THE REV. L. M. ISITT IN SYDNEY.

Evening Star, Issue 10401, 24 August 1897, Page 3

THE REV. L. M. ISITT IN SYDNEY.

THE CHARGE AGAINST A PRESBY TERIAN MINISTER.

The ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’ of August 12 says:—

The report of the petition of- the Rev. James Benvie, of West Maitland, to the Sydney Presbytery with regard to the insobriety of a Presbyterian minister, made in yesterday’s ‘ Herald,’ created, not to. put too fine a point on it, a sensation in the clerical circles of the Wesleyan and Presbyterian Churches. For some time there had been veiled rumors of the matter flying about, but no one actually liked to bring them definitely before any church court. Mr Benvie’s action has, however, given the Presbytery of Sydney an opportunity to probe the matter so far as it affects it, and this it is determined to do. Whether the name of the minister will ever be divulged to the Presbytery is very doubtful. Mr Isitt does not appear to know his name, and R is extremely doubtful if the Rev. W, Woolls Rutledge, from whom Mr Isitt got the information, will divulge the name, no matter what pressure is brought to bear upon him. Mr Rutledge had many inquirers yesterday as to the truth of the statement he is alleged to have made, and in each case he gave the same answer that the statement made by Mr Isitt was true, although he never expected that it w ? u have been used. One Presbyterian minister wanted Mr Rutledge to disclose to him under a pledge of secrecy the name of the offender, but this Mr Rutledge refused to do. Ha pointed out to that minister that to him (Mr Rutledge) the Presbytery of Sydney could do nothing, but if the minister was to have in his possession the name of the offender the Presbytery could compel him to disclose it, he being a member of its court.

The Rev. L. M. Isitt was seen yesterday by a ‘ Herald ’ reporter with reference to the matter. The Rev. W. Woolls Rutledge was present at the interview. Mr Isitt said: “ You may say I referred to this incident in place after place, and in no place did I infer that it was a Presbyterian minister of Sydney, I simply stated that Mr Rutledge had told me that on a certain night he had found a Presbyterian minister drunk in the streets of Sydney. That the incident was not cited in any way as an attack on the Presbyterian Church will be shown when I state that it followed the statement of a similar case given as occurring in my own church.” “ But, Mr Isitt, has this statement been made in Sydney ?” “ Yes; it was made in the Protestant Hall a few weeks before. It was mentioned in Singleton as an illustration of my discourse on the 1 Influence of Drink on the Pulpit.’ ”

The Rev. W. Rutledge said: “1 think that the Presbytery of Sydney has acted most unwisely, if not unwarrantably, in handing this petition to the Press, after the private interview which the Rev. George MTnnes had with me, in which, my bona fides having been questioned by persons outside, I related to him in confidence the circumstances surrounding the case, with the exception of mentioning the names of persons and places. I mentioned the matter to Mr Isitt in conversation, and I mentioned the matter to Mr MTnnes in confidence. That being the case, I do not feel called upon to consider the matter any further. Mr MTnnes said that the Presbytery would make a formal demand upon me for the name, and I told him that when I got the demand then I would consider what was to be done.”

The Rev. L. M. Isitt: “ They are trying to force your hand.”

The Rev. W. Rutledge: “They will not do it.”

The Rev. L. M. Isitt: "That is right. Let them do their own detective work. Do not do it for them. Where are the minister’s elders if they have not found this out before now.”

The Rev. W. Rutledge“ I regret to say the statement with regard to my finding of a minister of the Presbyterian Church in the gutter drunk is only too true, I never said it was a Presbyterian minister of Sydney. I said it was a Presbyterian minister in Sydney. The General Assembly were sitting at the time, and he was a country minister who was down here for their sittings. It was on the night of Dr Clifford’s reception that I found him, and I acted the Good Samaritan to him. If ray statement, is doubted I can substantiate it on the authority of four reputable persons. lam sorry that the matter has been brought up in the way in which it has been. The formal demand from the Presbytery I have not yet received.”

“ And what answer will you give ? ” “I will consider what answer I shall give when I receive the demand. At present I can say nothing further. I am not at all inclined to enter into the circumstances of the case further than I have done to you.”

Of all the stories which will be told of the Jubilee celebration the prettiest is surely that of the Queen and the St. Paul’s choir boys. The little surpliced boys could see nothing of the Queen. The vicar choral held them back from crowding the archbishops and bishops and deans, but a kindhearted official, whose duty it is to carry a silver stick before a bishop, took them* on his back one at a time and showed them the Queen over the heads of the bishops, till the Queen also saw them. Smilingly she gently waved aside the princes of the church, and directed that the boys should be allowed to come forward. The boys pushed forward, big-eyed, and innocently staring. They brake a train to stop it, and they break a horse to make it go.