A REJOINDER TO THE REV. MR MOIR'S STATEMENT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2589, 26 October 1867, Page 5

A REJOINDER TO THE REV. MR MOIR'S STATEMENT.

(to the editor of the independent.) Hufcfc Manse, October 22. Sin,— l have just returned from the Wairarapa, where I have been preaching and performing certain other duties by appointment of Presbytery for the last eight days, and I am grieved to find on reaching homo that my once good friend, Mr Moir, lms in the mean time been most unhappily acting the part of one who is of very bad reputation, and who is designated by the very highest authority " the accuser of the brethren." I regret exceedingly that ho should have so far forgotten himself ami his sacred calling as to imitate so closply so disreputable a model ; and besides ho bliows so great a degree of facility and aptitude in the attempt of imitation as to force upon one the painful feeling that he is no tyro in tho business, for no man could have attained such proficiency without considerable practice. I allude to what is contained in your paper of the 10th instant, hended " Tho Rev. Mr Moir's Statement," and particularly that part of it which refers to tho brethren of the Presbytery, and to tho individual who now addresses you, and whom ho singles out and refers to by name. Mr Moir charges the Presbytery with " insisting upon 1113 resignation of office and calling upon him to resign," and works himself up to a high degree of wrath at such unheard of presumption on our part. Now, I ask when or where did tho Presbytery insist upon his resignation of office, and call upon him to resign? The" Presbytery neither could nor would do any such" thing. It is true when a certain memorial from tho congregation of Wellington was brought boforo us, and which proposed to take certain step 3to obtain a colleague and successor to Mr Moir, tho Presbytery did not see their way clear all at once to give their sanction to this proposal as it then stood, but unanimously advisod a plan somewhat different, and which they thought would contribute more to Mr Moir's comfort and better answer the purpose in view, viz, tho prosperity of the congregation. It was for this oause that they desired a conference with the congregation by their commissioners, duly appointed for this purpose. Hence the calling of the congregational meeting, and tho appointment of the meeting of Presbytery in Wellington. It is true that tlio plan suggested by the Presbytery for the consideration of the congregation involved Mr Moir's resignation of his charge, but this, it was always understood by the Presbytery wa3 only to be with, the mutual consent, both of Mr Moir and the congregation, and upon the condition of the congregation making a suitable provision for Mr Moir's maintenance ; and, theroforo, did not imply the entire severance of his connection, either ■with the congregation or tho Presbytery of Wellington, for wo would still have recognised him as a member U3 long as ho conducted himself ai'ight, and chose to continue in connection with us. The Presbytory, in any measures that they suggested, had in view Mr Moir's own comfort, as well as the prosperity of tho congregation, and, therefore, all this ilood of bitter vituperation he pours forth upon us is worse than gratuitous. Mr Moir is careful to tell the publio that " I proposed his resignation in the Presbytory." Now, I did no such thing, in tho sense in he wishes people to understand that expression. I indeed recommended a plan different from that proposed by tho congregation in their memorial, and I gave ' my reasons for so doing, but it only involyod his : resignation in the way and upon tho conditions I i havo already explained— tho consent of all parties > and suitable future maintenance — and tho whole Presbytery, ministers and oldcra, agreed with me We were of one mind, and came to a unanimous judgment as to tho course which would bo best ; for all parties to adopt. What grounds Mr Moit ; has for saying that two of the men have since ! condemned the proceedings in which they took part at Wanganui, I have no moans of knowing at present, but shall assuredly make inquiry in I duo time and place, but in tho moan time I mor^ f than suspect that this is a mistake. I desiderate ) proof. He complained that "we gave him nc I notice of what wo meant to propose in Presbytery." i I ask, how could we ? He gave us no opportui nity of doing so. We had no meanß of knowing b the oxaot purport of tho papers he had in hu ; possession until they were read in oourt. If he I had wished our opinion, or if he had desired o , private conference with tho brethren, previous to . the matter- being brought forward publicly, he ' could hare had either for the asking, but he made 1 no movement of the kind ; he has, therefore, nc } right to complain of our silence, when he was sc • taoiturn himself. Ho says that "in the congregational meeting at which Mr McGtowan was ap • pointed by tho Presbytery to preside, Mi ■ McQ-owan toiled hard to lead the people to violate a the agreement entered into at a former meeting , j concerning a oolleaguo." This is a most indeceni j charge, and a most incorrect statement. I utterly s deny its truth, aud I appeal to the men presen! 0 at the meeting to boar me out in my denial. Mj 011I3' object at the meeting was to ascertain. th< 1 mind of the congregation to give all parties a fai t hdaring, and to encourage all present to alati

their opinions fully and frankly. Tho only " toil** I had was with Mr Moir himself, who was strongly and doggedly disposed, by introducing extraneous and irrelevant matter, to violate the ordinary rules of such meetings, and to draw me into & personal controversy, for which I had again and. again to call him to order. Again he speaks o£ i me in bringing up to the Presbytery the report of the congregational mooting, "making a long speeoh in defence of my conduct in reference to him and hi 8 people." Now this i 3 downright hulluoinai tion. I made no speech in defence of my conduct, and for this very good reason : I was not conscious of having done anything amiss in reference either to him or his people. The main ' object of tho greater pnrt of tho speech te whisht he refers was to correct some glaring inaceuiucie3 ■ he had committed in a former speech of his, and i to remove some grievous misapprehensions un'det which he was laboring, and he knows that, I had 1 promised to answer him at tho meeting of Presbytery : and ho calls Una defending my conductI really did not know that I had any cause to defend any conduct of mine in the matter. I intended to tell him the truth in reply to certain fallacies that he gave utterance to at tho congregational meeting. But, alas for him ! it is no uso trying to put him right ; he seems to be afflicted with so strango an obliquity of mental vision as to be incapable of discerning truth, presented to him over so plainly, and with so invincible a perversity of disposition as to bo unable to report correctly tho simplest truths which are uttered and. tho plainest facts which transpire in hi 3 very-pre-sence. He talks of some "mis-statements" of mine which ho did not reply to. lam not aware of making any mis-statements, and am only sorry that his temporary sickness prevented him pointing them out to me. I wonder he did not adverft to them in this recent production of his. Them is no doubt he would if he could. But what right has ml to talk of mis-statement 3on thft part of others ? His presont paper is crowded with them. His account of the meeting of Preabytery at Wellington, and their proceedings, is a. piece of as pure fiction as can possibly be imagined. He speaks of tho Presbytery being "ab their wits' end, and seeking vengeance by destroying his congregation and leading his people into a snare." Now, I ask him what authority he has for speaking on this wise ? lam not aware that the Presbytery was at all at any loss how to proccod in this matter. We heard MfMoirhimselfi and wo heard the Commissioners of the congre* gation, and as he told us he would on no acoount acceed to tho measure now proposed both by thecongregation and Presbytery ; and as the congregation told us in their memorial and by their Commissioners "that they had resolved to take no further steps to obtain a colleague and successor to Mr Moir," the case was ended as far asthe Presbytery was concerned ; and as to destroying and dividing- the congregation, it was feho very thing tho Presbytery had sought to prevent* and which they told him very plainly at Wanganui would inevitably be the result unless he thnously acceded to reasonable terms, and which the Presbytery were ready to do their best to adjust for him. Ho complains that tho terms wero never properly brought before him,. This probably was owing to his sturdy and oftrepeated refusal to accede to any terms which, involved his giving over the full charge of tha congregation to another whom tho congregation might succeed in obtaining from the homecountry. But does he not know that a certain aura of money was mentioned as a rotiring annuity, and openly talked of? Does he not knowthat' a number of the principle men of tho coa--grogation had subscribed a guarantee fund to> assure him that the sum agreed upon should be duly forthcoming if the ordinary congregational contributions should at any time fall short. I ant sure that these things were spoken of often enough round about him, and I am more than astonished if they did not reach his ears. B* this, however, as it may, it was his own pertinacity and not tho action of the Presbytery that was the cause of tho division iv hia congregation. Tho measures which the seceding party adopted and which they subsequently cavriad out originated with themselves, ,and wero not entered upon without careful deliberation. la the evening sedorunt of the meeting of Presbytery on the 14th of August last, they appeared boforc thp Prosbytory, and told us by their Commissioners that, having duly considered the circumstances in which they were now placed, and that after what had passed they could not remain any longer nnder Mr Moir's Ministry, they had resolved to apply to tho Presbytery to provide for them and their families tho means of religious •worship and instruction, they undertaking to procure a place of meeting and to defray all pecuniary expenses. What were the Presbytery to do in those circumstances P Here were men who ■were members of the Presbyterian Church urging: an application for a supply of religious ordinancos and offering to meet all necessary expenditure. We could not send them away to be dispersed in all directions without an effort to keep them together; we therefore resolved to form, them in tho meantime into a preaching or mission station, leaving the question as to their being constituted a regular congregation to be determined at a future meeting of Presbytery. They have since then been worshipping regularly each. Sabbath-Day in tho Athenamui, and have been, favored, as I have heard, with no small measure of success. I ask any unprejudiced person if thore was anything in all this that the Presbytery could have had any difficulty about, or could havet^ given Mr Moir any occasion for saying that th* Presbytery wero at their wit's end? But then • he says, " The Presbytery led the people into a snare." This is not a little strange. Just think, of tho Presbytery leading into a anaro such men as those who wore at the head of this movement, and whose names will readily occur to everyone acquainted with the circumstancos.! Mr Moir must himself havo been at his wit's end for something to say when he talked of "the Presbytery leading these men into a snaro. But there is- ! something stranger still ; in his account of th» ; proceedings of the Prosbytory he says, "A petl--1 tion for a new congregation is instantly prepared* names were soon found for it (Mr McQ-owan had boasted of having his pookots full of them)-" 1 What tho man meanß by this latter affirmation I ' cannot divine, or who can have given him such aw ' untruthful report 1 cannot conceive. When ot 1 where did I boast of such a thing ? It is an out; and out fabrication. There is not the shadow of a shade of truth in it. My pockets were as void ' of anything of the kind as wero those of Mr Moir r himself. Why should an agod and long respected minister be so oblivious, not only of all common 5 courtesy, but of the very commandments of that ' Book he professes to teach ? -Is not this one of thorn, " Thou ahalt not bear false witness againafe ' thy neighbor ?" If he saya he was told bo, then. is it »ot written again " Thou shalfc not take up % ! falao report against thy neighbor ?" What oredifc ' can henceforth be attaohed to the statement of* : man who allows himself deliberately to utter an* ' to pwblisk to the world such unmitigated 1 calumny P The sort of pious talk in which ha • subsequently indulges is absolutely loathsome, an«fc 5 he concludes his "statement" with a miserable? ) witticism which only marks the pitiful weaknew of growing senility. . » Boforo 1 conclude, I havo a word t& say of hi*« 9 clerical sympathisers. It may seem a very ligbjj 3 matter to them to entertain hard thought*, and » utter hard speeches against tho Presbytery , and, ► their proceedings wjth which they must needs h» 3 vevy imperfectly acquainted. But I wouldJiaT* » them reflect for a moment upon what weight of J responsibility they incur in aiding and abetting > an evidently vain and obstinate man in openoon- - tumncy and rebellion against that very Presby- • tery to which ho haa solemnly vowed to be subject r in the Lord, and thus involving him in , stilt 9 deoper trouble. I beg to assure them that tka 5 Presbytery, as the official guardian of the Church. t of which they are the overseers, m giring jnctoy mont in this case when brought before them, fe» t themselves bound to have regard to the prosperity V of tho congregation of Wellington" and of tft* c whole Church of which it forma a part, as well af i' to tho comfort and welfare of Mr Moir. , It is o quibo possible that porsonß. outßide who <fo

feel themselves under the responsibility that lies Updn us, and who have not had the opportunity of hearing both sides may differ from us in opinion, but it by no means follows that they are in the right. la it not somewhat rash and presumptuous for people who have not heard the Whole case from tho beginning and in all its I bearings, strongly ts impugn the judgment of those who had made themselves thoroughly acquainted with it, and were bound to take into account its general as well as its particular aspects ? I would, moreover, remind them of a 8 lying in that Book they profess to believe, " He that passefch by and moddlcth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that takoth a dbg by tho ears." — I am, &c, WTT.T.TAAr Fl. "MY-CrntVAV.