PASTOR CHINIQUY.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 493, 21 January 1880, Page 2

PASTOR CHINIQUY.

The following letter, signed by “Truth,” appears in the New Zealander of Thursday last; Sir, — Pastor Chiniqny is now lecturing in Auckland, and will, no doubt, in the course of a few weeks at least, make his appearance in Wellington, after making his usual inquiries as to what treatment lie will be subjected to at the hands of his “dearly beloved Roman Catholic friends, pity thorn.” as he is wont to term the members of that Chmvh. hut 1 incline to think that his queries will lend more to the financial ime of business—•whether he will draw crowded houses, make a speedy sale of his valuable works, treating on the diabolical doctrines ami practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which he will not fail to impress on the minds of his hearers cost him £BOO to get published. Lucre, I fear, will bo his principal object, not the unison and salvaMun of souls. He cares not to apply the ointment of charily, love, and friendship to heal cancer which has existed for ccnturiesW between tiie Protestant and Catholic Churches. What cares lie for the animus lie has stirred up by his perversity of truth, and which' he bequeaths as a legacy to the young and rising cities of New Zealand, lie makes a few thousands of pounds by his ribaldry, and leaves his sectarian believers deeper in the mire of ignorance than-limy were before, relative to the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church. Pastor Chiniqny stated to an Auckland audience, at Ids reception, that he has made three hundred converts from Catholicity to Protestantism during his lour through the Australian colonies. He, kuew T from flic bottom of bis heart that such an assertion is diametrically opposed to truth, knowing that such a malicious statement would find favor with those to whom he comes to lecture and mislead. His tone of addresses are’ not logical, neither do they bear one line of argument; he is not eloquent, neither can lie be sincere in bis profession of faith to win those unfortunate Roman Catholics from the errors of their way. Ho does not promulgate anything new or original, bat simply follows in the footsteps of many stteh renegades, who, as a celebrated Protestant divine puts it, “ When the Pope weeds his garden", he throws the weeds over the fence, into ours.” Pastor Chiniqny"s whole discourse consists in gross exaggeration

and misstatements, bis vast experience having show n him that to lecture and paint the doctrines oj the Catholic Church in the most horrible language, no utterances being Urn had, is a most lucrative business, in which lie can reckon on obtaining the assistance of a majority of people belonging to those sects opposed to Catholicism. There is no comparison between Pastor Chiniqny and Father IT on-berry; the latter no doubt earned a notoriety by his den uncial ion of mixed manages, but there was no language n:tered which could give offence to ilu- iimst sensitive mind. Prejudiced men no doubt condemned him unheard, hut the happy fact remains that his visit to this Colony in the tempeiviic • movement has earned for him the blessing ol thousands, while those feelings of malevolence, which there 1 is reason to fear will ho tin* outcome of Chiniquy’s lectures, are happily unknown. Already he requires a bodyguard of Orangemen to protect him from harm. Pastor Chiniqny has evidently learned during his travels that the greater the aversion, the more prospect there is of a tumultuous < pposition to his appearing in a place. The happy thought of a riot, the more certain he is to reckon on his finances swelling and of his visit to that place resulting in a complete pecuniary success. But let us not he provoked to create a breach of the peaee. The rock on which the Catholic church is founded has withstood, during ils nineteen centuries of existence the attacks ot many such assailants as Chiniqny, who is a mere fly to an elephant in comparison to some of his predecessors, ami. in spite of all the opposing forces which have been brought to bear against if. the pinnacle ot St. Peter's at Romo jKiints majestically heavenward, and the faith it typifies spreads to the four quarters of the globe with astonishing rapidity. It is aK acknowledged fact, testified to by most authentic and reliable .sources, both statistical and from the writings of many eminent men, that the Catholic Church was never so prosperous or the magnitude of its authority so great as we now see it. Like every branch of society, we have, unfortunately at periodical times, been called upon to expel from amidst onr ranks certain individuals. Pastor Chiniquy hr-s been amongst, the number. My object in writing this letter for insertion in the open columns >4 your valuable paper is to endeavor to impress on the minds of my co-religionists the necessity of allowing Pastor Chiniqny a quiet and indulgent hearing, should he contemplate visiting Wellington. To interfere with or molest him will cany more condemnation to the adherents of the Catholic Church tiian if he lectured for a whole year. There is nothing in onr religions faith or teachings that we need blush for, onr Church ami all connected with it is open to the most prying e\ c-s. Then why allow ourselves to be carried away to commit a breach of the peace ? Away with such childish puerile thoughts, let Chiniquy come and go; lie can do m> harm. He will he the sufferer by oar forbearance ol insult, and a reflective? mind will admire the charity which ac-

mated the (lalholios of Wellington to submit calmly to the presence of one in their midst who came to stir up strife, but wholly failed to accomplish his object.