THE PRESBYTERY AND THE SPIRITUALISTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3136, 8 March 1873, Page 2

THE PRESBYTERY AND THE SPIRITUALISTS.

To the Editor. Sir, —They have spoken, and Spiritualism ■is dpqiped. Who have spoken ? The Rev. Mr Campbell, or Viotqfia, t*ad tl}p Rev, Mr Will, of Otago : the panacea of the one is “ the increasing of ministers’ stipends, and blaming the Press for not condemning Messrs Peebles and Dunn ; the other does not “care a straw about it.” Who is the Rev. Mr Campbell ? and who are Messrs Peebles and Dunn ? They came here contemporaneously—strangers in a strange land, then why should one be condemned and the other glorilied ? The one comes professedly the disciple of Jesus, and expounds the Scriptures in the now exploded (although, in their day, enlightened) doctrines of Calvin and Knox, travelling in a groove almost threadbare ; the others come unfolding a new and beautiful faith, ana also pgofpsp to be disciples of Jesus, expounding His teachings according to the spirit of the age we live in. When Jesus was in the flesh, and in a similar manner propounded his mission to the Jews, ho was received with the brotherly love cf Mr Campbell, and Pilate was besought’ tp copuemp him; this was eighteen hundred years ago, and' Pilate was'copipclled to destroy Jesus, saying, •“ I am innercent of the blood of this just person \ see ye to it.” And now, in this enlightened nineteenth century, —after the darkness of ages has been rolled away,—the bearers of “glad tidings of groat joy ” —the enlightened expounders of the teachings of Jesus—disciples also of the Holy Spirit, are besought to be

condemned by the Press, and Mr Campell’s stipend recommended to he increased. Jesus commanded his disc pics “ that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only,—no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse.” “But woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; for yo neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that arc entering to go in ” I feel pity for Air Will—l pity his apathetic nature, that cares not “straws” for momentous events, so long as the flesh pots are full. For his edification I quote from the writings of the Rev. DrW. E. Chauniug : “ I live as did Simeon, in the hope of seeing a brighter day; I do see gleams of dawn, and that ought to cheer me I hope nothing from increased zeal in inving an imperfect decaying form of Christianity. One higher, clearer view of religion rising on a single mind, encourages me more th ui the organization of millions to repeat what has been repeated for ages with little eff-ct. The individual here is mightier than the world, and I have the satisfaction of seeing aspirations after this purer truth ” —ami hope such thoughts may be of. value to him, and be received in the spirit in which they are given—i.c., for his good.—l am, &c., Paul. Dunedin, March 6.