"CHRISTIAN" CASHCOLLECTORS.

NZ Truth, Issue 101, 25 May 1907, Page 8

" CHRISTIAN " CASHCOLLECTORS.

MARY AND BENJAMIN'S

LITTLE LURK.

The Capitalisation of a

"Holy Kiss."

The peoplie of 'Australia and New, Zealand, who have lately been afflicted with a plague of extremely long-haired religionists called/ Christian Israelites, have been under the impression that" these particular persons m question are "cranks," or at least, men and women of defective intellect. Certainly, the antics of Mary and Benjamin, Mary and John, Alice and Octavius, and • the i rest of them are 'sufficiently strange to make the average man believe that those who indulge therein are not quite sane. It appears that these queer missionaries from Yankeeland are, m Australia, Mary • and John ; and, m New Zealand, Octavius and Alice. Their very long; hair is, m some cases, almost beautiful, and when these saints meet they greet each other with a holy kiss, a la made of tlie early Christians. These pious persons are, % however, hot quite so PRIMITIVE IN THEIR METHODS as migibt be ■ thought, fox London "Truth: 1 has an article on their little ways commercial that shows them to have a. "keen eye for the siller," and to love dollars even more than they ''love the Lord." Thus London "Truth" :— N The Prophet Dowie has ceased to prophesy, and to collect gifts , from the faithful, but there is not likely to be any , lack of' successors to compete - for his mantle. A solicitor m the country sent me the other day; a wondrous journal, which had bern posted to him from America m conjunction with a pamphlet. The jojurnal, , svihiiicli . is garnished! '" wilfli the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes, as appropriate emblems of faith, is entitled "SMloh's Messenger of Wisdom." It is said to be published rncynllily at Foston Harbor, Mich., U.S.A.,

BY MARY AND BENJAMIN;" hut for some reasons unexplained it is dated "Jerusalem, Nineth Month, Fourth Year of the New Creation." Truth, compels me to say .that Mary and Benjamin, who seem to be really a firm of • publishers,- do not shine as journalists. The editorial matter of the "Messenger of Wisdom" reads like the ravings of Wildeyed evangelists at street . corners on Sunday evenings.. The ne\ys matter* relates chiefly to the doings of the disciples of Mary and Benjamin, whom I take to be literally travellers •of the firm. They ?npear to go forth m couples, each of one male ■ and one female, like the inmates of the Ark> Thus Birdie and David are m South Wales ,-, Olive and William are alj Brighton ; Lydia and Stephen m the- less salubrious at[mospheie of Barking ;.

MARY AND JOHN IN AUSTRALIA', and Octavius and Alice m New Zealand. The business side of their effor,ts seems to he revealed inj the fnllowin.tr nniion ! - -To all — -ivftl-ieVftFRJ lor -Ihe ' DeHyer^hpe pi ■ •lsra*K'J:' 1 >-^^ •^;'- "Let. qne and all go forth m their labor of love. Let nothing hinder you m spr'earfin.e; the good hews 6t Shiloh's Message ..containing the glad tidings of redemption full .anS. complete. ■• ' ■'.' . " "If. each subscriber would send the addresses! of " 2dol for twenty • 3' months' subscription., or the same for ten ■. 6 months' jmbscriptions, or Idol for ten 3 niohths' subscriptions, it would; -hfelp wonderfully, to ■sprea/d the .work. •.-.. . •

■"We. will-, m 'addition to this send to e'sucli' one a- Little Book, for which many have said they would not take sd-01. • . .' . • .

\ "Cast thy <b read upon the, waters;, for thou shalt find it after many days. Eccl. 11. i." .'A very gaod motto m business for it takes time to liuild up a connection m journalism as m all other trades, even with your travellers working all over the world as busy as '■'„. . .

BIRDIE AND DAVID, Olive .and William, and the rest of them, seem to be, judging by their rep.Girts.to headquarters. The following portions of Sbilofo's Message are also ,of importance to those seeking redemption : — "Yearly subscription, 50 cents.. Single copies', 5 ce n ts. "Make all Money Orders payable to Mary Purnell, m U.S.A. purrency. "We are fciiinding the Star of Bethle n em, tha living Rol\ of Life, into four taooks of 200 pa&es each. . • Price, 50 cents each; 2dol. for the complete work. Postal money orders preferred, made payable to Mary Purnell, m United States currency. ■ Another message to much the same effect is -contained m a leaflet entitled, '

"THE INGATHERING OF. IS-

RAEL!' :-

"We have booklets, and publish an. ei'Kh-t-page paper, called "SMloh's Messenger of Wisdom,' ; full of reading matter ;no advertisements ; issued monthly; only 60 cents $„ year; and a book of 256 pages, entitled' "The B o ok of Wisdom." It iswrit- ( ten, Men die for want of Wisdom (Prov. 10-21). Why will ye Die, O House of Israel ? (Ezek. 33-11-}. The "Book of Wisdom" is 50 cents. And a roll of a book, sent by the hand, of an angel (Ezek. 2-9), entitled "The Star of Bethlehem, the Living Roll of Life" (Zech. 5-1)* containing . 780 pages ;. price 2dol. My sheep know my voice, and , a stranger they will not follow (John, 10-^s ).' „ . When wriitin^ always sign your name m full. Money orders made payable to Mary Pumell."

The in^aithering of Israel seems, therefore, very closely connected with the in'satheriins of the United States currency.