CAPTAIN RATTRAY AT TE ARAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4399, 18 December 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

CAPTAIN RATTRAY AT TE ARAL

To the Editor of the Herald. g IR( My attention has been called to a letter in your issue of the 4th instant, from your Te Arai correspondent, which is devoid of truth, and written evidently.in a spirit of spleen towards his fellow settlers differing from him in sentiment and principle, and who exercise the liberty of reading, reasoning, and thinking for themselves. Respecting Captain Rattray, it was generally allowed by those present that it was, without exception, the finest discourse that had been delivered in tho place for a long time. But why did not your correspondent give an outline of the discourse, instead of making false statements in reference thereto. Mr. Rattray's language was neither weak nor commonplace, but -was all that could be desired by such an assembly; and even your correspondent might have profited thereby. Had he done so, he could not have used the uneerous terms in tko correspondence in question. He says, "I believe." Believe what? What I defy him to produce the slightest erideace for Captain Rattray shewed in his lecture that a person should not believe except upon evidence. All evidence goes to stew that a now well-known and resoectod people, i.e., the Primitive Methodists, were, when your correspondent resided in Norfolk, called Ranters, but the Disciplos were never identified with them in any way. Let your correspondent study ecclesiastical history before he further deals with the subject. It certainly is true that the Christians (or Disciples of Christ), are considerably on the Sβ, but utterly false that • so far as can be gathered believe that baptism ia all that ia necessary for salvation." Why, nr, they utterly deny . that baptism by itlelt ia of the slightest use m refesenee to salvation, and they demand faith and reformation, without which they would repudiate any virtue being attached thereto. They eimply take the Word ofGod (the Bible) for their guide ; make it and it only, their "Standard of Appeal ; WdthemfeWeainreadineeeat aU toaee to gtreAteeaoafffttba hope that ia m them

1 (Ist Peter, iii., 15). They give a " thus saith the Lord," in express terms or approved precedent, for every act connected with religion; they take the words alao with their contextual reading, so as to grasp the idea intended to be conveyed in its entirety ; they solicit enquiry, aim chiefly to get people to think and reaion for themselves, and advocate the moat perfect freedom of thought or epeech, denying the right of aey man or number of men to impose opinion. Written creeds or confessions of faith : these they repudiate as additions to or subtractions from the Word of God. It is true they meet with opposition, but their opponents carefully keep within their own entrenchments, and content themselves with misrepresentations, manifesting an alarming indifference to truth. Will your correspondent study the following words :—Know, believe, opine, truth, and fact ? Apologising for thus troubling you,—l am, &c, Edward Browne. P.S.—As opponents, Ido not mean those holding different views simply, but such as give vent to hard words. lv B. North Albertland, December 7, 1875.