Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 613, 22 September 1858, Page 3

Colonial.

TASMANIA^ PEESBYTEEY.

We quote the following article from the Melbourne «Argus,' as furnishing a useful lesson against the granting of undue powers to Ecclesiastical Courts in the colonies.: A more; despotic and grossabuse of such powers than that of the Presbytery' referred to in this instance, we have seldom noticed, even in the precise synods of Scotland, since the secession of the celebrated and pious Erskines, and their devout CO"2 remarkable ecclesiastical trial has just been brought to a temporary conclusion in Launceston ° The Bey. R. K. Ewing, a clergyman in connection with the Presbytery of Tasmania has been virtually deposed from his ministerial duties— virtually, not yet actually. The Presbytery have held certain charges against him sustained, and called on him to show cause why he should not be degraded. In the course of these proceedings, a large amount of evidence was adduced. The report of the trial fills a supplement to the ' Launceston'Examiner,' consisting of twenty-eight columns. The impression left on the mind, after the perusal of the whole, is one of profound astonishment at the phenomena of religious society across the Straits. '. _ . The charges preferred against Mr. Ewing may be distributed under two heads. One class imputed to him the grossest conceivable immorality; the other alleged it as a matter of offence that he had mixed, to an extent unusual with clergymen, in general society. On the first and more serious count of the indictment, the Presbytery acquit Mr. Ewing. The "libel" attributing a general deportment inconsistent with the position of a minister of religion, they pronounce "justified by the merits." They have embodied their decision in a series of resolutions, which are of a very remarkable character. It is not easy to believe that any clear and distinct impression of the merits of the case could have rested oh the mind of the Presbytery when they framed their judgment. Thus Mr. Ewing was charged with indecent conduct at a picnic in interfering with a lady's dress. Several respectable witnesses deposed to the facts—first, that Mr. Ewing performed only an "act of virtue, decency, and gallantry" so'obvious "that no observer in full possession of his faculties could mistake its character; and, secondly, that the accusing witness, at the time he speaks of, was in "one stage of intoxication." The Presbytery find that the charge has no foundation, but couple with their finding a tribute to the " conscientiousness"1 of'the gentleman whose 'beery* condition'seeinsto have led tohismistaken impression. Miv Evving is charged with immoral excesses' : committed -in Melbourne. The only testimony against him is a statement alleged to have; beeh volunteered ly himself—a. Presbyterian: clergyman< i-to a member of his own church,:who was accustomed.together with his wife/ t'(f listen to Mr/ Swing's- exhortations every SuridayV and who/continued for months, as he1 put the case himself, to conduct his wife to the ministrations of a man who had boasted of the grossest indecencies. The story of the volunteered confession is/on the face of it, incredible. Mr. Ewing must have; been the greatest fool, as well as the greatest libertine, to have gone'home to his congregation, and told them, or any one of them, the tale of his excesses. • The thing is so improbable, that the assertion of the witness must have been at once discarded, but for the difficulty-felt in suggesting a possible origin .for the story. That difficulty a subsequent stage of the investigation removed. It was proved that what Mr. Ewing's accuser gave in evidence as a chapter volunteered by Mr. Ewing out of the volume of his experience, the accuser gave to others as a chapter out of the volume, of his own. And in confirmation of his statement as a/ personal confession testimony was adduced which can hardly leave a shadow of doubt that he did what he imputes to Mr. Ewing. Yet the 'Presbytery declare themselves " unable to' decide ; upon these charges" until further evidence has been brought forward. But tKis apparent indisposition frankly and fully to accept Mr. Ewing's vindication "from' the graver accusations preferred against him, does not surprise us, when we note the general grounds on which he has' been sentenced to deposition. It 'is unspeakably; humiliating to find an Ecclesiastical Court visiting: with its severest penalties one of its members, for such crimes as a love of Shakespeare; a lecture at a Mechanics' Institute, or an active assistance given to a Philharmonic Society. Acquitted of immorality, Mr. Ewing stood before his accusers confessedly an efficient and popular pulpit orator. He ministered to a congregation large and socially influential^ who appear' to be, with some few exceptions, attached to him. His judges decree his removal from this post of usefulness' for reasons' which vve can only consider, it discreditable to them ever to .have discussed, Mr. Ewing witnessed in Melbourne a performance of Mr. Brooke. For the second time in a life of thirty-five years he was within the walls of a theatre, where he went, he says, for a study in elocution. The same motive had induced him at home, he said, to invite eminent tragedians to his house, and to practice reading with them.1 Impressed with thei\ importance of elocution as a means' of contributing to the effectiveness of public speech, he had lectured on the subject at the Mechanics'lnstitute; and, in the delivery of one illustrative passage, partially knelt on the platform. He was a Freemason, and participated in the ceremonies of that order. Ho^was president, of the Philharmonic Society, and took part in its choral exorcises. Ho attended social parties, and did

not withdraw whilst dancing was'•' going' on. Not a word of neglect of clerical duty. Not a syllable sustained of immorality. Yet on a basis of accusation of this character j a clergyman, whom all report to be able and efficient, is virtually pronounced to be unfit for his clerical office, and called on to show cause .why he should not be taken out of his pulpit, and sent into the word with, a character blackened, as far as ecclesiastical judgments can blacken it. The presbytery of Tasmania have laid it down as an ecclesiastical law, that to "mingle in general society" is not consistent with the position of a minister, of religion. It seems very probable that the legality of the proceedings by which Mr. Ewing has been deposed may be questioned. This Church Court has assumed the prerogative of administering oaths, and a doubt has been raised whether any body, merely in ecclesiastical communion with the Church of Scotland, but holding its sittings out of the Scottish territory, and. consisting of ministers originally ordained in the Church of Scotland, can be so far recognised as a legal tribunal as to have the power of administering judicial oaths. That is an aspect of the case, however,'distinct from the one we are dealing with. Whether the action of Presbytery have the force of law or not, they have laid themselves open to the charge of entertaining as grave accusations against a clergyman, matters so absurdly trivial, that what was intended to be a solemn judicial proceeding has been turned into nothing but a farce. If the notions of clerical propriety upon which the Presbytery have acted prevail.throughout the chirrches of Tasmania, it need not be wondered at that the office of the Christian minister is almost entirely denuded of social influence. The whole proceedings of the Presbytery will convey but an unfavourable impression of a religious organization, in which every gesture at a public lecture, and every expression of pleasure at a social reunion, is noted and treasured up for future use, as evidence of, Christian inconsistency.

The 'Melbourne Herald,' writing on the same subject, sayvin reference to the Presbytery : — "They seem to have been bent on making themselves the laughing stock of all these

colonies. There they sat, day after day, listening to such trumpery charges as that Mr. Ewing had " lectured, at the Mechanics' Institution on elocution ;" that he'" devoted time to the erection of a new building for the Mechanics' Institution;" that he was "one of the Ereemasons, and attended at their festivals," though without actually dancing with the company j and other things of the like kind ! Why, one would imagine that all these things are rather highly creditable evidences of the zeal, the intelligence, and the openly blameless life of a : minister in a country town! " Where virtue is, these are more virtuous," as Othello says. The very fact that such things were brought forward as charges only proves how desperate the plot against Mr. Ewing is. As to the graver charges, we again state, they were «n----tircly blown to tlic winds. ; " But now comes the most wonderful part of this curious case. The reverend Presbytery, in . the face of the conclusive evidence to the contrary, have actually adjudged Mr. Ewing guilty, and have cited him to appear before them on the 28th inst., "to show cause why he should not be deposed from the office of the holy ministry." Do we read aright P or are the members of the Presbytery in their right senses? Mr. Ewing stands before the world acquitted, absolutely and honorably acquitted of every tittle of guilt. Never was vindication more triumphant. If, therefore, he be adjudged guilfcy, and punished accordingly, the guilt of perpetrating an act of enormous injustice will lie at the door of his judges. After reading the case it must appear to every impartial person; that to condemn Mr. Ewing would be to outrage the very first principles of natural justice. It surely cannot be.; The Presbytery will reconsider their preposterous decision; or, if they do not, the results both to themselves and to their church must be disastrous indeed. We shall hope, however, that the protest of the press against the course they have' taken will beso indignant and so universal that they will not dare to pursue it. In any event, however, the result to Mr. Ewing cannot be ultimately injurious. His high character, his eminent abilities, and the cruel persecution to which he has been subjected, will rally round hinv multitudes of friends, whose kind offices will more than compensate him for the sufferings he is now enduring. And then, to crown all, he will have that noblest of consolations to sustain him —the testimony of a good conscience."