Who Issued Them?

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 793, 10 March 1894, Page 2

Who Issued Them?

I have been waited upon this week by Mr S. H. Matthews, secretary to the Auckland Tabernacle, with reference to the blasphemous railway ticket to Heaven whose fac simile was published in a recent issue of the Observer. Mr Matthews disclaims on behalf of the pastor and officers of the Church any knowledge whatever of or connection with the offensive ticket. They know nothing of it, and they wißh me to say emphatically that it was not isßned by any of their agencies. And, I am glad to add, Pastor Blaikie fully endorses our condemnation of it as a blasphemous production.

From which it would appear that I have unwittingly done the Tabernacle pastor and officers an injustice. Bat whence came that ticket ? I have made enquiries again, and I am assured that it was circulated at a meeting of the Tabernacle Young People's Christian Endeavour Class. Then, who issued it? I have one copy in my possession, and Mr Matthews says he knows of half-a-dozen members of the class who have duplicates. Surely, then, it would be easy to trace them. One thing, however, seems very clear : they were not distributed by the pastor or officers of the Tabernacle or by any of the agencies of the church, though they were issued to members of one of the church classes.