LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Southland Times, Issue 1674, 10 December 1872, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

JOHN WESLEY AND THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Deah Sic, — I am aware that occasionally editors of newspapers are very hard up for material wherewith to fill the columns of their journals, and have to tax their ingenuity to the utmost in order to meet the pressing want. In the olden time, a chapter from the Bible was marie to do duty in such emergent cases, and I opine that editors of the present day would often do much more good, and certainly less harm, if they had recourse in their hour of need to the same expedient. j A case in point came under my notice in your issue of Friday, 6th, in which, at the request of " a correspondent," you published a letter alleged to have been written by " j ohn Weslej " about & century ago. To the most superficial reader, acquainted with the writings of Mr Wesley, this letter contains prima facie evidence of unauthenticity. It is absurd, prejudiced, and uncharitable in the extreme. I cannot but regret, in the interests of that charity and goodwill which ought always to obtain among the several branches of Christ's Church, that in the exercise of your editorial discretion, you did not deem it to be your solemn duty to consign this precious exotic to the waste basket. Here I would ask " a correspondent" what object he had in view in giving publicity to this wretched production ? Was it to insult the Wesleyan Church and wound the feelings of a I sister denomination that led him to a course alike 'indiscreet and discourteous? As "a correspondent,'' on my application, has been pleased to disclose hiß name, from my acquaintance with him in the past, and the uninterruptedly friendly relations that have hitherto existed between us, I exonerate him from any intentional disrespect to the Church of which I am the pastor, or a wish to stir up strife among other Churches. And now for a word as to the gist of the letter itself. It is supposed to fix on the Wesleyans the charge of unfaithfulness to the principles and teachings of their venerable founder. This charge, — preferred by Episcopalians — has been considered by Eome of the ablest writers of the day, and disproved in toto. Dr Bigg's excellent work, " Tracts for the Times," exhausts the question, and places our accusers hors de cotniai. And on this question what can be more conclusive than Mr Wesley's own act in executing the " Deed of Declaration," by which he invests his followers with corporate functions and powers, and secures to them and their successors in perpetuity the exclusive use and enjoyment of their church properties. Before I close my letter I would ask " a correspondent" if he ib bo far misled as to suppose that those whom ho evidently regards as Wesleyan renegades are likely to leave their green pastures and return to the barren mountains of high church and low church, broad church and no church at all ? Let me assure him that they have not so learnt Christ. Deeply regretting the circumstances which have necessitated my troubling you with this communication, I am, &c., JOHN S. RISRWOETH*