The Preaching of Women.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 218, 20 September 1901, Page 1

The Preaching of Women.

(To the Editor of the Timks.) Siu, —The very useful, and, as it nowstands, the interesting dispatches which you have received and so generously laid before tho public, respecting the invasion of the pulpit, by women. I, as tho luckless body that raised the turmoil, humbly desire, if possible, to hit one or two heads that have presented to my view invitingly soft protuberances, a friendly rap from my shillelagh, just by way of good fellowship, ,expecting something by way of thanks in return. “ Vox ” has zeal combined with knowledge, for the cause of truth, if lie find truth fallen in the street he manfully does his best to plaeo her on her feet I respect him, and men of his wit. Mr Peckover. has a zeal for the truth, but has knowledge lies in the deblatherative regions of phraseology ; a very kindly sort of country for nice men, who have been defined, as” nasty. In dispatch of 14th inst- :—“ Hopeful," is so girlishly personal that I have but scaut hope of his understanding the principle at issue. Yet, he has a zeal for truth, as he viows it, through the distorting senses of the two hob fashionable novel. In the

missile from J. Peckover of the lGlh inst., he refers so hoity-toittily to “ Vox ” that 1 fear “ Vox ” will use the sealping-knife on his cranium once more ; I trust that tho operation won't result in decapitation, as the “ nonsenses ” now and then of J.P. amuse the wiser sort of men. The extremities of a philosophy such as J.P.'s are hurtful, but taken in moderate doses

aro pleasant and useful; if taken largely, a person may likely become somewhat vicious and brutish ; an enemy to genial conversation, and unfits him either to assist himself or others, ho having forsaken the plain, common path, has recourse to an impertinent species of bastard subtilizing. Dear fellow, whilst “ Vox ” was kicking him downstars with such a good grace, J.P. thought he was being handed up. “ Hopeful’s ” .farthing rush light as exhibited on the page of tho Turns of September 18th inst., flickers with a pitiable uncertainty. For tho benefit and case of many readers who may'not-at once recall chapter and verses quoted, and who may not possess a concordance to Scripture, it would be as well for your contributors to

give both, ns here: Matthew xvi., 27, etc. Ellicott, step forward ! with brains for the brainless! Verse 27 is complete within its own borders. A'erse 28 refors to quite another principle, those verses arc not interdependent. “ There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death." The immediate sequenco of the vision of the Son of Man transfigured from the low estate in which He then lived and moved,, into the excellent glory which met the gnzo of the three disciples, has led not a few interpreters to see in that vision the fulfilment of this prediction. A closer scrutiny of the words must, however, lead us to set asido that interpretation, exccpt-so far as t.llA TrnncfurniMifmn Km-n

tho Iranshguration bore witness to what had till then been the latent possibilities of His greatness. To speak of something that was to take place within six days as to occur before some of those who heard the words should taste of 'death would hardly have been natural ; nor does the vision, as such—tho transfiguration—satisfy the meaning of the words “ Coming in His Kingdom.’’ The solution of the problem is to bo found in the great prophesy of chapter xxiv. “ Hopeful,” being not a hopeful student of Holy Writ, I beg of him to read Matthew xxiv., as also Ellieott directs. “ In a sense which was real, though partial, the judgment which fell upon the Jewish Church, tho destruction of the Holy City

and the Temple, tho onward march of the Church of Christ, was as the coming of the Son of Man in His kingdom. The words find their parallel in those that declurod that “ this generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.” This complete refutation of “ Hopeful's ” grossly irreverent, even profane interpretation of the Saviour’s utterances, is quite sufficient for me to consign the further foolishnesses of his contained in the same letter, to tho limbo of that blanket, in which Sancho Panza got his useful and wellmerited shake-up. With “ Vox ” at one end of the blanket and myself at tho other, we hope to make “ Hopeful ” more wise and more reverent towards sacred things than ho is at present ; but “ braying a fool in a mortar ” is hopeless,—l am, etc., G. H. Wilson. September 18th.