THE HEREST HUNT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5918, 4 October 1910, Page 1

THE HEREST HUNT.

(To 1 hi> ITlilorp J Sir, i( is now many years .-mee ] have addressed you anil with your permission I will a-yali. l <*nr<»l my.i-ll i amongst yuiir correspondents. Allow I nic to congratulate you on your ;i\ it - I riled protivt ayainsl (hr detestable coronation oath, anil to suy'jyst that mi advocate a further aineiiduieul Ilum has now pleased Tl lO powers t hat lr‘. So ioiiy as (tritons nuiiuUun a kiiiy, why should they trouble the poor man as to his n'liyious virus They arc his own concern, not ours. Ami J have rend with inlerot i our article on the heresy hunt, to which the ,South Canterbury brushy ter y bas treated v oiir portion of the dominion. I am sorry lliat 1 eaunol coiieratulatc you on leaving mastered the principles of evolution 1 , as the trivialities that you pompously parade against it m a low the careful student smile. Vou do not seem to realise that evolution is tlie master ksy of the twentieth century. It dominates the thought and learn in;; and wisdom oi our lime. It it not now seriously ipiestioned, and. there is now absolutely no rival view or theory advanced, it is recognised that evolution explains the tacts of nature, ami that nothing else explain* those taels. I'ibobilion aceouibs for man, and for the tape wotm that lives within him. K accounts for the animals that minister to his welfare, and for the parasites that batten on his body, for the vicious minute organisms that gnaw and mid, and torture the life from his frame, and for the Insists of pre,v red in tooth and claw with his life-blood. U account* tor the beauty of the rose and for the worm that eats 'it. it. accounts for the rabbit and the weasel (hat preys upon it. ft accounts for the apple, and for the codlin moth tlia.t destroy*

it. It accounts for the Clydesdale horse, tin' Shetland pony, and for tlv;' hot lly that infests. them. It accounts for tin* tViiilfiil -wheat, and for the pestiferous California!! thistle. No other explanation is nnw-a-days. seriousl,- attempt-ed for this.; conllictbvjphenomena, mid 'anvone nii;io,|UainI >■.l With the fads marshalled that. has compelled modern thought to evolulior,l, cannot claiiu to lie a child of the twentieth century. Although in it. he is not of it. He is a back number. Orthodoxy -ha.- to reckon with evolution, and orthodoxy knows it. Most theologians in all brunches of Christianity now timidly avow- tliomschrs evolutionists. 'The compulsory resignation of the Rev. .1 as. Chappie is simply a symptom of the internal tmseltlemeiit' of orthodoxy on this (;ii»--!ion. Tt is as virulent in I lie ' nio-t conservative, and in the oldest Christian Church as in (he ■newest, and latest I'nddv sect. Oalv two weeks a/,, we. v, ere toil in your columns (hat ■((,,■ most powerful '-lmreh on enrlh is in ! M:l tire, (o prohibit her bnddhe;' pri: sis fro-.-n readim; l!ie ik.ilv ■newspapers. i:i rase their minds should vfet a idimpse ■~f mod, ni I lam-hi. If this course i.s f.dlowc!. we can iinau'ine the result. Iliiherto we have found her trained '--oas the shrewdest and most locdulal .•Venders of the i'a.ith. I lenccforth I am afraid tliev will be regarded as ■.-M.oonN-,1 ha'-mless weaklings. So thlie-,'. -Ins. Chappie had to -a. Do's ~-ins-one doubt that the Presbytery is weaker a*d poorer by his .absence '.' !.- I here anolher man left in it thai is : brase rnoued. to s.iv in Ihe pulpit e\' acilv what he says out of it '.' f l-nw soi'.'r readers to answer. R is surely .ihj'Uiilieaiit that the' churches should i"fpiiro to net rid of their best re.en- If a ssorld's Vote were taken as to the ' lwst and noblest man. of .modem I anes the verdict won I'd be "Tolstoy." and Tolstoy -was bundled out ot the Creek Christian Church. Makes on- '. tlr'uk, doesn't it 7 One more matter. 'and I am done. 1 have by the courtesy of friends been supplied with the South Canterbury paper.-, containine/ t-li■■ reports and controversy rorr.-spoa-oue oiiiLde opponent of Mr Chappie make a manly reference, of recognition of .Mr Chappie's courage in brasiuu; ill- loss of friends, position, and mmI fort ; and facia.<j misunderstandiiv-; for ! the sake of conscience, and self-respect. I Surely the sense of chivalry is nonj existent in Prcsbyterinnism when this | tribute is denied. .Manv will think | that it is another shinini: example of "Christian" charitv.—l am. etc., JOHN SI.M. Birkenhead, Auckland, 25th September. J9lO. We are glad to welcome back our old Goi-respondcnt. lie always had a j horror of footnotes to his letter, io ( we shad let him ;ro without one now. j further than to ask him this question. ■ Supposine- he employed a man to sell ! apple's, aiul- ; that man refused io do so, I but persisted in sellinu: nuts instead. | what' would Mr Sim do to that man? •The Presbyterian Church employed Mi j Chappie to sell apples I. Presbyterian | reli-ioiil. but -Mr Chappie insisted <m Iselbiej- mils '.evolution) on the "jroijml ! that th.'V were better and more jtible, but that was jiot what he wa ■ oaid for, and when lie found ho could not do what he was paid for he oucdii to have resigned. Personally w.. hive ....Teat esteem and -re-eard for Mr Chappie, but we cannot see boss d.e Presbytery could have done oiherw',-' ■ than what it oid.—Kd.