THE SALTATION (?) ARMY.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4453, 13 April 1883, Page 3

THE SALTATION (?) ARMY.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)- - : , t SIR.-pYour article of Tuesday on,. the \ above ridiculous movement dors-you much credit. I have read some of the publications of, r t&ese strange people, and have, how before me a c«>py of thejr," War Cry." JTheir mottp, I perceive, is ," Blcod and -Fire,".(whatever that may mean), while „'tbe pa per itself abnuuds with absurdities and blasphemies. Of all the so-called religious movements of these latter clays of the.Christian dispensation, this bents all for doctrinal lies, outrageous folly, and levity. Has it come to this, sir, that the

lying dogma of an endless hell fire for man 'kind must now be propagated with the , aid of brass bands and banners unfurled P r , Mast noisy, afreet processions of dressed j up harlequins, who march to (he music of - born, fife, and dram, with all the larrikin -j, rabble at their tail, be adopted to perpetuate this fearful lie of paganism and middle age. theology ? - If so, the pagan theological devil must be sorely pnt to it-for devices to maintain his standing before the march 'among truly religicius people of these days. .Let me tell these noisy r mountebanks that'honest and quiet enquir,y into ..these, matters by sincerely 'religion's "people of these day's is fast \ vfcreaking up the theological myths, of ,agei. r The .true,, light-, is shining, so the "darkness of ages Vanishes; before that ? greaiC r ligbi.r. Sir,. I -was brought up from ,*joritb^to yie.w true religion as ,a- quiet '. serious .matter.: I have seen it for myself to be : 6.uch quiet serious matter; a matter aiOf eTetyday life; a natter of the judgment tof a man, or woman—not of excitement . and noise; a matter of justice and equity, ,< righteousness and peace ; a matter of lore I toGod !and love to'dne's neighbor'; a & matter of mercy an^ goodness to all man■/kind'/j','Biat' bow-it seems to have altered/ f aady;relig libn r is to 'become 1 a. matter ( of VVrdtcbed 'frlrolis, brass .bands, proce's;'.Bions," barlequio^.dresses, knee .drill,, and " "JH* t devilkn'qws wiatels§ i: forl aaicertaln "'tbat Jesus has no part in the proceedings r of .Uiese „ mountebanks, or in any such -, absurdities as Ahey practice. > Noise and confusion and buffoonery were not the :me»ns be employed in ci'der-to'make con* rerts; neither did his Apostles.: What a miserable, abortion in toe name of tne religion of Jesus'* Christ l :X -What a wretched,petTersion of the:glorious word salvation! If there' was the safest hope.. Jhafo: these people would do areally good work among the larrikin elr.nent at the -Thamea, I for one sbojld ha?l ;.heir advent with pleasure, bat instead of that I fear, from' what I read in their " War Cry," Ac, that the upshpt of their visit will be to disturb the

peace and cause no end of trouble to the to' the police officers and to the peaceloTing inhabitants of. the place. The moat astpnisbing thing of all to me is that so many people should part with their money';id liberally for the support of such a wretched system of religious torn* fooleryVrvit ipeaks bat little for the religiottf wisdom and discretion of bishops and atehbishopg, or for the wisdom of e.jy others^bp/do so. But.so it is, and so it hMJfnf^tieeii, and will be, while mankind' -freely for the support of WillAMe^of all kinds, while pure and utfdSfilecT"religion goes a-begging, always did so and always will I suppose until the end of n the present vanity loving and ridicalotrs ageV Alas : f6r these days I They i are "evil, and only e?n continuallyi Atis lor the masses! They have always^ beeii the dupeti, one way or another of the crafty; Itijd desigping,. and 'it may be deluded men and'women, and ao it is now. by thir unclean thing yclept "Salvation Army," Such things are signs not to be, miitaken that the end,of all the present order, or digptdej; of .thicfts, which is fasti being; undermined, is rapidly approaching to .'■ make room for an - age .of truth, 1 rig^htebtlpneßS, aitidpeace.^-I ami &c, ' s '."!'.',,'"'"'i'.-'yi i\\'.'-1; "William Wood. ;