Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 27 March 1913, Page 34

Notes

«■ Protestant Censure of Canon Garland Canon Garland's 'Home Rule or Rome Rule' appeal is. being strongly condemned even in extreme Protestant circles. Thus the Bible Standard, an ultraProtestant publication printed in Auckland has the following severe strictures and pointed comments in its issue for March. 'There is at present,' it remarks, ' a strenuous agitation going on in this Dominion having for its object the design of obtaining a referendum on the question as to whether or not the Bible shall be introduced into the public schools with the right of entry accorded to clergy. So far as the agitation has hitherto gone it has been mainly concerned with the question as it bears upon the Roman Catholics. The organiser oh behalf of the League has largely turned the matter into a "No Popery" cry and has thus discredited the movement. The attitude of the Roman Catholics is well known without it being a necessary thing to attempt to rouse the passions of the people on sectarian questions. We listened the other evening to a very telling address delivered by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland. It was calm, argumentative, and free from attempts to rouse the

party spirit; and to our thinking the League has its work before -it to .successfully refute the arguments adduced. There are features about this agitation which do not at all commend it to ourselves. Outside the "No Popery cry the main attempts to win the support of the masses are devoted to appeals to sentiment and to the picas that the Bible in the schools will contribute to tlie higher morality of the people. The con-, fession of failure made thereby by the Christian Church in view of. its belief that by its instrumentality the world is to be converted is somewhat remarkable.'

A. Controversialist in Trouble The Rev. R. Wood, who fox- some years past has been somewhat notorious for the virulence of his antiCatholic sentiments as expressed in anonymous and other communications to the press, is, as we learn from the Lyttelton Times, in some trouble with at least a section of his congregation. In a report of a recent meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery, given in its issue of March 13, the Christchurch paper says: 'The Rev. R. Wood wrote resigning his pastorate of the Waikari charge, the resignation, to take effect in three months. The Rev. T. McDonald said that it would be to the best interest of the Waikari charge if Mr. Wood's resignation took immediate effect, in order to prevent any further development of factional differences. Speaking to his resignation, the Rev. R. Wood said that there had been a good many unfortunate differences of opinion in the Waikari charge. Petitions and counter-petitions had been presented, but the inquiry conducted by the Presbytery had not sustained the charges made against him." However, life was too short and the spiritual enemy too strong for him to remain in a charge split up'by factional differences. The Rev. T. McDonald moved that the resignation should take effect in six weeks. The motion was not seconded. The Rev. J. Mackenzie suggested that Mr. Wood should stand aside while the Presbytery overcame the difficulty. He moved that Dr. Erwin should be appointed a commissioner to effect a settlement of the trouble. The motion was carried.'