THE BALCK-BALLING OF THE REV A. R. FITCHETT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2685, 3 November 1876, Page 3

THE BALCK-BALLING OF THE REV A. R. FITCHETT.

(From a Correspondent of tho Lyttelton Tim??. Dunrdin, Ootobor 28. Tho black-balling of tho. Rev A. R Fitchett by tho Dunedin Young Mon's Christian Association, because of his published views on tho su^j^ot of Evolution, has been tho fchemo of vigorous disouseion in Dunedin during tho past'foi'fchighfc, Tho admission of mombers is a question whioh is left with thc Board of Management, and tho rulo of fcho Aaoooiation is that fcwo blackballs exclude. Tho Board of Managorborit consists of 12 membors, ono of whom was absent from tho Provinoo, with whioh exception all wore presont, though two or threo had to como a considerable distance After fche matter had beon debated hy tho Board 1 (it is generally understood that it was very fully discussed), a vote was takon, with fche result :— For Mr Fitohett's admiseion, six j against, flvo. Of courso Mr Fitohefcfc was accordingly exoluded. A prodigious intorest was at onoo arousod, and a poworful movo ment was led by Dr Borrows (himself a mombor of tho Association, and a membor of Mr Fitohetfc'e congregation), wifch tho objeot of having Mr Fitchett admitted to tho Assooiotion, or afc least; having tho mattor fully disoussod. Many of Mr Fitohett's friends from tbe first; woro so annoyed in tho matter, that though fchoy took Bteps to havo a goneral mooting of tho Association, with a view to re- considering tho aotion of tho Board of Management, fche prospeofc gavo fchem greater ploasur*} of having Mr Fitohett's nomination defeated afc the gonoral meeting thm agreed fco. In fneb from the first; a Christian Association that would admit persons, no matter what thrir viows woro on tho subjeot of Evolution, was mooted, ond ifc wos pretty quiokly dotorminod fchafc suoh an Association should bd formed. Tho Board of Management had heen elected only just previously, though, whon the onnual gonoral mooting took plaoo, this subjeofc of Evolution was not discussed in any ehapo or form, and doos not. appoar to bave boon then anticipated. Somo ot tho indignant ones who considered thafc tho Board had only do r6gord morals, not doofcrino, (so long as the candidate proFossed faith in Christianity) mddo a groat clamour, many members suggesting that the Board should bo asked to rosign'i Tho Board, however, was not formally asked to do anything of tho sort; the party who lielievod with Mr Fitchett in fcho reconcilability of Evolution with Christianity,contontingtbomeolves with Bigning tho requisition fora goneral moet ing. Previous to tho oalling of this general meeting, thoro appeared numerous loaders and lottors on tho subjoot in the Press. Thafc which reoeived most attention whs a leader in tho Daily Times, whioh, whilo it ooquits tho Sooiety for its aotion— the membors believing, with Professor Salmond, that Evolution and Christianity are irreconcilable— deoia wifch thom soothingly for having, as one of the main parts of thoir oreod, tho assertion that ovoryono who does not subscribe to thoir orcod will bo oast into utter darkness. Tho Times ridioulod fcho Assooiation's parlour lectures, and its dread of "Boionoe falsely so-oalled," its suggestions fchafc young mon, instead of reading books of soienoo, Bhould read suoh books oj Bogotzky's " Golden Treasury," Baxter's " Saint's Rest,"' and Dick's "Christian Philosopher," and its remarks thafc fcho greatest; and best men of fcho Ohuroh in past; times did without soienoe, whilo in tho oorrespondenoo "ond leaders in tho Press nearly all that was said was in favour of the evolutionists. Both sides had thoir say ot tho general meeting of tho association that was oalled to tako tho mattor into consideration. Tho meeting, whioh was a spooial one, was callod by a numerously signod requinition "to oonßidor fcho reoonfc blackballing of tho Rev A. R. Fitohotfc." Tho Chairman (Mr Thomas Diok) considered thot was rather a strong way of putting ifc, ond said ho felfc sure that mombers would vote acoording to their oOnscierioeß, acoording to what fchey knew, and felfc to bo right. Dr Borrows led fcho attaok by moving that the association expresses its "disapprobation at the blaok-balling of the Rev A. R. Fitchett." Ho thought whon ho joined the association that he was joining something like an Evaneolionl Association, a society of Christians meeting upon a broad basis, standing upon a broad platform, and from thafc co-operating with each other in a common Ohristion oauso. The blaok-balling had given him pain and surprises he considered thafc tho Board of Managomont bad dono wrong, had gono boyond thoir powers, had violated fcho constitution. All the constitution required for membership was simply a belief in thc Saviour. Mr Fitohott rooeived and fully believed tho inspiration of tho Bible, and tho Board, affcer assuring itself thafc a candidate believed in thc Saviour and in tho Biblo, had no righfc to go further into his viows. Tho Rov Lorenzo Moore (Episcopalian) beliovod Mr Fitchett "to be of exemplary Christian character, and a thoroughly oon-* ffjoj^HtioUs mon/'but opposed Mr Fitohett's ' Admission,, as somo of his statements " cut down, to the root of the Scriptures." Mr

Connell and various speakers of minor note took the samo side ; and the Revs Roseby and Davis supported Dr Morrows. Several amendments were movod, and after the mattor had boon fully disoussed, it was resolved by 60 to Sl thafc in tho opinion of tho mooting tho Board of Management " had aoted in perfeot oonformity with tho existing rulos in oonneofcion with the application of the Rov Mr Fitchett, and saw no ground for interfering with tho Board's derision P So ondod a meeting whioh excited a vast amount of intorest. Tho Rov Mr Fitohctfc on the following day republished from the Neto Zealand Wesleyan for August, portion of an artiole by him, tho dootrine in whioh of tho fall had boon plaood in tho now indcoo carpurgatorius as " inoonsistcnt. wifch sound religion and morality." In further dwouseion of tho mattor, ifc oamo out that Mr Fitohott had boen requested to withdraw his nome as a candidate, and thafc ho refused to do so. It is furthor asssortod that 18 months ago fcho Rov Dr Rosoby was blackballed, but as a row was kioked up instantor at tho Board, and members of tho Committee threatened to resign, tho matter was set right by fcho blook-ballcrs absenting themselves from a subsequent mooting, afc whioh Dr Rosoby was mado a mombor. Thoro was a good deal of growling,- tori, in oonhlfofcion wifch the arranging for fcho Sunday evening services at the theatro under tho auspices of tho Association, that no minister has a ohanoo unless ho is a Plymouth brothor or a very pronounced Calvinist. Tho result of this disousion was that the anti-blaak-ballingmembers of the Sooioty held a meeting, and agreed on a oourse of aotion. Tho meeting was privato, bufc ifc is understood that; as an opposition Sooiety will not bo formed, at least nofc until all efforts in fcho way of bringing aboufc a ohango in rogard to admission to tho present Society have failod, some 40 members have sonfc in their resignation. At prosonfc, tho way tho matter stands, is that a very numerous minority feel thomsolvos aggrieved, oomplaining not only of (ho present caso, but, from what has oomo to light during the diaoussion, of a porsistent unwillingness on thb part of tho Board of Managomont, fco fairty administer tho constitution. ,(i