FACTS VERSUS FALLACIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1742, 24 June 1886, Page 2

FACTS VERSUS FALLACIES.

(to the editor daily standard.)' '. Sir, — I see by the Times of last Wednesday an account of the opening of the new ' Presbyterian Church at A wahuri. Being an ex-Presbyterian, I naturally take a lively interest m church matters, and especially m matters relating to the Presbyterian Church.' A local storek'eepr's addres (at the opening of the above church) m particular, I cannot- allow to pass without correcting a few statements. He said: — "The best and noblest minds on earth were engaged m investigating and demonstrating the truths of Christianity, and they even had science itsell on their side." If this remark was / made through ignorance, it is high time that a' compulsory system of education for adults was m force prior to their taking the position of instructing the public ; if it was an intentional misrepresentation, so much the worse for the.: Christian faith, so much the worse for the ignorant few who believed him. The best and noblest minds on earth are not Christians; this no educated man dare deny I Of the vast number of scientists of the .present day, who amongst them are otliodox ? They aro almost to a man heterodox m their opinions. Ton will find Atheist*, Pantheists,aud Deists amongst tHeiri m abundance, but few-— very, very s few Christians, When the meek and lowly Jesus (I speak with- no disrespect) .visits ■ this planet again, as we are told he : will, it will not be amongst the students of science he will look for his followers 1The same gentleman also remarks that the Christian religion is not dying out. In reply I would assure him that if it is ''not dying out it certainly is not m the , nourishing condition it once was. Dr Brown, Free Church College, Aberdeen, plainly told his hearers lately that " after , nineteen centuries' of Christian efforts, the lamentable fact must be admitted that the Christianity ot the churches is not only a partial but an utter failure." Dr Xieslie, of • Glasgow, says, M It was painfully evident that the pulpit no longer wielded that power, or enjoyed that prestisre (h. praestig'ia deception) on the . land which it had once commanded." At a synod meeting (Free Church) held m Glasgow it was stated that a census had shown that only 19£ per cent, of the population attended any place of worship. The Home Mission Committee > reported" that (< the agricultural labourers m Scotland live m a state of heatheniism,;etc." Now, news of this description coming; from 'pious Scotland,' the laud of 'cakes and cant' proves, the utter inaccuracy of this gentleman's remarks concerning^ Presbyterian Christianity. Cardinal Manning recently stated that " only two. per cent, of the population of London and Berlin attend any church at all." This proves the fallacy of the remarks concerning Christianity m general. I hope at the opening of the next Presbyterian Church m this district, the gentleman whom I have had the .trouble of contradicting will pay a little' more attention to facts, be more logical and less contradictory m . his address. Referring to the liberty of worshipping God '• he e'aid^ "The day was not far off when that libertywould not be so easily obtainable." What does this mean ? Are the crimes of middle ages to be acted over again 7 Or does it mean that the day will come when we must worship a Presbyterian Godi?; If so, then welcome deatut At the conclusion of this' gentleman's address he alludod to the Palmerston School Committee election, saying that his religious instructor, Mr Wright, has scored a victory, I fiud by referring to our local papers, that at the oecoud election an infidel of the first water stands arthe head of the poll. Is it not orovokitig to find that those infidels are so popular ? The Rev Mr Doujl seems to be a" very peculiar man. In his address which followed the gentleman's I have been alluding: to, he tells his hearers that he has gone through the operation of being skinned. If this ii to be taken literally, I am aorry for the rev. gentle* man, as the operation, mast have been very painful. I hope he has no intention of akinniug the Presbyterians of Awahuri. Idp not agree with the rev. gentleman* remarks concerning the devil. Ido not think it is conducive to the welfare of the Presbyterian Church to chase him out. On the contrary, I should ndviße biro to support the " poor old fellow," for if they huut him out, what will be done with the vast .army who have fed and pampered him so long. I allude to the only devil I have Been— via.., '' The devil of superstition and ignorance."—l am, &c, T. P. Beattib, Bushman.