A CLERICAL SCANDAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 7, 9 January 1908, Page 2

A CLERICAL SCANDAL.

THE CASE OP CANON NASH.

MELBOURNE, Deo. 10. • The mystery surrounding the sudden and almost total eclipse of Canon Nash has not yet been fully explained. For some time he has held an important suburban incumbency, and a couple of years ago he was chosen as incumbent of Christ Church, Geelong, which is regarded as one of thechief posts in the archdiocese. A few weeks ago a great sensation was in ecclesiastical circles 'by the' announcement that the canon had resigned his incumbency of Christ Church, and had ceased to hold any office in the archdiocese. No explanation was given, but it was elicited that whatever the charges were the canon had submitted himself to i the judgment of the chapter of the -cathedral—an irregular ecclesiastical tribune—and when that judgment went against him he, according to an undertaking given, resigned. Canon Nash's friends were indignant, and one of the first things that happened was that the Board of Nominators renominated him for- the vacant parish. The archbishop , then took the unexampled step of vetoing the nomination,. and thus the matter rested, for three weeks until Canon Nath broke tne silence with a long letter, nominally to his friends, ;bu;t to all intents and purposes to the press. In this letter, which is of great length, Canon Nash sets out the reasons which have induced him to speak, and then gives the following outline of the charges against him: — 1. During the last year of my time at St. Columb's, Hawthorn, a trouble, -due entireld to my own fault, occurred in our home. Into-the exact nature of that trouble I cannot enter "here. It is said that I committed grave indiscretions. God 'forbid that I should palliate,or minimise my own transgressions; but I ought, in justice to all concerned, to. say 'that no one tuns ever accujsed me to my face, much less convicted me, of -immorality or fraud in this matter. 2. This trouble was private. As far .as ,we are !aware, with- the exception to be named later, it was known only to those very few persons directly affected by it. Not a whisper of it, was heard in the parish until the recent disclosures. 3. It was temporary, coming to a complete and satisfactory termination within some few months. 4. It was without harmful effects,. It wrought no injury to the property, person, or character of any individual. •5. It was honestly dealt with before God and man. Nothing was concealed from any person who had a right to know. At this crisis this trouble became known by the communication by my ■wife to two personal friends in the parish. _Both of them dealt with it m the wisest and most Christian manner, declaring, without our solicitation, that they would regard it as a sacred confidence never to be divulged ; and both of them, subsequently, for twelve months, showed us frequent proofs of the warmest and most constant friendship. 7. In the first week of last September, without the slightest warning of such intention given to either of us, one of these, acting "on advice" (so-the archbishop has informed me), thought it right to disclose the whole story to the archbishop. 8. In the neifc week I received from the Archbishop of Melbourne, through a personal friend, the sudden and amazing verbal suggestion j that I should immediately resign my incumbency without enquiry or explanation. This suggestion, I believe, was kindly meant. I was further informed that it was useless to

try to see the archbishop about it, as he would not then see me. It was seven weeks later, the canon gaid, that he received his first official communication from Archbishop Clarke, informing him that he (the archbishop) was summoning the chapter to consider the case. "When this body met the archbishop had a, farther charge to make conceioiirig Canon Nash's "ministry in Englfcfhd thirteen years ago." Of this clwwrge, says Canon Nash—

(a). He himself liad heard when he was an incumbent at Huddersfield.

(bj He was notified by me immediately- upon his arrival here. (c) He had received further (equally inaccurate) information from England during the year previous to his co-operation in my unanimous election ,to Christ Church, Geelong ' (d) Of which the Archbishop of Sydney had ful^. knowledge when he authorised me to officiate in the diocese of Sydney, and (c) Of which.Bishop,Groe.was apprised when 'he finally offered me the incumbency of St. Columb's Hawthorn,

When the chapter had Been sitting four hours, says Canon Nash, "a resolution requesting my resignation on the ground of 'grave indiscretions,' was read over to me by the Dean, and I have neither seen nor heard anythirfg of it since. I immediately sat down in the room and signed my; resignation of the canonry." Next; day Archbishop Clarke replied to this1 letter, sending his reply direct to the; press. It was1 intended as a justifi- i cation of the archbishopal veto, and; contained the following passages: — i "Two grave charges terminated your' ministry in England. The first of these was, upon the : jjrestiniony oi! your vicar, Canon Bradsley, suffi-| ciently serious to cause him to prevent your institution to an import- i ant parish to which you had been; nominated. The second was so grave as to affect the judgment of all of us to your permanent fitness for the i ministry. This latter I knew in part and by hearsay only, when I came to; Melbourne, and I told you then that,: as I found you in an honoured posi-i tioh, I would trust you as if no charge had ever been made. Of thist trust I gave you proof on several oc-j casions'." The judgment of the/ chapter, said Dr Clarke, was not based on any statements of others,! "but wholly upon the admissions of* grave indiscretions which fell fronu your own lips and none of which j were drawn from you by eross-exami-! nation." The letter concludes:—' "Whilst you have for the^ presents passed out of my jurisdiction, you! have not passed otit of my thoughts.! You have great gifts, which I hopej may agaitf be employed in the ser-r! vice of the church. , The honour of' the church demand^ that I should for* the present refuse to license you in i this diocese. I shall be glad if the| Bay comes when you can begin a: new ministry, cleared from all sus-j picion,"and protected by the-grace of i God froua every weakness." ! Canon Nash; rejoins with a long: letter next day, in the course off which he says that the allegation that, two grave charges terminated his] ministry in England is not only un-j true, but had Deen shown to be sol first by his own categorical denial be-j fore the chapter, secondly by' thej testimony of Canon Bradsley's letter! written 11 years ago to the Archbishop of Sydney, and, now in the hands of the Archbishop of Melbourne, and thirdly, from a second* letter written by Canon Bradsley last; year to the Rev. W. T. Storrs, of! Prahrani; "These* three statements! concurred to show— . j 1. SChat I v gave up my niinistry inj England upon one ground alon*. j 2. That ground was, to quote! Canon Bradsley's .words, "an act ofj impropriety, rather than an act off immorality," 3. That Canon Bradsley merely, declined finally to sign my letters' testimonial,' after first having oon-, ' sented to do so two days .before my. . actual induction .to the parish to which I had been appointed before the ocurrence of the incident in question: The letter Concludes as folows:-* ,- I bow my head as I read yomr words,, "I shall be glad if the day comes when you can, begin a new* ministry." I Entered the ministry at the call of God, the Holy Ghosty and to that ministry I have given/ however imperfectly; thef best half of my life. What human hands never gave, human hands can never take away. But such is my regard for church order' that I shall never believe myself to be truly "cleared from all suspicion" until you, sir,or your successor, shall remove the ban which yon have, thought fit to put upon my public - ministrations.' I Meanwhile I .can wait. 'ImmediaI tely below your signature in the Age of to-day is the headline, "A

Life Sacrificed." God, in His j mercy, grant that neither you, sir, ;t nor I, be held liable for the needless, sacrifice of a life at the last day. \

Meanwhile the incumbency of Christ Church remains vacant^ Archdeacon Crpssley (who is nominally Archdeacon of Geelong,' but fills a Melbourne parish) was nominated for it, but has declined the nomination. A movement is now again gaining strength in Geelong to rehominate Canon Nash for it. It is not clear how anything could come of that renomination,! however,, while the Archbishop withholds his license from Canon Nash.—Otago Daily Times correspondent.