Correspondence.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3777, 4 February 1881, Page 2

Correspondence.

MES HAMPSON. (To the Editor of tb.e Evening Stab.)

Sic, —The attraction of a female evangelist at the Thames will be so great that all the arrangements of the formality people will, I fear, break down. The i<Jea of people attending the usual sleepy ' services at the various meeting places, and afterwards marching to the Academy of Music to hear an enthusiastic lady, is just what we might expect from old formality, but it is simply ridiculous. Methinks the hall will be literally besieged if the doors are not opened an hour before 8 o'clock, and if they are opened, the hall will be full long enough before the promoters arrive with their singing army. I hear on. every side that numbers of Churchgoers do not intend to nil their regular places on Sunday evening, but are determined to gain admittance early at the hall. Don't let us have confusion over this religious mania, but let all if possible be done decently and in order. If the hall proves to be not nearly large enough for the assemblage, there can be no. difficulty in the lady taking up a position near the Bank corner, and then the gospel could be preached as it used to be in Apostolic times, under the canopy of heaven; Albert street would hold all comers. I sincerely hope Mrs Hampson does preach the true and pure gospel as it is said she does, and that she will put to shame the male preachers of the Thames, and prompt them to do likewise, for really we need this instead of the sleeping mixtures, for gospels, we now get Sunday after Sunday. These remarks are made by one who desires to see spiritual life instead of spiritual death and formality in our religious conmunities. The harvest is indeed great, but the salaried, spiritual muffs of labourers of these days will never gather it into the master's garner and that is not these churches, they are to full of rats which eat up the wheat wholesale, yet the harvest is ripe and must be gathered in, and if female evangelists are inspired to do this there is nothing written in-the book to prevent them doing so, notwithstanding that the bigot who wrote in the Advertiser says there is—

An Old Pbeacheb and Teacher and Keen Observes.