EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A CHURCH.

Waikato Times, Volume 2656, Issue 2656, 20 July 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A CHURCH.

At St. Mark's Church, Duke-street, Liverpool, on a recent Sunday evening (wo quote from i.he Daily Post), the Rov. S. Rogers preached his farewell sermon prior to his departure for Bath, where he has arranged to devote his future ministerial energies (as incumbent of Laura chapel, in succession to the Rev. S. F. Arrowsmith). There wns a largo congregation. The first portion of the service passed oft' in an ordeily manner; but during the course of the sermon a very exciting scene occurred, during which the police were called in, and several ladies left tho church fearing a disturbance. In his prayer before the seimon, the Rev. S. Rogers'used the following words: —" The enemies of this church, 0 God, have, by division, unquietude, and scandal, .-topped Thy blessed work in this place. We thank Thee, however, that, so far as we arc concerned, wc can say, 1 We have forgiven them.' But, 0 God, hast Thou forgiven them ? Wo aro told in Thy sacred oracle that it shall bo more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in tho Day of Judgment; that is to say, the decrees of law shall be intensified, and the furnace of everlasting burnings shall bo heated seven times over for those who have stopped Thy work. 0 God, we forgive them, but thou hast said, ' Vengeance is mine ; I will repay.' I thank Thee, Lord that Thou hast taken Thy breathing dustout of this vortex of spiritual ruin. Take these opponents of Thy holy truth, love, and worship into Thy hands, and if Thou wilt forgive them, let them, even in their downward courses, see light." At the close of the prayer, which seemed to create a great sensation in the chinch, the Rev. S. Rogers said : Mr Arrowsmith, my successor, intends to follow me in the ways in which I have conducted these services in every respect. I have told him most explicitly every secret and everything in connection with my history in this church. He will,

therefore, not come to it in any way as a stranger. He knows everything in connection with myself and my terrible and painful history. He has decided to do as I have done, and to take the entire responsibility of the church in monetary matters and in general arrangements at the same time. I desire to thank God for the warm, kind, comforting, and brotherly sympathy I have received from many who are present to-night. I should like also to say, for fear I should forget it, that niy position has been cruelly and wickedly misrepresented. Indeed, it has been said by the leader of the faction in the church that I have even appropriated the money for my private use. I would, however, just like to say here that if there is any lady or gentleman, who are honest men and women, that if they will come and look at my church books they will see that since I commenced to take the responsibility of this church, over eighteen months ago, I have paid out of my own pocket £440. At this juncture a man sitting in the gallery called out in loud voicc. " That is false." Mr Rogers paused in his remarks for a few moments, and the man in the gallery £gain called out, " You have done nothing of the sort." An exciting scene followed, during which many of the congregation in the body of the church rose to their feet, and several ladies and children hurriedly left the edifice. Mr

Rogers, continuing, said, "Will you please to take that person out, Mr Churchwardens, forthwith, without a moment's hesitation. Hand him over to the policemen. They are waiting there. We have them here to-night," Two policemen then entered the gallery of the church, and the person who made the interruption went out with them. Mr Rogers, proceeding, said : Now you will have some idea, my friends, of the character of the people who visit this church. Let there be no disturbance to-night. I will have every person removed who attempts to create a disturbance. Will the people in the body of tho church kindly keep their seats ? I was saying, my friends, that I have paid just about £140 out of my own pocket to keep this building goititr, in discharging the old debts on the church and in other tilings. Tho church collections have not amounted to more than iMO. I have also

expended a large sum of money on the schools and in connection with God's j blessed woik in this parish. Another peiHon in the gallery then called out, ! " No, 1 will not leave tho plane ; I will j stay." After a few minutes, however, the persons .sitting near him succeeded in making him quiet. Mr Rogers, resuming his remaiks, said the church accounts had been examined by a gentleman present, and that the latter was perfectly satisfied with their correctness. All tho improvements which had been carried out, both inside and outsido the church, had been entirely done at his own expense. They might ask him how it was that these things had been done. Ho did not mind telling them that he had not one farthing of private income, but he would leave the church and Liverpool, and no man would dare ask him for a shilling. God had done the work for him, and had given him friends when everything seemed against him. He had received very great sympathy in Liverpool, but his work had been nnrrie.l on with the greatest pain, privation, and agony of mind. As a minister of Christ, ho decided when he came to the parish to shoulder any burden whi-.h might be brought to bear upon him. He trusted he had succeeded. He should leave the church with a clean sheet. Mr Rogers then selected as tho text (if his discourse 2nd Corinthians xiii., 11. Towards the close of his sermon Mr Rogers made several personal allusions to what ho termed the leaders of the faction who were against them in the Church. Ho spoke of them as "unhappy cveatures," and as " hindering immortal souls being brought to Christ." The leader and promoter of all the disturbances appeared to have been more subtle than Diabolus in the " Holy War." Such a one, when asked why he carried on this crusade asrainst God's children and a minister of Christ, replied, "It is for the peace of the Church.'' As a warning and explanation to thoughtful and honest hearers, he (Mr Rogers) would say that the person, from all he beard, was a Ritualist in disguise, and appeared to know how to deceive unsuspecting Protestants by his spurious sanctity and apparent good motives. Mr Rogers went on to say that the church had suffered by tho person ho referred to. He thanked God that t.hero were those who had stood bravely by him. They had seen the hand of Di.ibolus and knew his marks. He might add that this person was supposed by the ladies to bethe missing link in Darwin'stheory (loud laughter), and therefore they kept a very respectable distance from him (renewed laughter). Mr Rogers went on to speak iti detail of other members of the faction which, he said, were in arms against him. One of these ho alleged owed him £25, and another one, he stated, was living in adultery. His enemies had further sought to ruin him by writing most foul and indecent letters to persons residing in the parish he was going to at Bath. He bad received great sympathy from the clergy of Liverpool, and he parted from them with regret. After the service was over, a large crowd gathered in the street discussing tho sermon, In the church during tho service there, were a number of constables in plain clothes.