PARLIAMENT AND THE PULPIT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1877, 26 June 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENT AND THE PULPIT.

The following correspondence has been published In thy " Evening Post " :— Monday, June 11. The Rev Mr Berry. My Dear Sir, — I observe In the «' Pov." of thia evening a paragraph, which I cut oat and now enclose. It reflso's very seriously on my character, and It eeeraa to mi to be of a very ancharitablo and unchristian nature. I can scarcely bjlievo that oq a mere report, necessarily of ' a verbal character, because the House refused to allow the speeches to be printed m consequence of aome exceedingly indecent Bpeeoheß made by the supporters of the Contagious Diseases Repeal Act, you could have to spoken as you are reported to have done. I said nothing that might not havo beon said from the palpit or the publio platform. Awaiting your reply. — I am, etc., Vincent Pvkb. . [enOlosuhe ] " Th 3 Bpeeoa for the hon member for Danetan on the Contagions Biseasoß Aot Repeal Bill was singled oat for special condemnation by the Rev J. Berry m the course of his sermon at the Wesley Ohuroh, Taranaki Btreet, last evening. The rev. gentleman said that if vlr Pvko'a remarks were oorreotfy reported he was not afraid to publicly characterise them as dinoreditable to Ohristlaoity and to Christian olvilisatlon~Bo disgraceful, Indeed, that he was ashamed to read them." — " Evening Poat." Wesleyan Parsonage, Newtown, 12th June, 1888. To Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.R. Dear Sir,— Your letter is juat to hand referring to ray remarke last Sunday eventng. The report to whioh I referred wan the following, aa found m the " New Zaaland Times," report of the debate :— "Mr Pyke,— The present Bill originated with a lot of old women, who expeoted that they coald keep their husbands virtuous if it were carried." I submit that If you did not so stigmatise these who are opposed to these andean Acts it would have been well, or would be well, to disown the report If, however, you did, Ido coneider such language discreditable to our Christianity and oar civilisation, Thla is all that I said- I make no referance to your character, bat only to the report of yoar speech. I was carefal to add "if correctly reported," and I added, moreover, that you had certainly told the truth when you said that these houses were not generally supported by the poorer classes, but by the well to do. J may add that I did not go out of my way to rcfe? co thla. I was preaching io the ordinary course of my ministry from Mark x., 17—23, and w»b pointing out that it was a young man who was rich vrhi could B&y of the command ngainst adultery: "Thla have I kept from my youth op," I referred to your speech m evidence that it was the rich who wera m moat danger m that respect, and that it was to the credit of this young man that, being rich, he was still virtuous. If I had been In Wellington at the time I should probably have called more public and detiil attention to the manner m whioh this Bill was dlsoußßed and the levity Indulged m by oar representatives, when the matter was of suph grave Import. I shall be glad to talk the matter over with yoa any morning if you will oill to see me at Newton.— l am, etc, Joseph Berry. Wellington, 14th July, 1889. The Rey Mr Berry, Newtown. Rev and Dear Sir. — I have much pleasure In acknowledging your courteous reply to my somewhat abrupt letter (Proverbs xv., 1). New that I know to whutyou refer, I pan easily show that yon wera wropg m your strictures. Of course, the report of the •• New Zealand Times" oannot bo accepted aa literally correct, because it compresses into two seutaooos a speooh which extended over fifteen minoteß j but \ really admit that I Bald something to the ajrao effeot. Pardon mo if J say that yoar quotation U soarcely accurate. The ad j motive " old " does not appear m th,e «• New Zealand Tltnen ' report. Now mark the oxcotltudo of opinion between myself and Miss Mary Steadman Aldis bb to the views of the promoters of the Bill. Here la the ''New Zealand Timeß" roporfc :— " Mr Pyke: The opposition of the Act was prompted by a number of women who thought they could keep their husbands virtuous If it was repealed." Exlraot from the petition of Mrs Aid la, presented to the House by Sir Georgo Grey ; " That tho Aot temp's rjion to sin by Inducing them to beliove that they can do bo with impunity." Wherein, aayo m phraseology, consists the difference between what I said and Mra Aldla wrote? The avowed objeot of the petitioners is to keep mon vlrtuouo from fear of the conaequuncPH, and that is a'eo my own contention. I fall to perceive anything " unchristian " or " disgraceful to civilisation " m that which I siid or Mrs Aldls wrote, unless truth bo uunohrlstlan" and " dlrgraotfal." The oVjeot of the Aot la to check the spread of a horrible vice-begotten diaesso, and it Is as much rtqutred In the interest of soffVing humanity (Including the *' unborn millions") as the Scab Aot is neces" airy for the preservation of oar flocks, I thank you very much for your kindly invitation, of whioh I will avail myaolr when the present tempestuous weather abates. With muoh renDoot.-^I am, eto , 1 VjWOEHT PYI*R.