THE ESCAPED NUN.

Evening Star, Issue 6842, 4 March 1886, Page 2

THE ESCAPED NUN.

FAREWELL LECTURE,

The Escaped Nun, Mrs Edith O’Gorman Auffray, delivered her last lecture in Dunedin last night. The Garrison Hall was again filled by an attentive and enthusiastic audience. The Rev. C, E. Ward presided, and on the platform were : the Revs. W. Will, James Cameron, A, Hrunton, S, Morley, and Young, The Chairman said that he was' pleased,, on leaving Dunedin, to have the honor of presiding over such a meeting as the present. After he had settled in Auckland his memory would not be so faulty as regarded the surroundings of Dunedin as that of another gentleman was concerning some other places. Ho had been four years in Dunedin, and would not bo likely to readily forget its beautiful scenery, the enterprise of the people, or the way that they conducted largo public meetings. In these matters he would not be so forgetful as one of whom they had heard, who claimed so positively to be a gentler man ! (Laughter). Of course ministers could not expect their statements to be accepted—they were so easily taken in.— (Renewed laughter). He rejoiced at the chance of extending the hand of fellowship to Mrs Aulfray at the earliest opportunity and at her triumph of the previous night. He had never had the slightest doubt about Mrs Auffray—for the last fourteen years, though he had never spoken to her he had read of her—and ho rejoiced to know that all the slanders had been removed and that last night’s meeting had been so abundantly triumphant. As a born-colonist of New Zealand he rejoiced at this protest against tho Church of Rome, which he considered very timely. As an Irish lady had stated last night, it would £ako some of the fat of the Cardinal off.—(Laughter.) Last night’s meeting reminded one of Martin Luther—one who was inspired by God; and cared not for Popo or Devil. If man would not come to tho front woman would.—(Hear.) If men lacked courage, a lady would come to the front and put them to the blush. There was no tyranny like spiritual tyranny; there was no heroism like that which broke down such tyranny. In conclusion, the chairman road a letter from tho Rev. J. K. Kelly, Congregational minister, Dunedin, in which he stated :

With Mrs AufFray I was a fellow-passenger on board the s.s. Arawa, sailing from London to Now Zealand on August 13 last. I have read two of her books and attended two of her lectures, In addition to the meeting of last night, and have carefully observed her character and statements, and my conviction is that she is a true and brave woman and that her statements are worthy of acceptation. As to tills assembly of last night, when Mrs Auifray so, fearlessly and cheerfully met Mr Ffed Fulton' to reply to his most serious charges against her character ai|d teaching, I regard it as the greatest public tribunal that has over been held in the city of Dunedin. The chairman was just ami impartial, both parties had full time and fair play, and the unanimous verdict of tlio vast assembly was, I consider, unmistakeably true and right, I think that it was a noble triumph of truth over falsehood, of right over wrong, and of the forgiving spirit of Christianity over the evil spirit of f»lso accusation.

He rejoiced to believe that they found in Mr Kelly a worthy Bucccssor to their late, noble, lion-hearted, oitholic-spirited Dr Roseby.— (Cheers.) He introduced Mrs Auffray to tho meeting, Mrs Auffray, who was, received with prolonged cheering, said that sho had been brought out of a terrible pit, and had her, foot placed on a firm rock. She referred to the difficulties of a nun going back to the world, and said that nuns wore taught to look upon Protestants as heretics, all of whom were condemned to eternal damnation It required a person of great moral courage to brave the persecution that followed escape from a convent or that followed a priest who had escaped and exposed the faults of the Church of Rome. The speaker referred to the penance inflicted on uunt, and said that those who underwent the most penance were looked on as the most perfect and the furthest advanced in the way of sanctification. Nuns must not evince the slightest outward manifestation, no matter what pain they suffered either physically, or mentally ; and no physical pain could compare with the mental anguish those had to suffer who wore shut out from all thoso they loVed in the world. Everything had to give way to unquestionable obedience to tho Lady Superior. Mrs Auffray related what she claimed to bo some of tho tyrannies inflicted in convents, and most of these were of a blood-curdling nature. These incidents had been published in her book “Convent Life Unveiled,” and she had challenged the Romish Church to disprove them. In conclusion she claimed that convents should be thrown open to public inspection. (Applause.) Why wore not these institutions subjected to civil jurisdiction? What was there so monstrous within their precincts that tho light of public gaze should be denied ? The public should qsk the Legislature to make some law In regard to these Institutions by which they would be thrown open to public hrtpootion. If convents were what the Church of Rome would make people believe they were, why were not their doors thrown open and the whole world allowed to look in and be edified by their sanctity ? She had to thank the Protestants of Dunedin for the support they had given her, and she also wished to thank the people who had supported her, notwithstanding the calumnies that were so freely circulated about her before sho came to Dunedin—even so far hack as October, 1885, these calumnies, without a particle of foundation, were published in the ‘ Tablet’—with a view of prejudicing the public against her. For the same reason Rome had hired her agents, Jesuits and others, to go about like snakes—creeping up behind a woman’s back to stab her with the poisonous fang of calumny ; and in a hidden manner pressure had been brought to boar on tho people of Dunedin to cause them to do an unfair and un-British-liko act—to judge not only a woman, but to judge anyone, and condemn her unheard.—(Great cheering.) For that reason, also, she thanked the people of Dunedin who, notwithstanding all that had been brought to hear upon them, had bravely supported her and attended her lectures. Like bravo and just people who would not allow themselves to bo thus prejudiced, they had come to hear and jndge for themselves, and she thanked them for that, for the attention 1 ' they had shown her, and for the triumph of the previous night, (Applause.) She came here trusting in God—sho had no trust in her own self or her powers—but sho had all confidence and trust in God, and felt that He would bo a strong fortification and rock. She knew that He would not allow truth in her person to be crushed by perjury or falsehood.—(Cheers.) She asked in future for their kind sympathy, encouragement, and prayers. Sho stated positively that during the past sixteen years she had heard nothing so utterly unprovoked as the attacks made on her by Mr Fred Fulton. The Romish Church, with its Fope, cardinals, and priests, from the time sho left the convent till this day—not one of them had ever called her publicly, nor, as far as she know, privately, an impostor.—(Hear.) Nor had they publicly called her a colossal fabricator. Sho did not know that sho was colossal in any way.—(Laughter.) She pitied Mr Fulton ; she pitied him from the bottom of her heart, and was sorry that anyone could he so lost to nil sense of manhood and' of shame. If this man had been brought up in the Romish Church he might have had some occasion for his attacks, and she might have thought, after his unmanly attacks, that tho Church of Romo had robbed him of all the chivalrous principles be ever possessed ; hut as he did not outwardly profess to be a Roman Catholic, she could only come to the conclusion that he never possessed those excellent qualities at all. (Long continued applause.) As a woman she naturally shrank from publicity, but the exigencies of the case demanded an appeal on her part to tho public. The facts she had witnessed would have disgraced tho dark ages, yet they were taking place in the nineteenth century. If her simple narration of facts prevented girls from entering convents, and aroused the Protestant people to the dangers growing up in their midst, and she was the instrument of bringing souls out of the Romish Church, it would be a great work accomplished, and her reward would be exceedingly great.— (Cheers.) Her mother, three sisters, and two brothers had, through her exertions,

left the Church of Rome, and their conversion was worthy of a whole lifetime of persecution. —(Prolonged cheers). The Chairman : The Orangemen of Dundin, a Protestant association, as the meeting are aware,' have naked '.mo to present the following, address (handsomely illuminated by Mr Georgb) to Mrs Auffray To Mrs Edith O’Gorman Aulfray. Dear Madam, —With ’great truth we rejoice that In the providence’of God you have come to this City to tell us the story of your terrible, wrongs, and to raise your voico against an organisation' that wo believe would sap our most cherished liberties'ami destroy our noble constitution.

We have listened with deep interest to your eloquent lectures, and before you depart desire publicly to express our sincere ami high appreciation of your valuable services in tho cause of Protestantism. AVc value tho importance of your earnest appeals to ua ns citizens of this young and growing commonwealth to zealously guard and hand down tho noble inheritance secured and bequeathed by tho glorious struggle of our reforming fathers. Wo rejoice at tho large audiences of Clio people that eVer‘ flocked to hoar you, and tho common people heard you gladly, although before you came anonymous and slanderous papers wore continuously circulated against you, and secret enemies scandalously defamed your character. However, we bog to assure you that you have our utmost confidence and sincere goodwill. Wo pray that your valuable life may be long spared, and that your mission, to tho Southern colonies will under God bo very successful, not only in loading many to see tho errors of tho Church of Rome, but also to seo the truth as it is in Jesus. Wo are sincerely (on behalf of tho Dunedin Orangemen)— Cham. 15. • Ward, Grand Chap. N.Z., Chairman of Public Meeting, , Garrison Hall. Jas. Mulligan, G. Sea. Gicougß Logan, D.D.M. Jab. H. Arnold, D. Sec.

Dunedin, March 3,1886. I have very great pleasure, madam, in presenting this to you, and greater pleasure in saying that before last night’s glorious triumph the Orangemen had prepared this address. They had every confidence in you before that enemy—that snake in the grass —was put so much to rout.—(Loud applause, )

Mrs Auffray : Mr Chairman, Orangemen, and Protestant citizens of Dunedin, — I do thank yon from the bottom of my heart for this disinterested expression you have given me of your sympathies and confidence,' I shall endeavor by God’s grace to become more and more worthy of your esteem ; and if wc may never again meet on this earth,, may we by God’s grace be mode more worthy of meeting hereafter.—(Cheers.)

■ -Mr A. C. Bkou, rb chairman of the public meeting of the previous night, said that he had been requested by a number of friends to present Mrs Auffray with, a solid silver' salver. Tho souvenir was intended to ex- ; press their admiration’of the manner in which tho lady had conducted herself during her residence in Dunedin,under the strongest .and greatest provocation which could possibly have been offered'to any person in any position. —(Hear.) Mrs Auffray had shown ‘ that sho did not fear either force or fraud. He waagladto say that the brutal assaults ; to whlbK the lecturer had l>oen subjected in other places had not been repeated here. But that other weapon—the voice of calumny —had been unsparingly employed, and so employed that every fair person in Dunedin must consider a most disgraceful way.— (Hear.) Most of those present, and indeed a large majority of the people of this Colony, called themselves Protestants. What did the term mean ? It meant “We protest against something.” And what was that something? Tho error* and corruptions of tho Church of Rome. As a parent with a large family, ho said that he would rather sec a child of his in tho grave than enter the door of a convent. —(Loud applause and great, waving of handkerchiefs.) Ho believed that every Protestant who had studied the subject would be of the same opinion. Just a year ago Mrs Auffray was in Edinburgh, and iit a largo gathering held In the Free, Assembly Hall on March 13, 1883, ' the Rev. Dr J, A. Wylie, Professor of tho Protestant Institute of Scotland, thus referred to her mission :—“ It has been' for the good of others that you have been in the slavery of tho convent. You can toll what that bondage is, having borne it; and you may well regard yourself as being especially called by God to the task of exposing its evils and abuses, and to the lifting up of your voice, for thoso who arc ready to perish ! You have been honored with the slander and organised opposition of those enemies whoso unholy and un-British practices you witness against. Yes, you have been guilty of a crime which Romo never forgets, never pardons, and never can pardon. You were a nun, and you dared to he free ! You wore held In slavery by an unholy chain, and you broke it! ‘ Fear not, them who can kill the body.’ Commit yourself by prayer to Him who is able to keep you. I have read your book on ‘ Convent Life,’ In Lisbon, last summer with great interest. Ye*, I read It in a convent in Portugal, which ha* been confiscated by the Government, and it is now the property of tho Free Church of Scotland. That convent contains many extraordinary things! It i* a gteat mausoleum, for under its floors great dignitaries are sleeping—kings and queens of Portugal and famous ecclesiastics have been interred there, but all are now the property of the Free Church, I took refuge in its dungeons in the hot days. I could come and go at my pleasure, but that was not what the poor nuns and monks could do, who had to suffer ki those dark dungeons. I road your book there, and I admired the delicacy with which you spoke on such a system. I have read many works on conventualism, and I knew what horrible things you could have told; butwhich in your pure, modest womanhood you have refrained from presenting to tho public in their glaring enormity. Wc have tho record of many noble women on tho page of sacred history, from Miriam and Deborah, down to Mary and Martha, and othci son the page of Pagan story. And now wc add another to tho list of women who have done worthily when tho hearts of men waxed faint, when wo add the name of Edith O’Gorman, whose narrative of trial and suffering has thrilled ns so much, and who Is with us here to-night. It has been well for us that you have been down, and felt and seen tho inner life and misery of convents; because you have boldly raised your indignant protest against that system. Romish emissaries pursued you with slanders and brutal assaults, but you have courageously withstood the one and providentially escaped the other. Your cause is good and just, and unless liberty is to perish in our country it must one day ho crowned with success; and when that day come* your labors shall have their meet reward.”— (Applause.) The community of Dunedin should bo thankful to Mrs -Auffray for reminding them of what they had forgotten or had never known. The salver Bore the. following inscription: sented to Mrs Edith O’Gorman Auffray as a memorial of an immense public meeting held in Dunedin, New Zealand, on the 2nd March, 18S0, in which she triumphantly vindicated her character and the genuineness of her mission against the base aspersions circulated on behalf of the Church of Rome.—On behalf of tho Committee of Management, Alex. C. Begg, chairman.” Mrs Auffray rose for tho purpose of replying, but for a few momenta she was unable to speak, her emotion being SO great. She said that she could not find words to express her gratitude for the noble testimony and theencouragement given her, Sho should never forget the encouragement and sympathy given her in Dunedin,' and with God’s grace, as she before said, she would o-ndoavor in tho future to become more worthy of their support. If she could thoroughly arouse Protestants to the evils that tho Romish Church was propagating in their midst her reward would be great. They had something more than the religious body to deal with ; they had to deal with tho political body. (Applause.) Tho Church of Rome never ceased to bolster up her infallibility and her supremacy. She claimed supreme power over the king on the throne as well as over the peasant in the field. Her great strength was in her outward unity. She (Mrs Auffray) exhorted Protestants to be true to their principles, for the spirit of the Inquisition stiff existed.

Aft- Bruntox next addressed the meeting. He said that apparently Protestants tried to forget the fact that Rome was unchanged ana unchangeable. In his opinion it was high time that convents were open to public inspection.—(Cheers), Personally he should

exceedingly enjoy having the power given liy law of going with some person into the Dunedin convent. There was a certain wallin the convent overlooking Rattray street—a great blank space without a window. Thore was a little opening about one foot square, and he would like to know what was behind that blank wall.—(Laughter). He did not think there could be the slightest doubt in the mind of any unprejudiced person that Mr Pulton had been put forward in this matter by members of the Church of Rome. Ho (the speaker) admitted having been utterly “sold” by this man Fulton.— (Great laughter.) He again referred to the document produced by Mr Fulton and the one found in a waste-paper basket in the ‘ Daily Times’ oflice; declared them to be fao-similo, and said that people who knew the hand-writing of Mr Perrin, editor of the ‘Tablet,’ affirmed that both the documents were written by him. Yet Mr Fulton had stated that his document had been hi his possession for years.—(A Voice: “He’s a liar.”) The speaker regarded the finding of the second document as the most remarkable interposition of Providence ho had ever heard of. He saw in it God at work in order to defend truth from His enemies. In conclusion, he read the following petition, which it was intended to have signed and presented to both Houses of Parliament at the ensuing meeting:— That your petitioners believe, from undeniable evidence, that the right of civil liberty is violated by the existence cf convents of the Church of Homo—controlled by foreign or British subjects under the authority of the Church of Home - throughout the British possessions. In consequence of the individual restraint of tiio Inmates or nuns therein, wc pray that the Legislature will pass an Act providing for the liberty of Her Majesty’s shbjccts in convents, by compelling tiio authorities to have them thrown open for public inspection. A show of hands in favor of the petition was called for, with the result that nearly every hand in the meeting was hold up amid groat cheering.

The Chairman submitted a proposal to the effect that the local representative of the Press Association bo requested to telegraph the petition throughout tiio Colony. This resolution was carried with enthusiasm. The usual complimenit to the chair terminated the proceedings.