The Salvation Army and its New Assailant.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4963, 29 March 1884, Page 3

The Salvation Army and its New Assailant.

♦ TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — You noticed in your issue of yesAordivy a pamphlet by the Rev Mr iSlocombe, which severely handles :the Salvation Army, and is intened, if possible, to •crush it. The pamphlet appeared first in ithe shape of anonymous articles in the ■Otago Daily Times. These displayed .ability, but also betrayed a strong bins .against the body referred to. Not a pai--ticle of credit does he give them for any good done by them. x He endeavours to prove bad logic, bad grammar, dishonesty, *nd immorality from the "Orders and Regulations" and the "Doctrines" of ■Gonoral Booth. No doubt there is much in tho doctrines and methods of the Salvation Army that many Christian people take .exception to j but if any ono were to come forward and seriously find fault with their way of working, it would be necessary for liim to show a more excellent way. ' It would have been better had the Salvation Army been left alone. The immediate effect of the articles is to increase ihe sale of the very books the lecturer condemned. In reply to his challenge to produce them, 3000 more are to be printed .-and sold at a low price. In one article the writer says that ministers had hitherto been sympathising with the Army because of their trumpeting of deeds •done. This can be easily refuted. Favourable testimony can bo had from ministers quite as capable qf forming an 'opinion. Some of these have watched the Army, they say, for years. They can .answer for themselves, but some of them I lenow have formed their opinions after -close observation of tho workers and their work. They would be helpless or in•different judges if they could not judge for themselves, and required to be instructed in this ■way.' Tho reason of Earl Shaftesbury's unfavourable, opinion probably is, that he judged by one or two meetings, and did not trouble to look beneath the surface. Had he witnessed the self-denial, the zeal, the devotion of the workers, and the ♦change effected on drunkards and outcasts, he would have written differently. | The pamphleteer may shut his eys to the -fact, but it is true that many Christians all over New Zealand sympathise with theae people. Many things seem strange about the time and way in which the pamphlet has appeared, which I have no time to notice. To U3e the author's own elegant illustration in the Dunedin Star, of a navvy smoking his pipo while his wife thrashed him, and slaying, "It pleases she, and it don't hurt me," we can believe that the Salvatiojn may adopt these words with referenco to the strong feelinga shown in the pamphlet which you have brought under notice. So long as the efforts of the Army are directed to the lost and degraded arid careless, the churches have little to fear. A more serious evil would be inactivity .and variance within themselves. — I am, .&0., NOT ONE OF THE ARMY. |[Owing.to the extreme length of this letter, a considerable portion had to bo excised. Ed. Star.]

TO THE EDITOH OP TltE STAB. Sni, — I have nob read the pamphlet •written by Mr Slocombc, entitled " Salvationisin exposed/ but I have read the du'tiulea to which he alludes, in the Otago Daily Times j also, General Booth's Instructions to Officers, Doctrines, Discipline, &o. I have also read various digests and hand-books of church polity, discipline, &c, in connection with other denominations (Mr Slocombo'a included, that is if ho has not changed his creed again lately), and after careful study of the abovd mentioned works, &c, my opinion is that while Mr Slocombo has been ati-aining ab gnats lately in connection with the General's orders, he has for some time past been swallowing camels in connection with the ordor under which he exists. I think, Sir, that if Mr Sloeombe were a saved man, in.atead of so much starch and twaddle, he would rojoice over tho good work being dono through tho iastrumontality of the Salvation Army.- I am afraid, Sir, that in tho nineteeth century the matter of £ a. d. has a great deal to do with aouio men's creed and views of church polity. I bcliovo thero are officers in the Salvation Army who can Bay, with Pete.r and John, " Silver and gold have I none," but whose hearts are full of lovo for their fellow creatures ; and, despite the assaults and persecution brought to bear upon them ! in this " Christian Age," they ar« doing a j grand and noble work amongst that class of people which the churches have failed to reach. I am sorry, Sir, that Mr Slocombe's time is devoted to such trivial matters as hair-splitting in church polity, instead of preaching the " Gospel to a perishing world." — I am, &c, SCEUTINIZER.