A CLERICS COMPLAINT.

NZ Truth, Issue 407, 12 April 1913, Page 4

A CLERICS COMPLAINT.

■• — - — • ' , » — - — ■ . . • . The Plight of. the Poor Parson Verily", the parson is a hard person to .please; He who is doomed < : t6 labor, m the Loard's vineyard- has a hard row to hoe. and generally with the advanced thought of to-day the tendency > to materialism and the hundred and one .odd things which, m addition to the problem of making small wages cope with the high cost of living, the average man and woman has little time, let alone cash, to spare for matters relating to the Church. "Truth" makes these few casual . comments because it has had brought under its notice the . remarks of an Anglican cleric, the Rev. . Carew Thomas, ■ who on Sunday week delivered his farewell sermon at Mangaweka. a Main Trunk, town which lately has gained a lot of prominence because of the allegations of. land aggregation and others matters; directly and indirectly bearing on the land-grab policy of the "Square Deal" Government. •• >: "■ * .■',.• '*' • ' The remarks of Hie cleric m question, the Rev. Carew Thomas,, are reported m the Mangaweka "Settler," and t^hey are as follows: 'It would not be true if he said he "was sorry to ieave Mangaweka. (He was ver y Pleased to leave and without regrets. When he arrived two, and a half years ago, he was met by three gentlemen, who were very kind to him, one of -them showing him round the district. Those three had now leCt the district. He was very disappointed when he arrived to find "not a church-room, which had never been consecrated. The vicarage, was only a 'five-roomed cottage and m a bad position. There was no conveniences; whatever;.' Cattle, sheep and horses were driven along the road every day and the. rpad was nothing but dust or mud. He was not speaking /or himself but for the next vicar who was coming He had to speak his mind before ho left so that perhaps things would be made easier for his successor. The district was very large and tiring. There was a band of women outside Mangaweka township who hacl joined together and decided not to discuss the doings of their vicar, or any' other vicar m the Dominion, and it was a pity that the women of Man? a " weka did not do the same instead of finding fault. He had said things during his star here, which had r.ot been approved of by some of the women, and the consequence was they would not attend church. In conclusion, he said -Farewell, and God bless you all.' " From the very bottom of "Truth's" usually unresponsive heart, this paper expresses Its sympathy with this parson chap. Apparently, the cure of souls m Mangaweka is not all beer and skittles, and the picture drawn by him. particularly of the women inside Mangaweka not to mention those outside, is sufficient to melt a bronze statue. Sut, and it is a mighty big "but," let us go back a bit. The Rev. Carew Thomas is not unknown to "Truth"; it has sympathised with him before. Let us go back. * ''*'' .*■..'. On May 7, 1310, 'Truth" headed a little article, "A Village Vicar— lncensed Inglewoodltes—Trouble In the Amen Corner— Parson .and His Parishioners." Just prior to the date m question the gentleman was vicar of Inglevvood, and it seems that he spoke his mind so plainly or made himself so pronouncedly disliked that his parishioners got busy and called on Bishop Wallis, of Wellington, to give the cleric m question a bJt of friendly advice. The upshot was that the Rev. Carew Thomas threw up the living or the sponge or whatever "chucking" the job is called, and altogetier some unpleasant little matters arose. For instance. It was said that the vicar hadn't been paid his stipend, but this was not true What was true, from the rev. person's point of view, was that the Inglcwoodltes housed him In a manse which was on lease, and eventually he had to leave it. Ihglewood didn't have a suitable house for him. and ho consequently had nowhere to live and was obliged to resign. AltoKether, as "Truth" recalls the position, it was undignified and certainly not up to the standard of real English vicars. Having left Inglewood, this parson chap seems to havo struck Manga- !<«?«]£&, and, judging by bis farewell- ut-

terances, the cleric m question has had anything but a rosy time. „ * * * It, however, occurs to "Truth" that this parson fellow is given to growling, and, seems to go through life a very much disappointed man. He certainly is bearing a cross, but he is carrying his cross accompanied by snorting, snuffling and snapping. He appears to be such a superior sort of imported English cleric that "Truth" is at a loss' to understand ..: why, after his Inglewood experience, he. tolerated New Zealand another second." Then, again, one must ,remember. that the average imported English parson is a very helpless sort of person, who iiveson preaching the Gospel, and is so unworldly that lie cannot see the wicked way the world is going. "Truth" sympathises with the parson, it sympathises with' the women outside Manga weka, ; arid ;■ the. women m Mangaweka; m fact, /'Truth" sympathises with everybody m Mangaweka, , and it trusts that the next, vicar will find things more congenial,' and the curing of souls more easy and profitable. Paxvobiscum! ■ ''.'■■■