The New Zealand Truth
(Auckland, NZ)
Saturday, 18 May 1907
pg. 8.
A NEW RELIGION, OPERATING IN AUSTRALIA,
Missionaries in Melbourne,
The Go-Preachers
or " Dippers " —The "No-Sect Sect"—A Campaign of Cadging—Homes Broken Up—
Australians Beware
Of the making of new religious sects there is no end. And as if Australia had not already an ample variety of religiosity, a new one has come here.
Officially, they bear no name, but, for reasons hereafter explained, they are variously known as "The Go-Preachers," "The Cooneyites," "The Irvineites," "The No-Sect Sect," and sometimes as "The Dippers." Ostensibly, they have no responsible organisation, no headquarters, no offices; but, behind it all, there are, as usual, clever hands and cunning brains. Four representatives of the sect are already operating in Melbourne, while two are said to be at work in Sydney. It would appear that the sect was started in Great Britain in 1898. Six years previously one William Irvine, a colliery manager at Kilsyth, Scotland, attended a mission service held by the "Rev." John McNeil, an Evangelist. Eight months later he resigned his position and went to the Bible Training Institute at Glasgow, and until 1898 he was attached to the "Faith Mission," which sent out preachers all over the United Kingdom. But while working in the South of Ireland, Irvine came to the conclusion that his position was "inconsistent with the example of Christ," and he left the mission to preach alone. "Had I chosen the ordinary path that leads to the ministry, with its churches, chapels, congregations, and stipends, all would have been well," says Irvine. So he inaugurated the "Go-Preachers," who sometimes vary the name by calling themselves the
"TRAMP PREACHERS."
Their "Charter," as they call it, is the 10th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, and they are told to follow the Apostolic injunction: "And as ye go, preach, saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand," and "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses; nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats ... for the workman is worthy of his hire." Upon this foundation the Irvineites have built up an extensive system of fraud, imposition, cadging and credulity. In 1891 Irvine was joined by, amongst others, Edward Cooney, the son of an Enniskillen draper, who became a member of the sect with Annie Smith, one of his father's assistants. Later on Irvine and Cooney were joined by one Wilson McClung, and hence in certain parts of England the "preachers" are known as "McClungites."
Now what are the tenets of this sect? In the first place they cadge and loaf upon other people. Irvine himself says: "In exchange for bread and butter we give those who are In fellowship with us bread from Heaven—a real hearty, exchange. ... Whenever I have visited the home of a brother I have always found hospitality in exchange for that, which, as a preacher of the truth, I bring into it. ... As for those phases of the work which cannot be carried on without money, all I know is that the money has always been available." But at the back of all this bunkum there is the undeniable fact that Irvine's "converts" and "disciples" have supplied him with any amount of money. It has been ascertained that the income of Irvine and Cooney totals at least £2,000 a year, apart from the cost of sending "preachers" to the colonies and other expenses, such as bicycles, clothes, railway and boat fares, to say nothing of the cost where it must be incurred, of accommodation. But, primarily, the "Go-Preachers" or "The Dippers" are loafers.
Secondly, the "Go-Preachers" (according to the English papers which have investigated their proceedings) are breakers of homes, breeders of
STRIFE AND DOMESTIC DISSENSION.
Up to the commencement of the present year Irvine, had despatched 114 "preachers" to Canada and the United States, some score to South Africa, and half a dozen or so to Australia and New Zealand. These "preachers" are mostly girls, and it is evident, from published correspondence, that their movements are directed by Irvine and Cooney. Irvine says: "The preachers always go about in pairs—two men and two women. A sister always has her companion to whom she can appeal. If she thinks it advisable she may go to one of the brothers, who are always at hand, prepared to exercise nothing more than a brotherly control, which is the only kind of control we have. We don't recognise that sisters do more than help. They couldn't baptise." Scores of young men and women have turned their backs upon home and relatives and gone into the world as converts of the new religion. In many cases (inquired into by English journalists) four sisters named Wilson, the daughters of a farmer near Ipswich, were each entitled to £500 under their grandfather's will, and all this money went to Irvine. Numerous instances have been published of girls leaving home, and, under the influence of the new religion, going to America, Africa or Australia; and an authenticated case (in Lancashire) is given to prove that a young woman lost her reason through
THIS RELIGIOUS MANIA.
and had to be placed in confinement. "God provides," said the "preachers," but the £2,000 of the Wilson children should be borne in mind. A typical illustration of the practices of the "Go-Preachers" is that one of them who "lived" on a poor woman in Falkirk, Scotland, until she was compelled to put him out." Their "preachers" in Australia are carrying on the same game.
As to their assertion that they have neither organisation nor method; it is conclusively shown that, as a body, they are controlled by individuals; that there exists a perfectly understood system encouraging likely "preachers"; that, so far from their movements depending upon Divine guidance, they are mainly prearranged; that they are maintained and housed by an elaborate system liable to abuse; and that the strength of the preaching is modified to suit the occasion. If they can, they loaf; but sometimes "payment is necessary where there is no saints or no accommodation." All requests to Irvine or Cooney. from fathers or mothers for information, as to the
WHEREABOUTS OF THEIR CHILDREN
and the conditions under which they are living are refused. At the annual convention held in Belfast brothers and sisters (according to Irvine) "volunteer for the work in the colonies," but there is ample evidence that they are '''sent," and have no choice but to go.
Regarding "Go-Preachers" who are already operating in Australia, "Truth" has been able to ascertain that four are in Melbourne. Two of this quartette are Willie and Aggie Hughes (apparently brother and sister), who came here on the Oswestry Grange. Subsequently Aggie wrote: "We got into a Baptist hall, but only got staying a week. Were put out at the end of it, although we did try to go softly" (i.e., in preaching). The names of the others are at present unascertainable; and it is significant that the Melbourne Baptists, with which denomination the "Dippers" are stated to be allied, deny all knowledge of the sect. "Truth's" representative, who inquired into the matter, however, has reason to believe that the "Baptist hall" mentioned in the letter was
ONE IN FITZROY.
But the fact that there are representatives of the "Go-Preachers" in Melbourne and Sydney is fully established, and also that they are at work endeavoring to proselytise and "convert," and also to loaf, and cadge, according to their creed, upon those, who have provided themselves with a modicum of the good things of this world. It is worthy of note that the "Irvineites" are divided into two sections—the "preachers" and the "saints." The "preachers" are those who abandon the things of the world in order to devote their lives to preaching. The "saints" are those who remain at home "in fellowship" under the supervision of the. "bishops," among the latter being Irvine and Cooney. And it is an understood thing that the "preachers" in the colonies are expected to remit to the "saints" at home any monetary collections they may, make.
—Melbourne Truth
