THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11741, 19 September 1902, Page 7

THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY.

To the Editor. Sir, —I thank you for your kindness^ in giving mo credit for being sincere-in what I say; also for representing the spirit which prompted my indignation ; but you say you entirely disagree 'with the method, of its expression. I have no doubt you do not approve of the method I adopted of showing you, "Pro-Veritate" and others that in the eyes of the law you were all guilty of the crime of blaspheme, by my instancing a case against the "Freethinker," in which the editor, proprietor and publisher of that rvoer were each found guilty by the jury, and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. I again say that you, as editor, cannot escape- from your responsibility to God and the law of the land: neither have you the right to hurt the religious feelings of your fellow citizens by publishing letters that make such blasphemous assertions as that oitr blessed (Saviour is no more the Son of God than Zoraoster or Mahomet, and that the Bible. or the Word of God. is no more inspired than Shakespeare. The above paper the "Freethinker" could not -have given expression to greater blasphemies than these, and I instanced the above case as a warning, as I believe the same laws are also applicable to this colony. I cannot see that I constitute myself your judge ; I mei*ely stated that you were accountable to God, who alone is judge: the sin is aga,in?t Him. You ask. the question. "Has it occurred to Mr Davy that the sentiments which are repugnant to him may be equally distasteful to the editor who permits their publication?" In reply I beg to state that I would not, for all that Wanganui is worth, put myself in the piliace of an editor who is compelled to permit the publication of blasphemous letters. You say lam illogical; you have told me this before. I do not deny it; my education has been very defective, having been brought up in the mountains of Wales. However, I .claim to have more Common stnse than some of your scientific evolutionists. lam told, also. I am very

f narrow I would prefer being considered fcuck than be so broad-minded as those who caul "evil good and good evil." The Bible i-ayf; ''Woe unto them that do so. :> I'hes.a people have very slight regard for tha con»mandmeut.s oi God, and think they . aro quite justified in desecrating tae S-i'b-b:ith L.y jir.tioni: .i;g Sunday excursions up the r.vtr, l. ;. i r;.i ~ ...y U-ips to the Beads; also bimd-playmg on tin; ha.bbatu. I am niirroM-' ujcugii to disprove ur'hoivo-ra.cing ivud giumbiing, theatre-going and public buLs. ifoa alt>o accuse me of being very unfair. I leally do not know in what manner. I would feeli very sorry to be so. 1 have to apologise for making a wrong statement as to you, not having given your views on the subject. I read your ruporb of the meeting, which I think was a very meagre one; some portions of the chairman's address was omitted, which were important. I am told that I am | hasty of judgment, and blinded by prejudice ; this may bo so, but I do not know it. In conclusion, you remind me that the policy of the paper has- been directed to the advocacy of moral and social reform. I am prepared to admit that the Christians and thinkinc part of the com-th-e Temperance cause, and for which the Crristians and thinking part of the community should be, and are. without doubt, truly thankful to you as editor. "Omega," in yesterday's issue, denies the truth of the account given in my letter, which appeared in the Chronicle of the 12th inst., of the last hours of Tom Paine; M rell, it does not much matter what he says; unbelievers would like all others to 'be like themselves. Your readers must judge for themselves as to which is the most probable account. If you will kindly allow. me, I wil give you the testimony of another witness of the unfortunate man's misery. "Mrs Mary Benjamin. Williams I Port, Pa, U.S.A., wrote to H. L. Hastings, 47, Cornhill, Boston, who, at the age of eleven years, was an eye-witness to the death-bed agonies of Tom Paine. She says, 'I was invited by a distant connection to go and see Tom Paine on his death-bed; the scene was appalling, and I wished to leave at once. I remember him as he lay, his head near and close to the door we entered: his eves glaring and rolling; uttering mv relations, apparently in agony of body and mind. His screams could be heard ait a great distance. As I shrank back they said (there were many there) he called on Jesus Christ for mercy, and next blashhemed.' " I intend to write to Mr Hastings, to get further particulars, enclosing "Omega's" letter. I would advise "Omega to seek Christ while he may be found; it will not do to delay doing so until re comes to a death bed, remember, "the way of transgressors is hard." "Be not wise in thine own eves; fear the Lord and depart rom evil." Josh Billings says, "When I hear a noizy infidel proklaiming his unbelef, I wonder if he will sejid to sum brother infidel to cum and see him die. I guess not. He will more likely send fir" the orthodox man who engineers the little brick Church around the korner." Now, to return to your accusations against myself, it appears1 I am hasty in judgment and blinded by prejudice. I must acknoAvledge I am prejudiced -against all evil and.the appearance of evil; also that I am very prone to evil myself, and continue sinning every day, for "if Aye say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us;" ; our righteousness is in Christ alone. Ido not know that. I have anything to repent of in connection with what you call my inconsiderate and unreasonable letter. I.think the boot is on the other leg. As to my assertion that the teacher who disbelieves the Bible, and that Christ was the Son of God, I still maintain (notwithstanding tihe opinions of a few agnostics), that such a person is not fit to have the charge of the education of the children of Christian parents. I should imagine if tre children became aware of the unbelief of their teaehtr, it would have a very bad Influence on them. Even tre King of England must be ?i Christian, and must swear tp defen.l the Protestaxit fait. I must now conclude), as I have, I am afraid,, trespassed too far on your spaca Thanking you in advance.—l am. etc,. CHARLES DAVY. .September 16, 1902

To the Editor. Sir, —A weak or so ago I invited the Wanganui clergy to coime forwor-i reason with me, to the end that '>- differed) we might discover who \vn~i right; but there was no response. What, I ask, was it that induced the clergy thus to remain in silence? I am driven to but one conclusion—that tlhey were restrained by a certain feaa* lest they should discover, they were wrong. This being so, then does it not seeim that the divines themselves ame in doubt?. For were they otherwise, would they not have stood up for their side, and (tiheir arguments being good) have prevailed, thus rendering inestimable service to their cause? ' The case against the clergy is made doubly strong, and their isiiSenc'e becomes doubly impressive when yfe take into consideration' the audience before whom they were id plead. That audience:—in other words, the public—was not only pot hostile, but was strongly prejudiced in the clergy's fayourr-rftnd yet the clergy shrank. If the controversy that has been earned on in your columns has no other result, I trust it will at least have this one—that all true lovers of the truth, actuated by the doubts that seemingly trouble the ministiry, will begin ta regard their religion in the light of reason and tiy to find out how far ifc is true- Np doubt most C-hris twins think (as I myse^ once thought) that it is impossible that Christianity can be false; but 'have they considered that the Romans, the Greeks (in fact, all .great nations of old) ailtto thought it Avas impassible that their respective religions could be unttrae? And vet, as AA re to-day know, they Arere so. Coupling this Asith the fact that so many of the greatest thinkers of the da- deny the truth of Christianity, Avili not eveiy generous Ohriistian admit that after all he may be wrong?—l am, etc., PKu VERITATE. Waaiganui, September 17, 1902.