The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4467, 30 April 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1883.

The degeneracy of the age has caused tp bad into life a number of institutions which have, ostensibly, for their purpose, the regeneration—spiritually speaking— of mankind. One of its latest novelties is the Salvation Army.. We very recently had occasion to refer to the threatened advent of this body in onr midst, and we endeavored to point, out the undesirableness of countenancing such mountebanks, but since then the numerous instances of the mischief wrought, by them, and the countless discoveries of the humbug upon which they are travelling, have cropped up that it would be dereliction on our part were we not to enter some protest against the encroachments of these money-seeking adventurers, who are dragging religion in the miro, and sacre* ligiously bringiug iinto contempt things divine. No record is kept of the doings of these creatures, no account is taken of their collections. Not one individual has the least idea as to how the money they procure—from the possessors of the souls

which are to be saved by them from the fire—is to be spent, and only the members of their own community hare an opportunity of ascertaining what is done with the funds so abundantly supplied to them by a portion of a gullible public. It appears somewhat remarkable that such people as the members of the Congregational, or any other Church, should approve of the aotions of such " a crew," and allow those travelling showmen to make use of their places of worship, and congregations for their own purposes. We see by our telegrams that ".There will be 'blood and fire' at tLe Onehunga Congregational Church on Monday night, when Captain Ted Wright and Lieutenant Johnny Bowerman, will appear on behalf of the Salvation Army." j Now, this is very deplorable; a decided j confession of weakness on the part of the j Congregational Ministry in Onehunga; and if permitted or approved of by the congregation, a direct rote of want of confidence in their minister. Surely the denomination referred to can supply their pulpits without falling back on a lot of uneducated ranting vulgarians, whose origin as a rule bag been of the lowest, whose ranks are filled from the lists of reformed criminals, and who—although their brethren hare been of much benefit among classes, where a clergyman would not be allowed—are not likely to make many converts among the classes they are likely to preach to. It seems marvellous to us to read such things. We have not the slightest taint or tinge of intolerance, and have even thought it deplorable that so many divisions should exist in the camp of worshippers in our sublunary sphere, but such divisions are in themselves sufficiently regretful, without an additional one being made by lucrehunting interlopers who have not the merit of sound preaching, charitable practices, scriptural education in the smallest degree, or ability of any order— save accumulating money—to recommend them. We trust that the grave error permitted by the Onehunga Congregationalists will not be repeated by any other branch of their religion, or by the members of any other body of worshippers.