Religious Liberty of the Present Day.

Manawatu Herald, 12 May 1894, Page 3

Religious Liberty of the Present Day.

The Vicar of Allefltree reoently called at a cottage whera a few pious women were holding a prayer meet* ing. He was requested to remain but refused, but Mrs Robert Smith, a Methodist, the leader of the meetb irigf; shortly after received from him the following tetter : — Allestree Vicarage, Derby, -.1 ... Feb. 17, 1094. • Madam, — In accordance with a sense of duty, I beg to request that you will discontinue to hold a religious meeting in the church cottage now occupied by Mrs Thurzja Pegg. ; The grounds upon whioh I base this request ate briefly as follows : — "Whenever, as you maybe aware, a '"■ clergyman is instituted by a bishop to a parish in his diocese, the spiritual interests of all who live in thai parish are entrusted to thai ' clergyman's oare, and should he fail to perform the duties of his office on their behalf, the responsibility attending such failure on his part, heavy as it must be, lies with him. „,«, When, however, a clergyman has r : )?een thus entrusted with the care o: a parish by legal authority, if s parishioner of his desire to commence, or continue, to hold a re ligious service of the kind in ques " tian, the proper and reasonable coarse, (not to mention what Chris-tfou-^politeness would dictate) foi stith^a person to take would be foi him or her to seek an interview witt the ViCar, with a view to obtain hit ■Motion nnd direction with regarc

to the service proposed. He may refuse to give his consent to the proposition, or, should his disposition be similar to my own, he may approve of, and be thankful to accept the offer on con dition that a service, held with hii? approval, be conducted on Church lines— namely, according to the formularies of our Church, otherwise he would be encouraging and promotion schism and division, which by his ordination vows, he is bound to discountenance, and he would not be acting so as to promote ; Ithafc^hichis pfcali things.one of the ' "nS'ost 'desirable 'ends to be sought in a parish " Godly Union and concord." * «— ln~the«~eveftfc - o£-4Ke '-• —conditions mentioned not being accepted by you, I cannot consent to any such meeting held by you in this parish, and I certainly refuse to allow a cottage which is Church property to be used for that purpose. I remain, Madam, yours faithfully, Austin West,