"OLIVET" AND MR. SIDEY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3083, 14 May 1881, Page 3

"OLIVET" AND MR. SIDEY.

JTo the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sib,—l am astonished that the Rev. Mr Sidey as 9 Christian Minister should be guilty of what on the face of it appears wilful misstatement. The reverend gentleman says that " Olivet, after giving his own picture, which is revolting enough, of the consequences flowing from the statement that God's overruling extends to everything, says I will have none of it." Did I say so ? Either Mr Sidey must be densely obtuse, or he wilfully wishes to mislead his readers. What I did say was— lf this is Christian teaching I will have none of it. I was referring, as any one may see, to the Btatement of the rev. gentleman, that the drowning of the helpless and innocent victims was required by an offended deity, and then declared, if such a doctrine were Christian teaching, I would have none of it; but I deny that it is Christian teaching. " Come unto me all ye that are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." "Love them that hate you." I take these for my precepts of Christianity. " Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. " Christ was willing to forgive to the end; can he now desire the slaughter of innocent men and women to atone for tbe supposed transgression of working upon the day he rose triumphant from the tomb ? It is the doctrine of Sinai and the law, of which Mr Sidey is such an able exponent, not the Christian doctrine that is woiking tbe mischief. The rest of Mr feidey's letter, as far as I am concerned, trails off after this misrepresentation of my true statements into a dignified (?) and clerical badinage, but Mr Sidey is wisely silent upon the sin of tbe baked meats on Sunday, and if he wishes to observe the law let him remember that the beast as well as the owner is exempted from all manner of work on the Sabbath. I ask Mr Sidey, whether is it more siuful for the directors of the Union Company to run their boats on a Sunday, and so serve the public convenience, and increase the wealth of the colony, or for the Christian families of New Zealand to insist upon having hot dinners for Sunday, and keeping the unfortunate domestic at the basting ladle whilst they with pious face and unctuous voice worship the God of their fathers, and thank God they are not as other men ? Mr Sidey makes merry at tbe idea of the atheists, &c, rearing churches for their own ministrations throughout the land, but let me tell Mr Sidey we (not atheists but free thinkers) are even now doing so. Let me ask Mr Sidey to look for a moment even at his own holy Scotland. Sunday excursions are established; the artisan pent up in the smoke and bustle of the city, on Sunday blesses God for the fresh sea breeze which he can appreciate far better than the Shorter Catechism and whiskey; the libraries, museums, and reading-rooms are being gradually thrown open ; and the back-room and tap-room ot the public house emptied. These, Sir, are our signs of progress ; these are our ministrations, and God be thanked they are gradually spreading. "If this be of man" (see Acts), ''it will come to naught, but if of God we cannot fight against it." In such a movement lam content and proud to be a humble worker, not "Chief Priest I ' —we leave the priestly profession to such able representatives as Mr Sidey, and we ask simply for liberty. What would Mr Sidey think if the priests of Rome were to write waroing their congregations that by going to hear the eloquence of their loved pastor they were hastening their bouls to perdition". Then why should Mr Sidey, whenever an accident ociurs, lay the consequences at the door of tbose who honestly tollow their convictions (as he does hi?), and spend the Sabbath as they think fit. One more word and lam done. How many Sabbatarians hold shares in the Union Compaay ? Some I daresay have their ever raised against Sunday traffic. (Siller would be lost.) Better still let the rich Sabbatarians buy up the majority of the shares in the Company, and at once stop Sunday trading ; by so doing they would incur the gratitude of all good men, and avert great eomiDg evil to the colony.—I am, &c, Olivet. Napier, May 14, 1881.