As to Miracles.

There are in Wellington as I write two "vital healers" performing exactly the same miracles as did Christ and the Apostles, excepting raising the dead, which, of course, can be done to-day with the apparently drowned, or some of those struck by lightning. In the Wellington Town Hall the palsied, sick, lame, halt and blind went upon the stage and were relieved for a time. Why did Wellington Christians and newspapers revile these men and drive them from the town? Surely if they could relieve pain and misery, if only for twelve hours, they should have been allowed to do so. The Apostles did so. Father John of Cronstradt did so. If they took too much advantage of this simple electrical, magnetic or hypnotic power why cannot some of our medical men follow their methods? Christ certainly did so. In a superstitious age the exhibition of this power of healing was the sole foundation of Paul and himself being regarded as gods. Personally I believe in medical science, and also in mental healing; but there is no miracle in either. Christ was a mental and vital healer, exactly the same as Father John of Constradt, Mrs Eddy, or any of the mistaken worshippers of Lake Zurich. In fact the mental cures of the devil worshippers surpass those of Mrs Eddy. Are we to deify these people ? I think not. There for the deification in the Gospels under the doctrine of Trinitarianism is highly objectionable, and is being abandoned now by the churches themselves. The simple fact of so many Christian and devil worshipping people possessing this power of healing proves undoubtedly that it is not supernatural, but simply one of the laws of our Creator, and our duty is to regard it as such, thoroughly investigate it, And Make use of it. But not to call in a doctor when we are ill is folly; only medical men should not seek to accumulate too much wealth from their patients in too short a time.

In order that New Zealand should hereafter be "One People, with one Church and one God" careful enquiry is necessary into the above list of errors. I ask to be excused for making that list, which I do for our future good. There are no religious. sects in my mental vision—only God and humanity. I respect a Roman Catholic as much as a page 27 Plymouth Brother, But we have too many railways and steamers now to afford room for more than one religion and one God for this small planet, and it is a complete blunder for the Bible Society to distribute anything but the Bible. The flag of Humanity must float, as I say, high above Cross and Crescent. It is time for us to cast down all sectarian symbols, especially the Cross. We must be but the one people in New Zealand, and if the Roman and Protestant priesthood wish to divide us we must say: "No! We are but the one people, under the one God; we will have but the one Church, and our children shall live in harmony with one another, and be educated side by side!" We cannot expect agreement between capital and labour, between man and man, unless we have harmony in our schools. There cannot even be trade unionism if Roman workmen obey their priests before their unions. I would strongly urge keeping the clergy away from birth, marriage or burial—any civil registrar or J.P. to perform the marriage ceremony or read the burial service. For our" future harmony as one people (and Australasia will be but the one people)—the clergy to be kept entirely away from these functions. Their interferance simply means forging the bonds of Roman or Protestant tighter. The laity must throw off the clerical yoke.