REV. J. H. G. CHAPPLE AND THE LIBRARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14482, 1 July 1911, Page 6

REV. J. H. G. CHAPPLE AND THE LIBRARY.

I To the Kdiior of-the "Timii.ru Herald," Sir,—Though reading Mr Caldwell's reference to Li'winrv mutters iu ilia imtter on tlio Bible yiit-itioii with some .suiiu-isi', l i j-ivrt io pin si. char.tah.'o iulcrpivtalion on if.'j d.vergcnce. Alter rcidiiig .'ins . I'uriiii'r epistle of Thursday, there can n main no doubt, that, I Ins upavtie of tin; lowly Jesus ha;> deiibor-iLjly gone om of ins way to attack another's iive.ihuL-'d. Quite apart iroin the breach of pruiessioual etiquette involved, :t would appear that rue virtU's'o ol' jusHe, cu.inty and mercy, which tln». rcvei-cud gentleman is supposed tu instil have no ap- . plication in Ins own case, it is amazing, that'in tile year 1911 there lire nion stiiKtu he found presumably educated, and. living m a. civilised community, viewing ' on all sides the bcnehts or juoueruiiou and tolerance, udio still w-ouid iwrSeeUtu like their {alliens of a bygone ago.; Kuowiug neither the itev. Mr Caldwell nor Mr Chappie. I think 1 voice many outsiders' opinions when, 1 Kay that the attack on Air Chappto appears uuchari- , cable, unnecessary, ; and. persecuting in tbo extreme, and also unsportsmanlike, if tuck a quality could be exported. • I. think the following quotation from "Buckle" seems al.most as true" iii some to-day as when written.- '-The pccularity of Scotland is that during the 18th and even to the nuddle or the llith century, the industrial and intellectual progress has continued witheut affeotlug the authority oi.-the cmirc':. The couutrv uf sueli fearless thinkers as Buchanan. Hume and Adam Sm.tli is still .-> awod by noisy and ignorant • preachers to whom it allows a license amid submission, disgraceful to the age and incompatible with th: 1 commonest notions of liberty. A people in many respects advanced,. and upon political ■ questions displaying enlightened views, do, upon all religious questionns display a littleness-of mind, an illiberally of sentiment, a heat of temper and a love uf;persccuton. which shows that the Protestantism of wQiich they .boast has done no giMid,' and iu important matters lias left them as narrow as it found 1 .-them. It has made th«in the laughing btouk of Europe, and has turned, the .very name of 'Scotch kirk'. into a hy-word among i educated men." '- While wishing to ] cast no slur .-on -Kcit-h d«M 'lit, it lis plain that there slid lingers gentlemen as narrow as their I'orcfathei's. Happily such are'few. -' Mr Caldwell's

ren-'im for not vsing tlio Library sugU<.'.sihui book is ludicrous. Does the ft v. .yeiitlv-iuun's oj-.;::kh!s en ivy surli wvjifi'lib as to iviUTiiiic i.».:rsonai mwr-yi-uivs ivifii Uie ooo.c selection:- '-'Jjie r, h'Uinn'"s prayer" "May ti le Lord yio u<s a gum conceit o' ourssb'' seoins verv evident in this case-. If the. puhlfe at Inrjre held 4"u« sism acotl opinion; of fln.-ir literal-;- v.-?i:>.t a p:cnu- lor tlm Library Comr.'.i tte'a! "31 r CJuipplc is iiwiowl a lamb anion" wolves.— l etc "UVK A.XD LEt I,TVE."