Passing Notes.

Freethought Review, Volume II, Issue 23, 1 August 1885, Page 3

Passing Notes.

Will some Dunedin friend, or Mr. T. C. Farnie, explain why the Annual Conference has this year been overlooked ? It should have taken place during Easter week. ° The Yen. Archdeacon Stock, of Wellington, when preaching in aid of the Maori mission, referred to the accusation that missionaries had been land sharks. The missionaries, _ he said, only bought land for the support of their children ! The following extracts from the Rules of the Liberal Association of New South Wales (as amended January, 1885) may be of interest to our readers :—“ No restriction of any kind whatsoever shall be placed on the Members, or any declaration required from them subject always to the Standing Rules andßye-Laws : - -The Association shall be formed on the following bases :—l. The universal Brotherhood of Man. 2. The inherent right of all individuals to hold, practise', and proclaim any opinions, on all subjects whatsoever, which their conscientious convictions may demand ; always provided that this is done in such a manner as may induce no breach of the public peace, or interfere in any way with the liberty of others. 3. The duty of every individual to conserve and maintain this liberty. 4. The supreme authority of demonstrated Fact— Fidelity to Knowledge. 5. Aspiration after the highest Morality. 6. Respect for known Worth. 7. & The Sanctity of Truth, 8. The emancipation of Woman. 9. The right of everyone to the Product of his own Labour. 10. Complete Secularisation of the State. The objects of the Association shall be :—l. To watch the course of events, and be ready at all times to offer through its executive, the necessary opposition to any

encroachment upon, or restriction to general liberty : having especial reference to such as affect the religious convictions of those concerned. 2. To provide premises supplied with useful literature, where Liberals of all shades can meet together for social intercourse. 3. To assist in maintaining Sunday evening Lectures. 4. To render assistance by advice, or otherwise, to those who suffer in consequence of their opinions. 2. To promote the extension of Civil and Religious Liberty by all suitable means, 6. The extension of Sunday Freedom while limiting, as far as possible, Sunday Labour. Gospel blue ribbonism is the latest craze the colony has experienced. A Yankee, who knows a thing or two, has “ done ” the large centres, and done well himself. This individual has been converting wholesale, his method being somewhat akin to that of revival preachers, who, by exciting his audiences can get them into a state of mental intoxication, which lasts for a short time, and then dies away, leaving the unfortunate sufferer worse than he was at first. Temperance and total abstinence are good qualities, and cannot be too highly commended, but the mode adopted of securing converts is not likely to make permanent teetotallers. The reason that Christianity is introduced is not far to seek—the Bible will support any side, and the Christian ministers will patronise the man who patronises the Bible. So much is made of the good effects of “ belief in a divine being,” that occasionally attention is directed to the subject. In a reply to a sermon, by the Rev. Dr. Hitchens, of Eccleston, Mr. Bradlaugh writes as follows : —“ The belief,” says Dr. Hitchens, “ has stimulated men to deeds of heroism and holiness, and has deterred men from evil, both covert and conspicuous.” If before the words “ men” the words “ some ” were inserted, the allegation would be undeniable, but it would be equally true of patriotism or of love, The belief” stimulated the Inquisitors in Spain and Portugal to deeds of cruelty, which, if they were holy, were certainly not heroic. The belief lias certainly not deterred many men of exceeding professed devoutness from evil of the most horrible description. The Auckland Presbytery granted the Rev. Mr. Dunn 6 months leave of absence to visit Scotland. Before proceeding he did a tour of the colony, lecturing on “Physiognomy” as he went. The Presbytery heard of it and ordered him back to Auckland. He went and explained that he had intended to give lectures in Scotland on New Zealand and thought it best first to make a tour of the colon)'. He had plenty of time left then to go Home, visit his mother as he desired, and get back in the time allowed. He complained bitterly of the action taken by the Presbytery and of the remarks and insinuations made, lie told them that they might have dealt out a little more Christian charity and brotherly love before condemning him. The Presbytery ordered him back to his charge, hough his six months had not expired. From Christian charity of the Presbyterian type “ Good Lord deliver us.” The Rev. Lloyd Keesing is known in many parts of the colony. He delights in shifting about, and in endeavouring to make a name for himself as an enthusiast in Church matters. We have followed him from Feildingto Patea, thence to Dunedin, from thence to Auckland, and now we learn he is to proceed to Timaru. One of his last performances at Auckland was characteristic of him. On his last Sunday he held an “ eight o’clock celebration of the blessed sacrament ” to which about 300 people came. The number was unusually large, and so was the choir attendance, but the after event let out the secret—the pastor invited the communicants to breakfast. The idea was not a bad one — certainly somewhat novel— and might be followed by others who suffer from empty churches. N.B.— A small keg of beer might answer as well. The ‘ Freethinker 7 has adopted the practice of giving Colonel Ingersoll the name of “ Pagan Bob.” Considering that Freethinkers have in the past complained of Christians speaking of “ Tom ” Paine, and others in a like manner, it hardly seems consistent for a Secular paper to adopt the same style in speaking of its friends.

Messrs. Mendum and Leaver have worked together as editors of the ‘ Boston Investigator ’ for 46 years. One of the Davenport brothers who obtained such celebrity among spiritists by their rope tying performances, has found it to his interest to expose the fraud and is now in Chicago challenging the mediums to produce phenomena in his presence which he cannot explain. W. R. Bradlaugh, brother to Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, has started a monthly called the ‘ Anti-Infidel.’ According to a review we have seen of it, the first number contained an article which strove to prove that Jepthah’s daughter was not sacrificed, but was devoted to perpetual virginity. The writer, to support this assertion, states that the text Judges XL, 40, should read “ The daughters of Israel went yearly to talk with (not lament) the daughters of Jepthah four days in the year.” The revised version says they went to “ celebrate ” the daughters of Jepthah, and in the margin the word “ lament ” is to be found, It will thus be seen that the revisers of the Old Testament do not bear Mr. Bradlaugh out in this, the latest, attempt to twist texts. The Rev. C. Worboys has been continuing his discourses on “ Faith and Frecthought,” One of the latest subjects was The Honest Sceptic, How to Treat Him.” The rev. gentleman allowed that it was an error to condemn all doubt, and instanced the case of Martin Luther as one in which doubt had produced truth. He quoted from the Rev. H. Price Hughes, of London, to show that the scepticism of the present time is superficial, and, indeed, Christianity in formation. The rev. gentleman probably meant to say that this superficial scepticism which troubles the ministers so much really held in itself all most important truths which went to the formation of Christianity. He urged his hearers to maintain their moral rectitude, and live up to the light they possessed, advice we can most cordially endorse. In the second portion of his address the Rev, Mr. Worboys dwelt on the way to treat sceptics—viz., directly, personally, with much sympathetic consideration, recognising the good that was m them. Mr. Worboys’ address appeals more to the sentimental side of his hearers than the logical, but he seems to avoid the harsh, and unkind manner which at times does more to confirm us in our ways than all the arguments produced by those of our own side will. It will be remembered that during May the Sydney School of Arts took steps to prevent the ‘ Liberator ’ appearing on their table. This step was taken on account of some remarks made by Mr. Symes reflecting on the Queen and John Brown. At the public meeting held in Sydney to discuss the matter Mr. C. Bright spoke well, and he took the correct view when stating that the action of the body referred to would have the effect of increasing the sale of the ‘ Liberator ’ in Sydney. Mr. Bright was also, to our mind, in the right in saying that it was unmanly to make an attack of this kind on a woman, no matter what position she occupied ; and he stated that had he been the editor of the paper he would not attack persons but principles. While we regret that the ‘ Liberator ’ has been removed from the table of the School of Arts, we regret much more that it should adopt such a system of attack. Bismarck has not got over his experiences of an English Sunday. In the ‘Reichstag’ he took part recently in a debate on Sunday observance. After stating that he was not in favour of compulsory Sunday observance unless the working man wished it, he said that, “ As for English Sunday observance, he thought there was a great deal of mere habit in it :— “ 1 must say that when I was in England I always had a painful and uncomfortable impression of the English Sunday ; and I was always glad when it was over. I am sure, too, that many Englishmen had the same feeling about it, for they sought to accelerate the march of time (on that day), without witnesses, in a manner which I would rather not characterise, and were overjoyed when Monday dawned. Whoever has lived in English society will understand what I mean. On the other hand, if you go into the country around Berlin,

if it docs not exactly happen to be near a brewery, and look at the villages, you are pleased with the appearance of the people in their holiday garb, and thank God that we live not under the yoke of an English Sunday.” Professor Huxley is in feeble health and has been obliged to cease work. During the year 1340 new members joined the National Secular Society of England. Mr. Bradlaugh has been left the reversionary interest in some leasehold properties by an English Freethinker lately deceased. Japan is said to be flooded with infidel literature, particularly the writings of Herbert Spencer and Ingersoll. Pope Pius IX. has been dead seven years, yet he is still in purgatory. At least we judge so from the fact of the Catholic churches offering on the anniversary of his death solemn requiem masses for the repose of his soul. If it takes seven years to pray a pope’s soul out of purgatory, how long does an ordinary sinner stay there ?— ‘ Sunday Gazetter.’ “ Gordon Judged out of his own mouth is the title of a series of articles published in the ‘ National Reformer ’by Mrs. Besant. The story, which is taken from the blue books, shows that Gordon, under the name of “ taxation,” made raids on neighbouring tribes and took their cattle, that while he punished slavedealers he bought slaves himself for soldiers, and that he held the opinion that slavery could not be abolished in the country he was in. As for his religious beliefs it is shown that he did not approve of missionaries, that he had a curious strain of mysticism in him but was not an orthodox Christian, that he was a fatalist and believed that everything that happened was decreed by God and could not be helped, that at times when in doubt as to acting he followed the practice of “ tossing up so that God could decide, and that he actually believed God, in answer to the incanttaions of some native magicians repulsed his troops. “ Gordon may be recognised in future as brave, honest, and loyal, but not as the ideal warrior-saint of modern Christianity” says Mrs Besant.