FORGIVENESS FOR REBELS!!

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 147, 5 December 1868, Page 4

FORGIVENESS FOR REBELS!!

To the Editor of the Marlborough Express. Sir,— lt was with surprise and regret that I last week gathered from a letter in ‘-your paper that the Rev. Mr. Butt had, on the previous Sunday evening, taken occasion to refer to the recent calamitous events in any way ; but We ate told by “Prevention, &c.” that “he exhorted Christians to forgive their enemies, and to bear no illwill towards anyone, as such usually generates a feeling revenge. As' a Christian minister, he felt 'it his duty to ask his flock not to seek ■ revenge for the atrocious and diabolical tragedy, but to forgive , and to freely forgive the murderers from their hearts. ” Now, Sir, I cannot help expressing my objection to this doctrine in its every sense:; and I err greatly if the learned gentleman found one sympathising heart among his auditory. : '

■ ■■.:: It is my. free, opinion that it was the sorriest day for New Zealand when the ministers of religion or missionaries were first allowed to meddle or interfere in any way with Government matters or politics. Yet, it is well known that they act largely as Government spies and tools; while, as rule, they have enriched themselves and their establishments at the expense of the Maori’ by acquiring his lands at a nominal rate, and in some cases without any return whatever. Let minis.

ters devote themselves to their Master’s business, and leave politics and Government to those whose business it is. Their meddling will never mend matters.

Your correspondent, “ Prevention, &c.,” does not seem to me to have treated the subject as it deserved, otherwise he would have pointed out that, seeing these natives are rebels, he who counsels their forgiveness, aids or abets them ; are not only equally bad, but traitors ! It seems odd that we did not hear of any commotion that evening at the Church—it must have been that few were present, or we should have heard the cry of his audience, as they left Mr. Butt preaching this singular doctrine, thus silently protesting against its adoption. Had I been present, such would be the least I should have done.

But I am not free to admit the first of the Venerable gentleman’s premises ; and I would enquire from where in the Scriptures—his own code of law, I presume- he finds it laid down that we are required to forgive our enemies ? Christ, even, only prayed for his enemies, as they were ignorant. “ Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Granted, that if mercy is sought, or anything indicative of penitence occurs, my case is gone; but your parson does not put it in that light, evidently not conceiving such a thing possible, any more than your humble servant does. The only passage which seems to bear closely on the subject of forgiveness is the story of the cruel servant, in Matthew 18th c, 23-35 verses. The last verse particularly, which says, ‘ ‘ So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespass.” So far from the Venerable gentleman’s own cloth agreeing with his doctrine, Dr. Adam Clarke shows that this passage applies to a case where mercy was refused when sought for. He urges the following of God as a pattern, and says that “to the unmerciful, God will show no mercy, an eternal purpose which can never be changed.” He concludes thus vagant appetites of men sometimes require a rigor even beyond the law to suppress them J” And so say I, and so will every Briton, who, reading the story of the ruthless slaughter of innocent, unoffending persons—women and children, by savages, who, not content with taking their lives, mutilate their poor bodies, and cast them to the pigs ! Will Mr. Butt urge mercy for Tikoko Warn as he does for Te Kooti ? The red-handed villian who potted the flesh of his victims, and sent it round to the tribes of Waikato in order to influence them !—the wretch who issued the insulting manifesto to the white man, telling him that he had tasted his flesh, and it was good ! Because, if his doctrine be good, it applies to villains of every degree. The position is, I submit, untenable for a moment; and, as I think all your readers must see it in the same way, 1 shall bring my remarks to a close with a hope that the Rev. gentleman’s friends may speedily receive that measure of justice they deserve, and that he may not soon have mournful reasons for changing his expressed opinions.—l am yours, &c., True Briton.