CHURCH DISSENSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20113, 26 November 1928, Page 10

CHURCH DISSENSION.

TRpyBLI? ft NPSTHOOTS.

RECENT MEETING CRITICISED, VICAR STATE? HI? CASE, ' - ■<=■ r Reference to tho differences, thqt Jiave arisen between liim and the vestry of St. John the Baptist Church, Northcote, was made last evening by the vicar, the Rev. Thomas Southworth, who preached on the tcjft: "So there wqs division apiong the people because pf Him. M

At the outset, the vicar :madp reference tp the meeting of parishioners last Tuesday evening. He said that in the light of tlje proceedings at that meeting he might aptly have chosen another text: "Thou shalt not muzzle thp mop.th of the 03 that treadeth out tho coyn." M an y adherents of the Church were debarred from either speaking or voting on the that tlieir names clid not appear on tljo roll of t|ie clpirch for t>yp months past. If the letter of ''our jnatchless constitution" was adhered to, it might liave (jeen 911 right, bqt jt was np.t, TherP was, nothing wrong with tjip constitution pvovlding the rojl jiad beep He h;id bpen ijnflef thp impression that tl(e only placp (int|fr the Rntish Flag where people assembled, and Vfpip not qjlpwed to speajc, was within prison walls.

The epflnected with thp roll, in conjunction with the. rulipg that the letter of thp dwell law PHist be strictly adhered to, had the pffept virr tually of muzzling the mouths of the speakers in whoso keeping was thu case for the petitioners who called thp meeting on behalf of thp copgvegatiPH- Such was scarcely human charity, and he doubted if such a thing hac| pver pccurfpfj before.

Peoplp were tp vpte -yvjiq had not been on the rpll two ipontbs; others had been stopped from yptirig; other? had staled they had vptod pther tjian they had intended, owingj tq the amr fiigujty of thp vpting-pijpprj find others, again, had abstained from voting because of tlie hick of a proper ballot, there heing np pretension of privacy. These facts made the wholp affair imtgular and reduced the proceedings tq s. farce.

Mr. Southworth said he was not going to hide behind the pulpit. He was leavr ing his defence in the hinds of the Heavenly Master. Those who wished to know the truth could get this fro:ta the mouths of friends who were ponversant with the whole facts. He thanked all who had worked bo sincerely and hard for him during the past few weeks. Human naturp being wjjat it truth was i[lways the sigpal for strife. Bui truth wpuld ultimately triumph. In the meantime the exercise of patience was required. Peacp would pomp out of the turmoil when truth prevailed. Mr. Southworth said that whep he came among the congrpgatipn at North: cote as their spjritual guide, his duty, as far as hp cculd, was tp lead them fa truth, and to keep them in plpsp touctj with the spiritual realm bfyond. In the sight of God, he could say be had striyej] to keep his ordination vpvv to eqcoqfag? quietness, peape, and loye among t)J) people. Ho could say he had so strive}), in spite of the storni. tli|t Jiad arisen about his head. The ppaoe pf the tjsyy Testament, however, >vas not a peace at any price, but a peacp foundpd on truth that could bo attained only at the cost of privation and suffering. If in his methods of administration he had made mistakes, ho asked them to forgive him; to forget about his cFuuisy methods.