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[No title]

GOLDEN GROVE,

MARRIAGE OF MR. T. W. BARKER…

THE CHURCH CHORAL UNION OF…

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

THE VACANT CANONRY IN ST D…

A SUFFRAGAN BISHOP FOR SWANSEA.

LLANDILO CHRONICLE.'

LLANDYSSIL.

[No title]

"LLANDOVERY.

" THE COMPENSATION QUESTION."

A CORRECTION.

THE CHURCH AT PENDINE,

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THE CHURCH AT PENDINE, To the Editor of THE JOURNAL. DEAR SIR,— My attention has just been drawn to certain letters on the above subject in your contemporary The Reporter. The first, in such mysterious terms as to be almost unintelligible, without the second, which illuminates the whole. The first, by the "Old man on the cliff" in Laugharne notes the second by Gwladwr." The "Old nun" compares our Rector to a vigorous nettle," the Church to a "shop," and the Dissenters to useful vegetables and beautiful flqwers" Gwladwr writes in plain terms. The "Old man" says" He had but few customers." Gwladwr admits that lie has a good congre- gation," so good that "there has lately been a scramble for seats in the chancel among the choir." The "old man" says "several good natured young men offered him their services gratuitously." "Gwladwr" says ''for pay, of course." The "Old man" says"theyin aery way keep the small I shop prime and nice." Gwladwr is much I amused at their evident incompetency, and stoops to comtemptible personalities. The "Old man" says" He (the Rector) was exasperated to find that the other shops had more customers than he had." "Gwladwr "searched for specific reasons to account for such a good choir and con- gregation in the Church. He finds a sole reason and one other reason," as follows A squire lives in our midst some six months of the year whose family take an interest in the Church." The one other reason:— The responsibility of the members ceases when he puts a penny in the bag on each Sunday the minister being state-aided there is no need for appeal to each individual." Tell it not in Gatli, he says, Nonconformity is losing yround m this neighbourhood." So they go on confounding and contradicting each other, clearly demonstra- ing the present character of dissent yet Church- men will readily understand that even "Gwladwr" does not over-estimate our progress here. I need not take the letters in detail, as I am sure I can thoroughly depend upon the good sense of the majority of the inhabitants of this district to do so for themselves. 1 would, however, like to say just a word or two in my own way. It is very evident that the "Old man on the cliff," if old in years is very young in matters essential to all who wish to pose as mysterious oracles. A person of his years ought to know that. He is a poor judge who gives his verdict before he hears the evidence on the other side," and that" falsehood mixed with a little truth, is a most dangerous commodity to deal in," yet, with all his faults, out of respect to his great age, I will attend to him first, and that he may the better under- stand me, I will use his own terms :—We are very proud of our "vigorous nettle," but no doubt he and his friends (who are evidently seriously stnng) would like to uproof" him, but we think quite differently, and will always stand up in his defence because, we are very certain, his life will bear comparison any day with their "useful vegetables and beautiful flowers." Further, the lowness of their till has for years caused them to look mistfully at ours, and as The love of money is the root of all evil" they are now oil plunder bent." Is it then any wonder that we have closed our ranks to resist the enemy Our shop they can never demolish, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of tlhe wodd" is the promise of our Founder, and in His name we will stand firm and resist any attempt at plunder. Again we deny that we are "pressed men." We are all Volunteers, all Volunteers And let "Old Man" remember, "One volunteer is as good as two pressed men." He complains of our "Bigotry" and "Audacity" in closing our ranks, just as though he had not heard-but, "There are none so deaf as those who will not hear," of that "other shop," near by, which sold so well and sold so fast. It sold out of all at last," and being without funds to buy more 11 y stock, there it stands in utter destitution. A charitably disposed shopkeeper of our firm offered to supply it with goods free of charge, but lo hear the answer, -NLay, may. We will starve, we will (lie rather than that you, shall supply us." How is that for" Bigotry" ? Yet, though despising our goods-and bear in mind, we supply no goods but those of which we read in the Great Price List-they came, cap in hand, to those good natured young men of whom he speaks 11 1 earnestly, entreating, and saying our shop is exceedingly poor, our till is quite empty, come and help us, so that we may again start the opposition sale. How is that for Audacity ? But in the face of their narrow, bigoted, mean conduct, in the face cf their erroneous and misleading remarks, can they expect it ? '=' And now, sir, if you will kindly grant me space, I will say just a few words to Gwladwr. First. I sincerely thank" Gwlallwr" for con- firming so many things respecting Church progress here. Indeed, I feel so thankful, that my heart warms towards him, so much so, that I am constrained to say—" Why should'st thou look so mistfully at our till ? Come in, and share it with us, and 'We will do thee good,' For, according to his own showing, he will, with us, be free to worship God unfettered. He need not even drop his penny unless he wish it for we bear in mind that God only loveth a cheerful giver." Secondly. Speaking of The Clergyman he says, you have not yet heard of one of his parishioners who is able to follow his preaching and reading." I not only can follow him, but have always done so in the past. He say his "ideas" are "foreign." How does he know what his "ideas" are, if he has been unable to follow the end ? For his own sake, let him study the Bible at once, then come to Pendine Church, pay attention, and he will be able to follow and thereby find that "the clergyman's ideas" are taken from the Bible, and no longer foreign to him. Thirdly. We deny that we arc the children of Dissenters. Our parents were Dissenters, but they are Church adherents. As he appears to be interested in our genealogy, I may, as regards myself, be allowed to inform him that my grandfather was a "local preacher" in the neighbourhood of St. Clears, and further back in our family, that great preacher, Christmas Evans. The same geneology applies to one of the pupil teachers. But what does this prove ? Church progress Lastly. You mention that the occupation of the several workmen "were." Why did you not say what they are ? Your so called mason, workman" is, what you say we should have employed, a competent workman and in proof of this, go and examine the painting on one of the best private houses in the place, then come to me, and I will tell you who did it. As to your "tailor and shoemaker" we thank you for your gratuitous advertisement, but as you were going to advertise, we would have been all the more thankful had you mentioned our other occupa- tions, however., we beg to say that at that last day" we shall not be asked to what trade or occupation we belonged, but every man shall be judged according to his works," and if God has endowed us with talent, then, most emphatically I hold, we should "lend it unto the Lord" as occasion required. What we have done, we have done "unto the Lord but as he has commanded us Let not thy right hand know what thy left hand givetli we never intended that what we "Render unto the Lord shall be paraded in the press, but under the circumstances we say Go thou and do likewise." Your writing only proves your fear that we shall, as expressed by the old man," "If allowed to groin much longer" destroy all yoitr useful vegetables and beautiful flowers (?) thioughout the country." Churchmen, take courage I am, dear Mr Editor, one of the GOOD NATURED YOUNO MEN. Pendine, 16th June, 1890.

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