MANY MEN, MANY MINDS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 23 November 1916, Page 2

MANY MEN, MANY MINDS.

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—ln two of your issues some time ago, two sermons appeared, as preached ' by the Rev. J. A. Laraond, and headed " Church Reform," in which he advocates one Church for all. In spiritual, as in ■ social, this oneness may be a little premature, but is it not Scriptural that _ this oneness will permeate both states in pejrhaps the not. distant future. Prophetic teaching says the Lord Jesus - will again reign, and rule over His Kingdom, not Kingdoms, Does not everyone who says the Lord's Prayer daily repeat " Thy Kingdom come " (again singular). Now, this seems -to denote a time when there will be one Church, one Kingdom, and one King. I : ~. do not see where the Rev. Lamond ~; expects this to be immediate. Now, sir, if we were to start arguing theology and dogmas, could we not refer to" a thousand different equally learned raeii who would hold a difference of interpretation on the same passages of Scripture? Now, with reference to this heresy ; preaching. Is a person who thinks a better and broader doctrine to be,banned because he has the courage to proclaim it ? If so, surely we must all give up thinking or trying to help some one, ourselves included, to try and think a little more Christ-like, and a little less ■;: dogmatic and selfishly. I notice there were seven charges laid against the > Minister, but special stress against the - sixth. Now, here again, you will find a very wide difference of opinion. But : seeing Mr Lamond undertook, so to speak, to preach certain doctrines, and now, according to some, he goes outside of this, he has been given notice by critics and masters to withdraw from the Church. Now, if he is doing this heretic preaching, why not take a business and straight-forward way, and gay: "Here is your salary up to the completion of your term, but you must, so ;1far as we are concerned, stop these terrible mistaken views of yours being sown broadcast in our holy midst, injuring more souls, and. perhaps sending some to perditiqn'l (according, to th«? idea). Fie! Fiel Mr Lamond, you a:; heretic, corrupting our congregations. but we will allow yqu just a, little, white to complete your insidious influenae, - I also notice, by correspondence, that there was a complaint that Rev Lamond '■ was not popular. Well, was John. Wesley popular, or Knox, or any of the martyrs who gave their lives at tfc^j stake? Was not the verdict ofN«^ people on the great teacher, Christ, "Away with Him, crucify Him"? To be somewhat paradoxical, it seems when _ a man is wrong, is just when he is right. ~ One of the questions of our Churches ty>day is, why dq not mqre people ajse.nd'? Just for this reasqn, th.c services aWvwy often too formal. When one has th» pleasure of hearing such men as Bishop Averill, G. Aldridge, and others, who grip the Bible in their.hands and tell us something out of it, which sets us thinking, we feel we want to go back again, and hear some more of the sacred truths expounded.—l am, etc., . ' R. NICHOLLS. Parakai, 20-11-16. ■ , j