THE BISHOP OF AUCKLAND ON THE GUNPOWDER PLOT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1506, 30 October 1886, Page 3

THE BISHOP OF AUCKLAND ON THE GUNPOWDER PLOT.

Auckland, Oct. 28. The following correspondence is published by the Grand Orange Lodge of New Zealand: — “ Pollen street, Surrey Hills, Auckland, Oct, 25, 1886. “Rev and dear Sir,—-At a meeting of the above Grand Lodge, held on Oct, 6, it was resolved to ask the Protestant ministers of Auckland to preach a thanksgiving service on Sunday, NoV. 1, in memory of the deliverance from the gunpowder plot. They (the members of the above Grand Lodge) will be greatly pleased if you see your way to comply with the above resolution, as they believe such deliverance should be held in everlasting remembrance. —yours faithfully, “A. Carnahan, G,S.” (Reply.) “ Bishopscourt, Auckland, Oct. 26,1886. “Dear Sir, —-1 have received your letter of Oct. 25, informing me of are solution of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, and asking me to preach a thanksgiving service in memory of the deliverance from the Gunpowder Plot. 1 would gladly comply with this request if I did not think that more harm than good would be the result of such a sermon. The principles of the Grand Orange Lodges are, 1 believe, reverence for Holy Scriptures and loyalty to the British Crown. These are principles of which the whole of the Christian politics of the whole of New Zealand must cordialjy approve, but we may honestly differ in opinion as to the most effectual means of including them. The deliverance of Nov. 5, 1606, should not be forgotten, but I do not think that it ought to be commemorated in a manner that is offensive to any of our fellow-citizens. I have no reason to suppose the Roman Catholics of Auckland approve of the plot of Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators any more than you and I do, and to act and speak as if the contrary were the case, must be irritating to them, and »s calculated to stir up and keep alive a feeling of injury and resentment. Happily there is no more fear of the Bible in the vulgar tongue being closed to the people, than there is of New Zealand being invaded by another Spanish Armada, and lam not aware that the loyalty of the Roman Catholics of Auckland to Queen Victoria is at all inferior to that of our other fellow-colonists. Under these circumstances, I feel that Christian charity demands that we should discontinue the public commemoration of the gunpowder plot freedom of conscience, and the general liberty of the subject, being as secure in New Zealand as anywhere else in the world. Love to our brethren, fear of God, and holering the King are linked together in the New Testament. Let us do our best to preserve their continuation in our daily lives, as in other ways, as also by discountenancing commemorations that are likely to cause heartburning and a desire for retaliation among any sections of the community.— 1 am, &c., “ W. Q, Auckland, (Bishop)"