RIOT AT A CHURCH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1562, 19 September 1905, Page 1

RIOT AT A CHURCH.

TWO RIVAL SECTIONS.

Brethren of the Church of Christ do not seem to work together in unity at | Prahran, Bays the Melbourne Herald. A great many things, it is true, happen in connection with all churches which perplex the mind of the earnest layman and oxoite tbe unholy mirth of tho oynioal. But the necessity of invoking the presence of the gentlemen in blue to maintain order during a religious service is a startling novelty in this country. At the Church of Christ, Prahran on Sunday morning a orowd of bystanders were afforded the □□edifying speotaole of the " outs ” fighting at tbe doors, like a pack of playgoers, and being bustled out by the stalwart members of tho "in” seotion. The expelled members announce that their taotios will be, to use a theatrical phrase, “ repeated until further notice.” Tho disaffection which has prevailed for nearly two years in the Church of Christ, Prahran, broke into open violence at night. As on a previous occasion, tbe dominant seotion proposed to exclude tho disaffected, but the resistance was overcome by ao organised attack, and the service bad to be abandoned. Several attaeks were made on the doorway, and it is olaimod by the seotion in charge that tbe maloontents were dislodged, but no service was held. Tho excluded party, who form the oldest members of the churoh, were ousted, bo they say, by recruits brought mto the churoh through tent missions, assisted by the votes of women and ohildren. According to ods of the conservatives the old churoh party viewed with alarm an attempt to introduoe instrumental masic. Evangelist J. Pittman sent in his resignation , to, the authorities of the churoh. '