Rev. H.T.Stealey's Reply

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 June 1916, Page 3

Rev. H.T.Stealey's Reply

TO A LOQAL QRITIO, Yeatorday at St. Alary's Church ,Levin, the llev, H. ,T. Stealey, referred to what is said to have been a personal attack made upon him wt a religions service in Levin on tho previous Sunday, respecting hi attitude towards the linitod Service in memory of Earl Kitchener. He said that ho realized! the fact that stories which were repeated usually lost nothing in tho tolling. If the remarks reported to have bo-ni used at the service referred to above, had only concerned himself he would have treated them with the contempt they deserved, but any attack made upon himself was likely to injure the Church in this township unless me true facts of tho otise were known. Ho said that it was nob his intention to mention any names, as in case he was (Irivon to take any action for lib?' later on, it would complicate matters; noither was Trinity Sunday a time to strike a discordant note, nor the p<ir>.'i church a suitable place for such an action. All ho wished to do was to give the true facts of tho casi> and fc\ plain the action which lie took in reference to the proposed united ..service. This would enable the people to doeido for themselves wlietlher -the, (charges made against him wore justified or not.

Last Friday weok lie left the vi' .ir ago at 2 o'clock and returned how; <u 10.4,*> p.m. The time ho spent in vis iting, conducting a servico aiid gjvuig a lantern lecture at the schoolroom at Miihunoa East. >thile he was away 11 oin lumie, tlio Mayor ot Levin called a: the ricarage to tell him about a. meeting on Friday night. Being away ii Mnhunoa ho know nothing of the meeting, and consequently coukl not attend. On Saturday morning at twenty minutes to ten he- received a letter asking him to attend a meeting at 9.30 a.m. Though it was linpoaible far him to be in time lie rushed off to tiho -place appointed. % On entering the building he saw three men io whom he addresesdi the following remarks, so far as ho could remember : "I am afraid that 1 am late, but i have only just received a letter announcing ,th© mooting." Orie of the persons present said: "We have arranged lor a united service t--morrow afternoon and have put you down for the address. He (Mir Stcnloy) replied that he had come to the meeting to say that he could not tako any part in the proceedings on the following day owing to tho fact that he had to conduct lour services and a Sunday school,- and he could not possibly manage any more work. Hie person to whom he was speaking repliedi that lie was giving up his afternoon service and expectod his people to come to Levin For the united serviice. the vicair ';nni that it was irapoesible for him to act in the same wnv as his people were expecting him. After this ho returned hopia.

Such, he saiclj were the whole facta •f the case, the whole proceedings lasted probably not more than two eir three ininutas. Theire was no hasty or unkind word epoken during the time ho was in the room.

"You must- remember," Mie oai<i, "that I have six places whore I conduct services in this pairish. ' In some cases to miss a Sunday service means that the people in that district will not have the opportunity of attending a Church >of England service for two months. It is therefore a serious matter folr the people and the Church.

Continuing, he said, he supposed that his people knew the primary " reason why the idea of a united service was abandoned. The military authorities sent word to Levin that there was to hi ft compulsory parade service on Sunday morning, and tho various unit* were to attend the different religious services to which tiiey belonged. N'ow thi> men and the bands, ii they attended the compulsory military p:uwle, eould not Seasonably he expected to put in an'appearainco a.min in the, afternoon, therefore the. Ide i of an afternoon united service \wis given up.

In Levin, Mr Stealey said, thsie were seven, if not ea il: t. per: ins licensed b,y the State as ministers undo' "The Marriage Act." Ho would not discusa their ecclesiastical status from the point of view of the Ohuroli, biit from tEe State point of view, they were "ministers" and therefore entitled to take part in any united sorvicu arranged by State officials. Why ho was singled out for a special attack and the other four or live "ministers''' got off scot free he did not know. He had reason to believe that most of them aid not pirt in an appearance at either of the meetings. i'erhaps they were not all invited. it was ridiculous to say thai his absence was responsible for preventing tho united service being hold. <Jh one occasion, when he had taken part, only two others ware present, and at tho Ifusfc united ueivice o®ly two ministers took part in the proceedings. After all it was only the work of one person to conduct such a service.

"Well," he concluded, "I have laid the true facts of the case before von, and 1 ask you to dieoide whether ".lie attack made upon me and indirectly upon the Church—that is to say upon you —was justified or not."