THE REV W. THOMSON’S CASE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4588, 17 February 1902, Page 7

THE REV W. THOMSON’S CASE.

Pi'ofessor Mackenzie, at the close of the forenoon service at tho Scots Church, Abel Smith street, yesterday, said: —“My friends, I daresay you have seen a short paragraph in the ‘Now Zealand Times' tho other dayto the effect that the Presbytery of Wanganui had twice cited Mr Thomson to appeal' before them, and that Mr Thomson failed to appear, and was consequently pronounced by that august body of ‘burning and shining lights’ no longer a minister of their church ! The charge against Mr Thomson is one of ‘divisive courses,’ inasmuch as he has established a church in Wellington without the consent of the Wellington Presbytery. The Presbytery of Wellington are quite capable of seeing to their own ecclesiastical interests without drawing upon tho all too officious ecclesiastics of tho Wanganui Presbytery. Had tho Presbytery of Wanganui con- ' suited its own dignity and the interests of tho church it would have leit Mr Thomson to take his own way. This is what tho Presbytery of Wellington has done. I have known Mr Thomson for over twenty'three years. We were students at the Old Grammar School ot Aberdeen from 1878 to ISSI. Wo were at tho university together. Mr Thomson was held in the highest esteem by his teachers and professors, and indeed by all who came in contact wth him. When I came to tho colony* some three years ago I found that my old friend was experiencing some trouble from a small section o£ the ‘unco guid' in his church in Palmerston North. I consulted several divines in the church, and members of Mr Thomson’s congregation, and could find absolutely nothing that in tho slightest degree reflected on Mr Thomson. The worst I have been able to _ discover about him is that ‘ho is an injudicious and impulsive man.’ I trust his pious censors have no worse failings. The _act is, Mr Thomson’s ‘failings lean to virtue s side.’ The men who did most to discredit him in Palmerston wore men who wore under very great obligations io him. Tho Presbytery of Wanganui, with a large-hearted charity characteristic of so much of I'atterday Christianity, made heroic olforts to starve him out in Palmerston. Hr Thomson resigned two years ago, and left with the usual prosbytcrial certificate, in which his presbytery collectively express its regret at his severing his connection with the Presbytery of Wanganui. They now recall this certificate! Imagine an employer cancelling an ex-servant’s certificate two years after it was given! lam bound to say that I believe the Presbytery of Wanganui has dealt with Mr Thomson and tho people to whom he ministered in Palmerston in a highly irregular, unPresbyterian and un-Cbristian way. Mr Thomson attempted to state his case m the ‘Outlook.’ The most effective parts of his communications were eliminated by the editorial hand, and after a time his communications were" rejected altogether. Why? For fear the ‘world would learn too much of the seamy side of Presbyterianism (or wbat calls itself Presbyterianism in the colony) presumably. I hope Mr Thomson may bo allowed an opportunity of staring his case in the press of the colony, seeing that he has boon so severely dealt with by some of the ‘fathers and brethren,’ and has also been denied adequate facilities for stating his ‘grievance’ in the accredited organ of his church. I differ widely from Mr Thomson theologically and otherwise, but I know him to bo a man of the highest character and of honest convictions, and hence I respect him, and I will stand by him rill I find something palpably compromising against him. During the past three years I havo learned enough to convince mo that Mr Thomson has been much sinned against by not a few of the clergy and laity of his church. It almost makes one ashamed of one’s church.”