PASTOR BIRCH'S MISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8541, 15 April 1891, Page 3

PASTOR BIRCH'S MISSION.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir.Your correspondent, who presumes to call himself " Christian," suggests that the report of Pastor Birch's meeting in the Choral Hall will be perused with amusement and contempt (I presume he means or contempt) according to the different dispositions of your readers. • What "Christian's" disposition is can be easily gathered from the unchristiau tone of his letter. As an outsider, he takes upon him to say that the proceedings of Mr. Birch's supporters seem to him most extraordinary. As an outsider he presumes to say that the reason assigned for this course will not bear investigation. It is very kind of " Christian," as an outsider, to give so decided an opinion. Perhaps if he happened to be within the fold he would be more careful. Pastor Birch is not singular in the treatment he has received from this erratic people. All his predecessors were served likewise. And 1 call upon Mr. Thomas Spurgeon to say whether the bickerings of 1 his heterogeneous body of so-called Christians was not the principal cause of his resignation. What is at the bottom of this discontent? . Would "Christian" like to know ? It is this and nothing more : Pastor Birch declines to exclude the denouncement of some of their pet sins. He resist.3 all attempts to thwart him in his efforts to do his Master's work. He declines to give his countenance to those who, taking advantage of the necessity of his fellow-man, squeeze the life-blood out of him. Neither will he give the hand of fellowship to the man who trades in sin. I fully agree with " Christian" that Pastor Birch's mission in Auckland has been disastrous to not a few. It has brought arrant hypocrisy to light and time-serving canters to an untimely end. "Christian" is unfortunate in his reference to Mr. Varley. He first holds him up as an authority, and then goes on to say that from the specimen of Evangelists we have seen in the colonies, their qualifications for this work are not very great. Had he not better have left the great Varley alone? The whole thing, says "Christian," lies in a nutshell, but not in the nutshell of " Christian's'' kind. Pastor Birch has in my opinion, as well as in the opinion of thousands, been a great success. He has scattered to the winds the class distinctions in the Tabernacle, and learnt them a lesson they never can forget, a lesson which my countryman has put into words which never can be forgotten. " The rank is but the guinea stamp, A man's the goutl lor a' that." —I am, etc., A Scotchman.