THE PRESBYTERY AND THE SPORTS LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1186, 22 July 1911, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERY AND THE SPORTS LEAGUE.

AN OUTSPOKEN REJOINDER, Sir,—ln your report of the meeting held to form a Sports Defence Association, one of tho speakers is reported ns having made an attack upon the Presbytery of Wellington, a:nl making it appear that that body was in sonic way working to bring about :i legislative curtailment of tho privileges cf sport. That is the impression which his reported words have left on my mind, and as a member of the Presbytery I desire through your columns to give that representation' an explicit denial. It is probably based upon a report of the Presbytery proceedings, printed some lime ago, a report .-o misleading and unfair (hat it, led . the. Presbytery declining to admit tho .proM to it? future iufctiugs. The discussion in the Presbytery aroto out of certain questions which were sent to it. asking for information, among other things, as to the prevalence of the non-observance of the Lord's Day. These questions were asked in order to guide the'committee in charge of this special business in framing a report to tho General,. Assembly,, makin? certain suggestions "as" I<r tiro' observance of the Lord's Day. Theso suggestions wore intended for tho members of the Presbyterian Church alone, not for the community ot large. There was r.o attempt pr intention to force them on anyone, else by legislative enactment. Surely the Presbytery was acting strictly withiii its rights in. discussing these, and surely it is gratuitous impertinence on the part of any man or body of men to attempt to sa'v what regulations or suggestions ttie Presbytery shall or shall not make for tlin guidance of Hβ members in a matter which it deems to be of supreme importance.'' If the remarks I have referred to aro to -be taken as representative of tho meeting at which (hey were made fand no exception seems to havo been taken to hem), it appears to mo th;,t the new eaguo has-been'formed, not so much for ho..purpose'of (Jefeucc'.as Offence. When the right of freedom tf speech or action is Challenged, it'is-time to protest, and Hie tyrants aro not tho men who s«ek to exercise .that right, but those who seek to deny it to them. To myself and to many others one of the greatest calamilies that con d beiall us-as a people would be (o-loffl tho Lord's Day as a day for rest and worship, and it seoms to mo that tliat danger is a very imminent cue at the present lime, through (),? dny being dpyolcd almost exclusively to plcasurc-'eek. ing.—l am, etc., . . R. INGLIS.