Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-01

6uCSt, A6fblpAAAn 49,
Has it come to thisl
am ashamed that a man who claims to be q
Presbyterian minister should seek the aid OF
military despOtism, to hold a church building
against the wishes of the church, and against
the wishes Of his P~resbytery but as Grumpy did
it, we ought not to be surprised.
AMEMBER OF MEMPHIS P~REsBYTERY'
RE1REAI OF SIR ALLAN mACNAB.
EDITORS APPEAL; The DAILY APPEAL, Of
the 22d August, contained an account Of the
funeral of the late Sir Allan MacNab, at Hamil-
ton, Canada West, which is calculated to pro
duce a false impression concerning the Catholic
| Church, and to injure US in the eyes of our fell
low. citizens.
The Toronto Globe, from which the account is
copied, is a partisan paper, and in the absence
of papers that would give US 'the other side OF
the story" / feel it a duty to truth, and to the
public, to state the teaching Of the Catholic
Church on the subject.
No sacrament caR be of any benefit to a per
son who has arrived at the use of reason, unless
he has q desire to receive it, accompanied by a
belief in the truths Of the church, and a sincere
repentance for his sins.
Sometimes it happens, when e person IS found
insensible, and there is nothing known about
his religious sentiments, a sacrament is admin
| istered conditionally, under the supposition that
he may perhaps have had the necessary DISPOSE
tons before he lost the use of reason-giying
him "the benefit Of the doubt But in that
case, if in fact he had not the dispositions, then
the church teaches that the sacrament has pro-
duced no fruit whatever in his soul.
But when a person is known to have pro-
fessed a religion differing from that OF the
Catholic Church up to the time of losing his
senses, then there is no room for suppOslng that
he desires to receive the sacrements Of our
church. Then, to administer them would be a
mockery and a proclamation of them; and a
priest or bishop who should do so would violate
the laws of the church and be guilty before God
of the crime Of sacrilege. This is Q charge
which it is unfair to believe OF any Clergyman
of any denomination TjtbOut the cIesTest evil
dence; and least of all of a MAJ Of Blsaop
Farrelrs reputation for learning aud integrity.
It is ungenerous, to say the least, to suspect him
of it even on such an unsatisfactory and one
sided statement as is given in the Toronto Globe.
Rev. Mr.. Geddes' declaration, when examined,
| IS UEEGuIC anu CUll4uoCQs III Alos says uG ho1
denied access to the sick man. Afterwards.
without any explanation of how he got access,
he says the sick man professed his desire to die
in the Church Of England. lie does not say
how long this was before Sir Allsn's death. lie
admits that the Sunday before he was taken
sick, he did not attend the Church Of England.
Moreover, to grant or refuse access depended
upon the family. There is no evidence that the
clergy had anything to do with 1t. l was once
TsfUsed access to a dying man, who had asked
to see me. | expOstulated in respectful terms
with the lady of the house; but l never thought
of preaching q sermon about it, nor of exciting
public odium against the clergyman who at
tended him. much less of claiming any inter.
ference with the funeral.
1t is evident that Mr.. Gedies was excited, and
that be wanted to raise excitement. he brands
with the terms "hypocIite and coward" q per
son WHO would change his religious views at the
approach of death. And he svows that be ex.
poets his congregation 10 be excited with indlg.
nation. He makes it his especial business to be
waiting at.the railroad station, in spite OF torrents
of rain, that he may seize the first moment &c
communicate his on excited feelings to the
gentlemen who had been invlsoG 70 the iunera'.
And though he had been duly notified by a near
relative, that he was not TO O%ficiate, yet he went
to the residence, as if to force his services on an
unwilling family.
Contrast this conduct, which to say the least
was wanting in judgment and delicacy, with
that of the bishop and his clergy. They are
not even charged by their enemies with an at
tempt to get up q counter excitement, though
nothing would have been easier. On the con
trary by the very statement Of the Globe they did
not make their appearance at al, until after the
matter had been finally decided, by the oRly
proper authority in the case.
It is not fair then TO form any harsh Judgment
of them based on these remarks Of Rey. Mr.
Geddes.
Such accounts afec. the public estimate Of the
Catholic Church even in distant places, and a;
Your readers have seen The article from the Gt05e
a due regard for the good opinion Of cur fellow
citizens, makes il important that they have al
opportunity of seeing this correction.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant in Christ,
WILLIAM HENRY ELDER,
Bishop Of Natchez.