RELIGIOUS INCENDIARISM

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 28, 6 November 1885, Page 21

RELIGIOUS INCENDIARISM

(From the Wellington Post.)

It is with the mo9t sincere and deep feelings of regret that we notice the appearance up^n The platform in Auckland of a female lecturer named Edith O'Gorman Auffrey, described as •• an escaped dud " and officially announced as appearing under the auspices and at the express invitition of the Grand Orange Lodge of New Z 'aland Mr^> Auffrey, according to her own statements, is an American born of Catholic parents, but brought up in a Methoiist seminary, which she left to become an inmate of a convent, subsequently ta'kino- the veil. After some year's experience of a nun's life she renounced Roman Catholicism ami joined some Protestant deHomination. This appears to be all inner personal history justifying- the descnpti >ri of het being •' an escaped nun, ' for, so far as we can gather from h.-r reported utteiances, it is only from conscientious and moral bonds not from physical or material restraints, that she claims to have effected her escape She explains her present mission to be. to " with unalterable determination to sound the tocsin of alarm throughout the world "' This means that by the use of inflammatory language and highly-gr iced descriptions of her own alliged convent experiences, she is* endeavouring; to stir up as much religions strife as she can, and to set creed ngnmst creed, so as to c^iuse civil discord to anse from religious differences. Apparently {.he glories injher success in this direction, as sbe says that in consequence of her]sounding the tocsin •• bhe has b< 'en shot at in the United States, the bullet passing through nor bo m.-t and setting fire to the veil. Sixty times, within the last fmr y '.tr-, had she been mobbed in Eng and, and seven times in Scotland. " Having managed to esc&pe martyrdom in these countries Mm. Auffrey has now come to New Zealand with the amiable desin- to do her best to excite or incite similar outrages in this hitb-Tto peact ful community. Her mission is avowedly that of a religious incendiary. She aiaas at creating strife, is anxious to stir up religious animosities! hopes to eet friend against, friend and creed against creed, quite

regardless of the civic disorder which may probably ensue. Al, ima she seek 9to do by lacerating and outraging the most tender fee ings of a large body of the colonists of New Zealand, and holding up to public contumely and scorn all that they hold most dear and sacred. We have no sympathy with such aims or proceedings. On th^ contrary, we deem it the duty of all good colonists to unequivocally discountenance both, and by every means in their power seek to extinguish every species of religious fanaticism, and quench every fanatical firebrand, without distinction of creed or sex. What have the inhabitants of a young country such as this where every man ia free_ to worship his Creator in what form he likes, to do with the sectarian strife, the religious animosities and the polemical hatreds of other climes and other times? The conditions of life anl society in this favoured land afford no foundation for such accusations as Mrs. Auffrey burls at her former co-religioniets in America. Even if her statements are true as affecting them, ta«y do not apply here. Can anyone in New Zealand do aught but smile derisively ia reply to her defiance to show that a Roman Catholic ever gave £1 towarda a Protestant institution, religious, literary, or scientific? Daily experience shows much morp handsome donations, and those who remember such men as Father O'Reilly, Father Petitjean, and Father Moreau must feel a certain amount of indignation at any assertion that no single priest was ever known to spend as much as £1 in charity. The details of convent life in America are equally inapplicable to any conditions existent in this Colony, where the ladies who occupy such institutions deservedly stand high in the esteem of all classes of the community as devoted and successful workers in the cause of education and charity. It is impossible that any good purpose can be served by the promulgation of the offensive imputations against the professors of any creed in a country where professors of all creeds are happily accustomed, cot only to dwell together in amity and concord, but to be intimately associated in good works. Only a few days ago in this city was witnessed a spectacle which vras a grand, noble, and inspiring sight t j every true Christian and lover of his fellow-men. It wps the Protestant Friendly Alliance aad the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society taking part in the same procession, marching one after another, each wear™ ing its own symbols, without exciting the slightest jealousy or illfeeling. and both inculcating and enforcing by presence and example some of the highest principles of true religion, charity, an 1 br therly love. It is concord anl amity such as this which Mrs. Auffrey seeks to undermine and to destioy. For such a procession as that of last week, rich in its promises of future good, she would substitute faction fiehts and all the other bitterness of sectarian strife. Other efforts have been ere now made in this Colony, and on various sides in the <urne direction, but happily they hare never succeeded, aud'we have never hesitated to denounce every attempt, no mat erfrom whom emanating, to excite bigotry and ciuse discord. Anything tending in eithei direccion is opposed to the best and highest interests of New Zealand and its people. Those who make such attetnpts arc* enemies to the State. Whether it has been Pastor Chiniquy, Father Hennebery, or Mr. Sawkins who has sought to fan the flame of religious animosity or to offend those who do not think as they think, we have always in the strongest manner deprecated such a policy, as we now deprecate the course puisued by Mis. Auffrey and the action of those wno have brought her her*', or who encourage and countenance her lectures. The laws of New /Wland guarantee tue fullest and most complete religious liberty to all within its bordeis. Bigotiy has hitherto been stamped down wnea<-ver it has ventured to raise its hideous head and we. trust that this state of things will continue, and that New Zealand may proudly and truthfully continue to claim that oere at least is realised the psalmist's ideal of tue good and beautiful, where brethren dwell together in peace and amity, each worshipping God in whatsoever manner he listeth. How those who profess °to be ministers of God, and to preach Christ's doctrine of peace ou earth atid goodwill toward men, can encourage and countenance proceedings provocative of strife, aud of such outrages as Mrs. Auffrey boasts she has excited, we cannot imagine. Ie is little sdort of mockery to fiud the blessing of the God of Peace invoked on a lecture full of malice, hatred, and uuchariubleness, which holds up to ridicule contempt, and reprobation, all that large numbers of their fe.low' Christians hold most sacred and most in respect, doing it, too, in a manuer and language which cau scarcely fail to provoke tu'tnult excite disorder, and engender the most bitter feelings. AJore especially is tins the cisc when it is remembered tu.it Mrs. Auffrey does not " »ound the tocsin " for nothing. Admission to her lectures is charged for as to any other show, aad a brisk tra le in cenain books which she has wriiten, is carried ou at the lectures. It will, indeed be an evil day for New Zealand when tue rule of religious faction supersedes the exercise of complete liberty of conscience, and when the form of a man's religious belief is regarded as being a matter other than one between himself and his Creator. Bigotry, intolerance, aud fauau> ism, have hn lierto found no congenial boil tor iheir baneful development in .New Zealand, and we nope they will never be perrni.tect to become ace imatised. All attempts at tueir propagation should be rutbles-Jy nipped in the buil. •• In Faith an<l Hope the woild will disagree, But all mankiud'a concern ib cuanty ; All must be false that thwart this one great end, Aud all ot God that bleas maiikiud or mend.'' (Auspex in the Auckland Weekly News') The beliefs anl doctrines of the Roman Caitiohc Cnurch are being vigorously asiailed m our city at the present time by two ladies wao formerly belonged to that Cuurcb, and who profe.s to have been co'ive'ted from what they call its pernicious d>>gm-is. I'li-j ouu iva^ converted some twelve years ago and tbe otb. r abour iour ; Uie f Truer was a nun aud ihe latter simply a sincer- Cat njlic. Ie seetiiH si range that alter conversion thfir paths should have b come so diftvrjiit ; while the nun found cojitort aud peac- in the b>;-,um ot a dissenting sec, her fellow-lecturer fou id th m in the region of Fieethuught ; while tbe nun has taken to the platform fur the avowed object of making PrutesUuts of Catholics, her youuger fneud is attempting to expose the superstitions of both. For ourselves we

like it not. Truth will prevail in spite of error, and it needs not each stirring np of sectarian feeling to promote its cause. Let educatian advance, and then the mass of the people will be able to judge for themselves of the respective merits of the different behefs, »nd let each one enrol under that banner in which he finds peace. It is not an ennobling work to sow the seeds of discord in a community Belief is a matter for each individual, and with each is a matter of conscience. If one believes in the principles of any system, it illbecomes him to fiad fault with the system because he finds some of the teachers of that system no better than they ought to be • if he does not believe in that sys'em, he should quietly withdraw from it and leave its followers in peace. From the manner in which the addresses of the escaped nun are made public, there appears to be a large element of finance in the whole affair, hence there seems much of inconsistency in opening the business with prayer. Were the funds to be devoted to some religious purpose it would perhaps be consistent to open thus ; but in a public meeting, where doubtless some of all creeds and no creeds are included, it is unsuited. And why should a vote of thanks be returned a lecturer who, as reward for her services, has levied a heavy toll from every person present ? We would humbly suggest that the lecturer return thanks to the audience for their kind attendance and attention.