CLERGY AND CRITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13273, 30 April 1907, Page 7

CLERGY AND CRITICS.

lili. U. B. XICHOLI.S SUJIS UP. (To the Editor of tlie Timaru Herald.) Sir, —As Mr Chappie has gracefully retlicd it would be ungenerous ol' me to make further controversial references. You will perhaps, however, allow me to yum viie ma ter up in a-u inoffensive manner, when I too will leave the field. 1. Reference lo Mr Chappie's position as a minister of the Gospel was unavoidable. T acknowledge that ministeis have a right to an opposite opinion to that ! which is held by lhe. I have met many ! such, and discussed the matter with them, and we have par ed with mutual respect. It ia ths manner of discussion that kills respect, not the difference of opinion. If I come to Timaru again, I will call on the Eev. Chappie and we will have it out. 2. If the Presbyterian Church generally, "or Mr Chappie's own church particulaly were to decide that he was no; a suitable .person, to longer minister amongst them, the reason would, in my opinion, be found, not in his attitude on the No-Lic-ense' question, but in his public use of such phrases as " pulpit pounding, gospel chewing sects," or in his offensive and' unnecessary coupling of ihe names of worthy ministers of the gospel, with brewers and s'uoh-like, and finishing one of his letters with'."Amen." .His public approval of the "New Theology" too, might weigh greatly with some, and the general tone of levity in approaching a serious subject •wifclu-many others. 3. I do- not consider the very guarded statement that "if" his church will put up -with his scorn for humbugs, etc., he will " live and die at his post," to be an adequate denial of the rumour that he would accept employment by "the brewers. That statement leaves him quite free to pick a quarrel with his church and then accept lhe lectureship for the publicans. In fact, as he has already declared that the laie harvest thanksgiving would be' the last he would spend at St. Andrews, he is evidently not going to live and die at that, post anyway. The public . will require a definite pledge that he will not accept or has hot already accepted reward from the publicans, directly or indirectly, for his advocacy of their cause. Until this is given they will continue to. "think their own think."

4. In accusing me so often of being a liar and a scoundrel generally, Mr Chappie appears to forget that he is also including in that condemnation some ten other citizens of good standing in this town (not ministers or local preachers). These all witnessed the persons in liquor, and. agreed with my assertions. Their evidence would be accepted as conclusive enough to hang a man in any court of law. It should b? noted also that Mr Chappie does not deny that- an opportunity, which he did not accept, Jivas given him by a moderate drinker to verify my statements. : Also that one gentleman near .Timaru, after inquiring into my assertions, was so far satisfied of thair truth that he promised a donation: of £l5O to the funds.

5. Mr C-ha,pple has made great poimtfe all the time, about making people " sober by Act of Parliament, etc." Now in all my correspondence there was no hint as to the way this excessive drinking -was to cured. I only endeavoured to lay trite the evil just as Father Ma/hew, whom Mr Chappie romuch admires, would have done. No-License was never mer. :

by me, therefore these references ;tb itwere all beside the question. Father Mathew, however, was at the end as firm a believer in doing away with the traffic altogether as I am myself. 6. I too, am as eager to make people; abstainers by moral suasion as Father Mathew himself ever was. All I lack is the eloquence tQ accomplish it. However, by oganisation and the help of others, I got nearly 20GO pledges signed in Otago (mostly by children), on last Temperance Sunday, November 1906,' and largely through my efforts temperance sermons (in which no mention of No-License was made) were preached in the bulk of thei churches in Ot-a-go on. that day. I personally 1 •sefruted f 150 ' of" these. pledges, ahout 30 : b;ing adults, at a united Sunday School demonstration at Kaikorai.

7. In conclusion, it ought- to be said that these constant statements that, because I. am paid to advocate No-License, therefore I will tell any fals.ehods, or do any dirty'work that suits the partv thatadvocates this way of dealing with the Temperance problem (supposing they wanted any done) come with very; bad grace froin 'one who is a pitid preacher of the Gospel." If I were conducting this controversy, on the same plane that Mr Chappie has, adopted, I should suggest to h\s congregatin that the correct- thing to do, whenever he made any statements, as to their sinful condition would be to ray "Prove .it you Ananias," or "you know we are absolutely perfect, you are only irying to pick holes in our conduct to frighten money out- of us for your own support," or again "You know that all the Gospel you preach is false, but yon preach it because you are paid to do so." All this scurrilous nonsense 1 i- on a par with the attitude he has taken up, I made many sacrifice? for the Temperance Cause and won my spurs as a figh'er for No-License, long before I, received a penny of their money, and I do not get much of that.now. I I am etc., G. B. NICHOLLS.