ST MICHAEL’S.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 589, 9 May 1876, Page 3

ST MICHAEL’S.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sir,—l read with pleasure your leader of last evening, on the state of affairs in the parish of St Michael and All Angels, and am glad to find you taking up the cudgels on behalf of our Incumbent, as you are evidently prompted by a desire to restore peace in our midst. As a regular attendant of the church and taking great interest in the parish affairs, 1 must say I agree with you, that there is hardly sufficient grounds to warrant the extreme measures taken by the vestry. You ask is the Incumbent remiss in his duties, and hint at unorthodox doctrine as a possible fault, but in spite of the diligence of some in getting up charges against him, they have not in their power to accuse him on these grounds; infant his worst opponents give him credit for the care with which he per formed his duties, whether in church or outside. That the reverend gentleman is much miligned, I am fully convinced, for there are tales most industriously circulated about him, which I am sure have no foundation in truth, and little incidents and scraps of conversations, have been grossly distorted and exaggerated, to be used as means to poison the minds of parishioners. And, further, I will affirm that the late parish meeting was worked up most industriously by ce .’tain of the vestrymen, and to show that there was good foundation for what the Incumbent said of the meeting having been •* packed,” 1 may it de tl at 1 have met one or two who told me they would have voted for a new vestry only they had promised l to put iu the old one, and I know that there were ; several parishioners who had never felt sufficient interest in parish affairs to register thems Ives were induced to go and register and promise to put in the old vestry ; whereas on the other hand the Incumbent called on me, and many others belonging to the parish, just previous to the meeting, and though he told me what was impending, he did not ask me to vote one way or the other, nor have I heard that he did so in any case. Well may you say this is Christianity with a vengeance. 1 think it a great pity that the parishioners were so misled as to put in the old vestry, as an exchange of a gentleman or two going in for peace, for some of those who at present display such bitter feelings at the bare shadow of opposition would have been a gain to the parish, and might have served to

smooth matters. Sir, Christian charity has been left out in the cold in this strife, and the magisterial instincts of which you complain have carried the sway, and now the vestrymen are laying their heads together under this magisterial influence to fight to the bitter end. Sir, I feel grateful to you for the impartial manner in which you have treated this subject, for though I have desired to rise up iu our Incumbent’s defence, I felt I lacked the ability to do so properly. I trust your efforts at peace making may produce the fruits they deserve, and the knowledge of having done your duty in the interests of Christianity will be a sufficient reward for your labours. Trusting you will insert this in your excellent paper. Yours, &c., A.P.F. Christchurch, May Bth,