ST. MATTHEW'S GENERAL MEETING.

Evening Star, Issue 4951, 15 January 1879, Page 4

ST. MATTHEW'S GENERAL MEETING.

(as an .occasional sitter at thftiee|rf?f Matthewla ajid;{;Was ; 'epnjjiderably«st»fßrised: twhtely&frß&rjMssym,\ subject of Sunday choir ipraetiaesj s so> : strangely misstate his locus etandi as incumbent »f the church. Not being a parishioner, I waa, of course, prohibited from correcting

i_ ■ ' ■■-- ■ '-' him, bu£ it is only right that the congregation should understand the position occupied by thejclergyman of any church similarly situated; Fngtly./he, informedlbe meeting that even were the motion carried' ("that the choir.be Covered to practise in the church on|Snndayß when 1 necessary-"): he could, as incumbent,; lock the doors and .prevent its s«°g[rgfreii effect to. ■' Secondly, that under; the Syhddical rules he had the sole control! of the music, organist and all. •Now, Mr-Byng conveniently forgot that St. is ;hot-tt consecrated church; it can be qlOsed-to-morrow l by the proprietors, sind, if Ijfrey~ch66se, converted into a grain store. jUnless Mrßyng-is acting-under a power-of-attorney, or holds a lease from . either mortgagors or the. meanest '< member- of his flock has as" much legal right as himself to occupy the .church. Further,, .the church having failed to'contribute to the Synod fuads, 7 the parish has forfeited its right to;. beV represented 'at, the Board, nor, can :an,unconßecrated,church be subject *° ss?. Synodicai regulations'. In the instance he brought forward (of a clergyman in New • South "\y"alea having flocked but his bishop, the parfeon in question must have forgotten the vows made be'ore God at his ordination. Let us rhooe Mr Byng will not go and do likewise. St. Matthew's, when I have been ;therepappears to be ' faftl becoming a resort 'Oi reeruits. from >. every e.ect. of Protestant Christians under -the sun r and were it not \ for the | beautiful • ;liturgy one might forget thiith'ejwas in'a ChurchvpfEngland. Mr Byng's fluent discourses command attention, and theVeT/ia\no fear but; that 'he'Will'be, treated with the respect due to his position .minister of, the church, if he will but remember tnat*b!ia authority is recognised by f courtesy, only, and that in the Church Of ."England we I 'prefer men-who stick ; to her glorious; principles, who do care what bishops and archbishopB 1 think, and who are .willing to ea'crifjce personal.crotchets for the general good.—l ain, &c., - • ' ' ! I " One who kept Silence. - ;; Duncdin, ,.