STRANGE NEW SECT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2094, 24 February 1920, Page 1

STRANGE NEW SECT.

EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS. “NO NEED FOR DOCTORS.” WEEPING AND GROANING. For about a year past there has been in Dunedin a small but steadily growing body of people professing a faith some features of which could not fail to attract outside attention. They have lived together quietly and unobtrusively, but rumours of inir.acles of healing and of hysterical midnight gatherings, in which “demons” were exorcised, have gathered about them. It is also true that their influence over certain impressionable and suffering people has roused not a little anger and indignation among the relatives most nearly concerned. For a time these’people had their headquarters in “Bethel Horae,” a, house in Union Street, but recently they moved to u much more pretentious mansion. A press reporter visited the headquarters of the movement a few days ago. There was at first an unwillingness to make any statement, for publication, but on it being pointed out that I lie movement was already being much talked about, the leader, Miss Barnard, eventually consented to receive an interviewer. Miss Burnard said the movement h.ad its origin away back in the days of Pentecost. It was spreading all i over the world. One of its leaders was the Rev. Boddy, of All Saints’ Vicarage in Sunderland. It was very wonderful that lie still remained in Ihe Church of England, Miss Burnard remarked, “but the Lord lias led him to remain there.” She explained that they (expected the second coming oT Christ very soon, and this was being preceded by special outpourings of (lie Holy Spirit, similar to the outpouring at Pontecost recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. “Signs and wonders” were following now just as they followed then. It appeared in conversation that Miss Burnard has been much influenced by certain great; historic revivals of recent years. Stic and those like-minded arc looking and praying for a similar revival to sweep New Zealand at the present time. The lirst necessity for this is a hand of a hundred loaders,. and these are even now being prepared, For seven years some of them have been looking for signs and wonder.-! such as happened in .Jericho. They are expecting very much greater tilings in the near future. ' Asked as to their views about physical healing, she said there were two kinds of physical healing. “Numbers of our hand have been delivered from sickness again and again. Instead of going to the doctor we pray the prayer of faith.” “Then you don’t believe in doctors at all?” ' “For ns who have the Light they arc unnecessary, hut how could the woHd do without doctors?” she replied. We contend there are twoways of healing—a high way and a low way; God’s way and man’s way. For those who have not the Light, doctors and nurses are needed, I think. They need our prayers more, than any other class of people in the world. It is ‘divine healing’ we believe in, not ‘faith healing.’ ” Miss Burnard frankly admitted that they believed in present-day “demon possession,” and stated that fjuite a number of their hand hero have been delivered from demons. A number with failing sight, she said, have been persuaded to give up their glasses, and .some suffering from deafness to lay aside ear trumpets. But with candour she added that the manifestations that they had Been waiting for in these cases had not yet come. The trouble, of course, was lack of faith on the part of the afflicted ones. The Misses Burnard are the daughters of a Methodist Home Missionary. “Moneyed people are no more of us than the beggar in the street,” Miss Burnard proudly ex-, claimed. “It is God we are dependent on, not.man.”. The reporter took occasion to put a leading question on the subject of interference h.y the band with domestic relations, and was met with unvarying candour and a cheerful irresponsibility. Miss Burnard explained that they only did as the Lord led them, and the Lord himself came “to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother.” She had a letter from a lawyer about a married woman who had stayed with them, but what did they (‘are for that ? If a case were made against I hem the husband would certainly get the worst of it, for they knew all the facts, and what the wife had had to . endure. Miss Barnard claims the gift of prophecy for'members of the baud, and says that many of their prophet eies have been fulfilled to the letter, ■Of others the fulfilment is yet to * ■ . ■■■■;■• ;r ■

come. Another gift which she says is possessed by some of the band is* that of “discerning of spirits.” This means that the people- so endowed can infallibly distinguish between the spirit of good and the spirit of evil, and can always detect satan when masquerading as an, “angel of light.” To some extent also, she added, they can read the thoughts of others and see into their inmost hearts. She also indicated the nature of some of the meetings held by the band. On occasions they fast when “led” to do so, and many spend all night weeping and groaning and praying together.