CORRESPONDENCE. IN REPLY TO MR SMITH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1570, 1 December 1885, Page 2

CORRESP ONDENCE.

IN REPLY TO MR SMITH.

(TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE STANDARD.) Sir, — I was surprised and astonished to see Mr F.H. Smith's letter m your paper last night, stating thit ho should be sorry auy Christian should think that he did not look on the Bible as the book of books, and inspired of God. He ca'nnoi reconcile the above statement with the following: He Raid m his lecture that he has often wished there was no such book as the Bible,* he should he glad if it was destroyed altogether (this he repeated several tunes during the evetiiusj,) he ho pod tho audience did not think him so foolish as to believe the story m Genesis of the serpent tempting Eve, or the Great Red Dragon with a loug tail m Revelations ; he said there were a great many contradictions m the Bible which he confessed ho could not explain or understand ; he did not depend on the Bible for Salvation, he thought more of the Churoh of England cate-

chistn and Cimnmiuion Service, &c." The itnpr-saion - l Jr Smith -conveyed to me was, that he did nut consider the Bible of tuucli account, being only a legendary and historic il book. There were a number of Olirialians iiud attendants of tlie Churches m the L/yt'eU'ni during Mr Smith's lucturo, and several times I looked (o sac the expression of sumo of their faces, an 1 thoy appeared equally surprised with myself at what was s-iid. I think Mr Smith has done more to show that Satan and tinChristian faith are myths and (Illusions, than any previous lecture delivered m P«lm«rstou North. Id conclusion I must say that his letter of explanation was uncalled for, as no report of his lecture appeared iv the papers, as it cau only »lu>w that he is Borry he has let a large congregatifn know that ho thinks the Bible of not much worth and of little account. With regard to the letter signed " Fair Play," I may say that Mr Smith's lecture occupied about two hours, and at the conclusion he thanked the Chairman (Mr Thos. R. Walton,) and the audience for their kind and patient hearing. When "Fair Play" writes again I would suggest that he signs his own namu, as by so doing it shows honesty of purpose. — I am, &c, Thosias Hall, Hon. Secretary to Lyceum. [The writer of the letter signed " Ou« who believes iv fair play," which appeared m last night's issue, is a lady, to whom we are sure Mr Hall would not impute any lack of honesty of puri use. Naturally Mr Hall would assume the writer was of the male sex. Ed.M.S.|