EXCOMMUNICATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 10

EXCOMMUNICATION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin,—Your correspondent " Secretary Protestant Defence Association" will do well to continue the debate with the- " Editor New Zealand Tablet" on the "excommunication" and " annihilation " of the "oath." Let him, I say, stick to his guns. It is well known to tho " Secretary " that so long a-s ho continues to talk he. cannot bo refuted, for to refute a,man is to shut his mouth m well as liis reason. "Tho Editor New Zealand Tablet" lias taken the good man seriously, and serve him right. In the meantime, Sir, I would, with your permission, transcribe a story taken from Devine's " Eutropia." It will, I hope, strengthen tho "Secretary's" position and purpose:— ■ " It came to/ pass some time ago in the North of Ireland" (writes the author) "that a Protestant congregation was sent a new pastor. Ho was a scholar and a gentleman, of very fine tastes and very civil disposition. Ho preached a few Sundays to his flock, and epoketo them kindly and movingly about charity and mercy and trust in the Saviour for a remission of their sins . . . and thought to educate his people up to his own ideal of pure Christianity. He calculated without his host. His congregation grew lew and loss until his ohurch bid-fair to become ompty. Meeting the Catholic priest of tho place one day, he spoke 10 liim on various matters affecting the welfare of their respective flocks, and amongst, other things mentioned tho gradual diminution of his crowd of heaters. The priest asked him what kind of preaching ho treated them to, and tho parson told hira. 'You never attack mo or my people by calling us all sorts of bad names and holding up our doctrine to ridicule*?' 'No,' 'You never call us idolaters, and tell tho people how much I charge for absolution!' 'No,' replied tho parson. 'You hover call the Pope the man of «in, or tell them'how fortunate it was that King William of glorious and immortal memory - freed them all and -washed Popery out of Ireland by the waters of tho Boyne?' 'No,' replied the parson, 'I don't intend to trade upon fatso and exploded diatribes.' I had tho happiness of seeing the Pope and getting his blessing, aiid a kinder or gentler old man I never mot in my life.', 'That will do,' exclaimed the priest; 'if you tell that last. incident to anyone but me in this village the soon-sr you pack' out of it tho hotter. Let mo tell you, then, as a. friend, how you can keep your congregation together. Givo a periodical sermon on Popery, anil if yen do not find.it in your heart to say.hard tilings, use any number of big, hard adjectives that none of your people can understand; (or you know with v them, as with others, omno ign'otum v prb magnifko. Give them a few scrmena like that until you get theni. to listen to you, and then you can, by degrees, t>egin to give them a little- Christianity j but in email doses, mind.' The parson took his advice, and soon drew crowded houses." . _-'\ •'" Tho congregation mentioned in tho above • story was composed in the main of people who belonged to what is known in Duncdin as tho "Protestant Defence Association." They arc, I know, labelled differently in tho ""Black North," but thoir tastes are similar the world over. Whilst contending strcnuouslv against tho "Editor of tho New Zealand Tablet," the " Secretary" should . bo on he lookout for another "literary ,curiosity" and: a few more grievances against the Panists in order to encouragd the ".brethren" into a more aggressive policy' during the " approaching .winter -, , ' Boason."—l am, etc.," AlArued April 21. • ; '■■: .••.• -...;;;.: