The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-09
Consistency a Jewel.

Consistency Jewel.
Mr.. EDITOR Ny reason for
adopting above adage Is caused by
the fact that the so-called reverend
editor of the Friend chooses to
treat his readers in his September
issue to a diatribe headed i" Mr.
Governs Mission Work"
Sometime ago the community
were treated to defense through
the press of the Rev. DR.. Hyde by
this same editor, for the reason
that the former gentleman was not
here to defend himself. Is it not
therefore strange that Mr.. Bishop
should take advantage of Mr..
Governs absence to detract ~
from the noble work he has left
behind him Here is gross incon-
sistency. Right here | shall pro-
baby be met with the excuse that
the article was in press before Mr..
Governs departments fact the
Friend was not issued until the 1st
of September and the Australia
sailed on the Doth August, there
fore, Mr.. Bishop had ample time to
order his article out, for the reason
that it was known for fully week
that Mr.. Gowen was going away.
Any difference between the rev.
erend gentleman and his bishop is a
matter which the editor of the
Friend could not understand if he
tried, because it would be simply
unreasonable to expect person of
Unitarian propensities to appreci-
ate anything pertaining to the
Government of an Episcopalian
church.
But there is one thing Mr. Bishop
seems happy in; and that is with
holding the strict truth. The
whole of the third paragraph of
the Friend article is as utterly de-
void of fairness and truthfulness as
it could possibly be. Sometime ago
one of the Friends subscribers
made it his business to inform me
as to his opinions on Chinese
church work as carried on by Mr..
Gowen. Bitterer words than those
used by one processing Christian
against another could scarcely be
coined. | shall not repeat them
here since no good to Christ's
work would ensue. In consequence
of those remarks, / saw Mr.. Gowen,
and I have his word that on more
than one occasion he had chal-
lenged them to prove or bring for
ward one single instance where he
had proselytized among Mr.. Da-
mons flock. The simple facts are;
numbers of the congregation wor-
shipping on Fort street, were train
ed in the Episcopal faith while yet
in China and when they came here,
finding no other Christian church
to go to they naturally went to the
only one here. Was it not also
natural that as soon as a place of
worship to which they belonged
was opened they should at once
seek it, aye, and take their friends
along. They welcomed their home
and what Episcopalian does not ?
The absurdity of some of the re-
marks which went abroad were
instanced by Mr.. Gowen when he
informed me that he actually heard
that he (Mr. Gowen) had sent
hacks to take children away. Any
thing more laughingly absurd
could scarcely be imagined.
The remarks in the fourth para
graph are worthy the source from
which they spring, and only show
how utterly ignorant some people
are as to what feelings really exist
among members of the Apostolic
Church towards those Christians
who differ from them in doctrine.
l need hardly say how deeply l
regret that any publication should
have gwen cause for my having to
defend an absent friend. Yours
obediently, w. F. REYNOLDS.