STRANGE NEW SECT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1920, Page 9

STRANGE NEW SECT.

EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS. "NO NEED FOR DOCTORS." Dunedm, Monday. For about a year past thera 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 rumors of miracles 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 Las roused not a little anger and indignation among the relatives most nearly concerned. ■ For a time these people had their headquarters in "Bethel Home," a house in Union Street, but recently they moved to a, much more pretentious mansion. A 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 the movement was already being much talked about, 'he leader, Miss Burnard, eventually consented to receive an interviewer. Miss Burnard said the movement had its origin away back in the days of Pentecost. It was spreading all 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 the Church of England, Miss Burnard remarked, "but the Lord has led him to remain there." She explained that they expected the second coming of Christ very soon, and this was being preceded by special outpourings of the Holy Spirit, similar to the outpourings at Pentecost recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. "Signs and wonders'' were following now just as they followed then. » GREAT THINGS EXPECTED. It appeared in conversation that Miss Burnard has been much influenced by certain great historic, revivals of recent years. She and those like-minded are looking and praying for a similar revival to sweep New Zealand at the present time. The first necessity for this is a hand of a hundred leaders, and these are even now being prepared. For seven years some of them have been looking for signs and wonders such as happened iu Jericho. They are expecting very much greater things in the near future. Asked as to their views about physical howling, 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 pi faith." "Then you don't believe in doctors at all?" "For ua who have the Light thev are UnnecessaiT *>ut how could the world do without fisiewfs?" she replied, "We con-

tend there are two ways 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 i in, not 'faith healing.'" "DELIVERED FROM DEMONS.'? Miss Burnard frankly admitted that they believed in present-day "demon possession," and stated that quite a number of their band here 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 to us than the beggar in the street," Miss Burnard proudly exclaimed., "It is God we are dependent on, not man." The reporter took occasion to put a leading question on the subject of interference by the band with domestic relations, and was met with unvarying candour and a cheerful irresponsibility. Miss Burnard explained that they only did as tho T ord led them, and the Lord himself o.".;iie "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 care for that? If a case were made against them the husband would certainly get the worst of it, for they knew all the facts, and what the wife had had to endure. THE GIFT OF PROPHECY. Miss Burnard claims the gift of prophecy for members of the band, and says that 'many of their prophecies have been fulfilled to the letter. Of others the fulfillment is yet to come. Another gift which she says ig 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,