Special Sermons
For the Wesleyan Missions a sermon was preached in the Norman-road chapel on Sunday January 13th by the Rev. W. Hales, of Rye. A public meeting was also held on Monday for the same purpose. The speakers were the Rev. W. Hales, Rev. J. Harry (Eastbourne). Messrs. Beck, Putland and Streeter. The collection amounted to nearly £9.
For the St. Leonards National Schools, three sermons were preached in the St. Leonards Church on Sunday, March 24th, the one in the morning, by the Rev. C. Kennaway, rector of Campden, which realised £22; the one in the afternoon by the Rev. C. W. Keightley, rector of Dinsby, at which the offertory was £3; and the one in the evening by the Rev. J. A. Hatchard, when the collection was £4. The last-named gentleman, unfortunately, took occasion to offer some remarks upon the conduct of the School Committee which appeared to take the worshippers by surprise, and judging from the sentiments expressed by many of them on leaving church, must have created within them a feeling akin to indignation. If ever the history of this church should be written (even from the materials in the writer’s possession) it will show that the said church has been strangely unfortunate in disagreement between some of incumbents, organists, churchwardens and others. The case here cited was of much less importance than that of the Rev. - “Workman”, a returned convict, but it was one, nevertheless, which had a prominent place in 1861, as causing general consternation and resulting in the absence of many of the worshippers from their accustomed seats. Mr. Hatchard’s statement having become a topic of conversation during the ensuing week, and the matter having been taken up by the committee whose acts were made the subject of the reverend gentleman’s animaversion, it is felt that no apology is here needed for giving a more permanent record of the comments which were made at the time by the St. Leonards Gazette. Said that journal – “We fully concur with those who heard the charges brought against the School Committee that even if the allegations could be substantiated, both the time and the place were exeedingly(sic) ill-chosen for making them known. If the reverend gentleman did not approve of the manner in which the funds had been appropriated, we think that the wiser course would have been for him to have attended the annual meeting recently held, and there expressed his dissent, instead of absenting himself as one of that committee, and sending in his resignation, as he then did. It seems to us that Mr. Hatchard – perhaps with the best intentions – has the misfortune to differ from most of the public bodies with whom he has associated; a circumstance which forces us to the conclusion that his views, even if not erroneous, are sometimes urged with too much warmth of feeling. The charges – if such we may be permitted to call them – against -
