ARCHDEACON HITS OUT Dominion Special Service. Auckland, December 18. Amazement at the statements made by some of the speakers at the meeting of parishioners of Claudelands Church of England last Wednesday was expressed by Archdeacon F. G. Evans, of New Plymouth, in'a letter published in Hamilton to-day. The Archdeacon wrote: — “Can these people who seemed to be the chief speakers at the meeting really be Christians? They neither manifest common decency nor any sign of esprit de corps. Do they realise they are trying to injure God's own Church,. for it is the Church of our Blessed Lord they are seeking to destroy, although I give them credit for not knowing what they do? I do not wonder that peoople are leaving the local church to which they belong, for what man in his senses with the slightest particle of Christian charity would be in such company? It is time they, were told the truth, and I am endeavouring to do it. Their actions do not hurt the Bishop because his position is assured as long as he likes to occupy it. When they withhold their paltry offerings they are hurting the poor clergy or congregations in the outlying parts of the diocese, and not the Bishop. It is quite true the Bishop has his faults (and who has none?), but it is always the most faulty who are most ready to find fault with others. "The Bishop is trying to do his very best for the diocese at large. No man who has ever tackled such work has been more maligned or harshly treated than he has. I know he has extreme views on certain matters of Church order, but I do not think he ever forces his opinions on other people. They may differ from him if they like, and he thinks none the worse of them. My views and his about certain matters are diametrically opposed, and yet he has always treated me with the greatest kindness and consideration. and has placed me in the highest position next to himself in the diocese. “If malcontents in the Claudelands district would suffer a word of advice it would be this: ‘When they say their prayers let each one ask this petition: “Lord, show me myself as I really appear in Thy sight.” ’ If the prayer is in earnest it will be answered, and I fancy it will be some time before they will be able to look their fellow churchmen in the face. When we are just approaching the season of goodwill and affection and are commemorating the advent of the prince of love and sacrifice, surely it is time to practise a little real religion and to try to do for our Bishop what we would like him to do for us if the positions were reversed.”