CENOTAPH AND CROSS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5443, 3 July 1929, Page 2

CENOTAPH AND CROSS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —I observe that the Rev. Lowden failed to answer the few questions put him in your issue of the 26th ulto., but on Monday, July 1, a Mr W. H. Taylor fills, or tries to fill, the vacant void. He speaks of “the clash of ecclesiastical opinions regarding the cross as a symbol of the Christian faith.” Brave words ! but it is tiring to have to point out to Mr Taylor that there is no overwhelming difficulty regarding this point. The matter is so very self-evident that it is only a person of the particular and peculiar mental calibre of Mr Taylor that would be so foolish as to refer to even a phase of a matter of that kind. I have no quarrel with Mr Taylor, and have no desire to raise a quarrel ; but when Mr Taylor gives vent to an ugly gibe regarding Christian charity, then that gentleman must have his answer. “Winking the other eye” may be a habit or an affliction of Mr Taylor’s, and his kind, but we must not necessarily follow his or their example. The question that the Rev. Lowden raised was not one involving the exercise of charity, even though, as the old saw has it, “charity covereth a multitude of sins”; but a question of stark and naked fact regarding his wild clamour of the need of a cross to crown the proposed cenotaph. From his letter it is evident that the leader in the local paper and the utterances of our respected Mayor shook Presbyterianism, and some other “isms,” to the roots .' What he has written he has written. All I did was to ask a series of questions which, if duly answered, would have fully justified the Rev. Lowden and certain other unnamed Christian leaders admittedly consulted, in their wrathful protestation that the Cross has been locally ignored, resulting in a kind of pagan Paeroa 1 . Amongst other comforting statements made by Mr W. H. Taylor is the one referring to “the deeply-rooted cross that lives in the conscience of every Christian.” Will Mr Taylor please explain what he means ? In fact, I challenge Mr Taylor, or any other ration al being, to give a clear and reasoned interpretation of such a nebulous declaration -

As Mr Taylor has once again raised the point, I again invite an unequivocal answer to my week-old questions to the local respected Presbyterian representative. He spoke for others, he admitted. He himself raised the question. He himself must answer. In the meantime I would take it that the Rev. Lowden regards it as a frayed and faded bouquet to be .assured by Mr W. H. Taylor that he (Mr Taylor) believes him’ “to be no less a thorough and sincere Christian.” Surely this is a very sincerely expressed supreme act of faith op Mr Taylor’s part, but to the Rev. Lowden a very doubtful compliment!" JOHN T. TAYLOR, St. Mary’s Presbytery. Paeroa, July 1, 1929.