CORRESPONDENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Issue 1510, 14 October 1865, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

TRUTH t. FALSEHOOD. TO THE EDITOR OF TUB LTTTELTON TIMES,

Sir,—Your article of yesterday so nearly concerns myself, and, which is of more importance, the Congregational Church, that I am sure you will do me the favour of inserting a short letter.

The attention and comment which the article has received in Christchurch convince me that your judgment as to what is likely to influence many minds is more correct than my own, and that what you think worth publishing is worth a reply.

As I did not hear Dr. Foster's lecture, it is not my business to defend him against the charge of advocating principles which I think him most unlikely to advocate. He himself has said all that he appears to deem it needful to say in reply to that charge, and it is certain that his audience did not unanimously receive the impression you seem to have of the tendency of the lecture.

That matter having been dealt with by others, I feel myself at liberty to point out that the delivery of the address in the same building in which I usually preach, and which was lent to the Young Men's Christian Association for the occasion, does not implicate me, or the congregation whose minister I am, in either the praise or the blame properly attaching to that address. If I object to Dr Foster's opinions I ought not to blame all the solicitors in the town, or all the holders of offices in Gloucester street for those opinions; but I should have just as much reason for doing so as you have for associating my preaching with his lecture.

It is true that Dr. Foster is himself a Congregationalism but I imagine that reasonable men will not hold Dr. Harper and his clergy responsible for all the acts of all who are known in Canterbury as < hurchmen, and I certainly cannot undertake to bear the burdens of all who are of the same belief with me upon questions of church polity. Yours, &c., WM. JAS. HABENS. Christchurch, Oct. 13, 1865.

[We have received a letter from the Secretary of the Christchurch Young Men's Christian Association on the same subject as the above, and to the same purpose. As our space is valuable, we trust the Secretary will excuse its inserdon.ED. L.T.~\