Unhappy Allusion

NZ Truth, Issue 1195, 25 October 1928, Page 8

Unhappy Allusion

pray with fervour, could possibly be a humbug. "These are they who pour out their money when the collecting-box goes round. They believe a great work for. good is' being done, and are eager to help it on.

"From' a biography of Jeffreys we learn that the 'pastor- was born m 1876, m Maesteg, Glamorganshire. He was the son of a miner; the. fourth child of a large family, and worked m the pits from the age of twelve to twenty-eight.

"He was converted at a religious revival and immediately began to preach. "A Miss Adams, who wrote the biography, quotes stories told by the 'pastor' at his meetings, which, she says,- are as. frightening as that . of Ananias and Sapphira. "In the face of some of, these stories the allusion to Ananias is. unhappy.

"Here is one about beer: 'One-man; healed of a, withered arm at Sunderland, went across the road" to the Palatine to celebrate his recovery m beer. As he stretched out his hand to take the beer.' from' the counter the arm withered again and he could not take up the glass.' , '

"Enquiries have been made m Sun-" derland,. but this man with the withered arm cannot be. found. Jeffreys has been asked, publicly for his "name and address, but it was not forthcoming. - - .. , • ) . ..-"Another story relates that sight given to a blind bab.y, and the mother was so overcome with joy that she. got drunk." When she recovered, from her drunkenness, she found the baby blind again. . • ; "The name and address m thiscase cannot be obtained. .- "The 'pastor,' according.-.. -to Miss I nlltllllllllllHMimilllllllllMllllllllltllltHHUHMnlllllllllllllUlMlllllUllUllllHiuilllliniUllllllllllltlllliln gHlllllHlllllHlllUlllllltllllllltlillimHlUlllliHltlll^llMlllllllUllllllltllllltltnilWllllllllllllllllllillllllllMl

'r>v>viTjfid hn.nhaw-irdly. m the streets, arid In other public utilities.

xtiu Pentecostal "brethren," as they style themselves, knew too welt that "N.Z.. Truth" would not associate its advertising columns, with' such evangelical nonsense as that distilled by Jeffreys and his kind, and it is unfortunate that the two daily papers quoted saw fit to., suppress their scruples arid boost a man whose very attitude towards life is open to " grave suspicion. . -„ . Three members of "the committee of the Assembly of God Church m Vivian Street, Wellington, were closely questioned by two investigators on the staff of this paper, concerning their attitude towards Jeffreys since the unqualified whipping he received through the columns of "John Bull," but so bigotted and" self - complacent were these members of the Wellington committee that they refused to believe anything ill of the "evangelist "

They' said that "brethren" of theirs had fully ; investigated Jeffreys' bona fide.s before he came to this country, . but, it was abundantly clear to "Truth" that : the pronouncements of the committee's advisers had emanated from a biased source, and that most of the observations' had • come from men of the Pentecostal faith m either New Zealand or England.

He breathes unction and smooth phrases — "Pastor" Jeffreys.

paper with a tremendous circulation throughout the United Kingdom, a daily paper m Newcastle-on-Tyne, as well as a minister of the Wesleyan faith m the same city, had roundly denounced Jeffreys as an arrant humbug, and it seemed scarcely credible that all three should be. so jaundiced m their opinions as the three committeemen would have one believe.

Their reply was characteristically wary.

"Oh, well, we'll endeavor to arrange a conference on Monday night, but Jeffreys might not wish to see you," was the cautious way m which they couched their answer.

"Then if Jeffreys will not see us, the sole conclusion to be drawn is that he has something to hide, and the requisite action must be taken to safeguard the people of New Zealand from his activities. "Either Jeffreys is very sincere, and would, or co ul d, igri ore criticism, or else he is guilty of every thing with which his character has been impugned by those two English newspapers and a minister of religion."

Eve n t ually, it was arranged that the three members of the committee would do- their best to arrange the meetin g required, but "Truth" was b y no m e-a n s