THE RELIGIOUS COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 61

THE RELIGIOUS COLUMN.

* . " The Bishop pf Dunedin and Mrs Nevill, who are passengers in tho s.t. Gothic from London, will probably return here on or ab ufc the 15th prox. -

• . • The Rev. Arthur Robir.s, chaplain-in-ordinary to the Queen, chaplain to tbe Prince of Wales and to tbe Household Brigade, recently preached bis 5000 th sermon at Windsor. In celebration of the occasion, his parishioners have presented him with a complete set of clerical robes.

• . • Nine candidates were nominated for the election of clerical representatives for the Diocese of Dunedin to the General Synod of the Anglican Church to be held at Cnristchurch in February next. The Very Rev. Dean Fitchett, Yen. Archdeacon Robinson, and Yen. Archdeacon Gould wera elected. At the request of the bishop's commis'ary (Yen. Archdeacon Robinson), the chancellor of the diocese (Mr B. C. Haggitt) and the treasurer of synod (Mr C. H. Statham) acted as scrutineers.

• . • Two Chinese ladies — Dr Hu King Eog and Miss Wang — are, it is stated, to be tbe delegates of the Celestial Empire at the Women's Congress to be held in London in 1898. The former, who is known as the " Miracle Lady," on account of her success in the art of healing, obtained her degree of Doctor of Medicine at the Women's Medical College, Philadelphia. This truly wonderful progress — for Chinese women — is said to be due to the visit of Li Hung Chang to England, who, on his return, appointed the first Chinese lady doctor as physician to the women of his household.

• . • Dr Alexander, Primate of Ireland, is not only the moot notable figure in the Irish church, but also a very conspicuous and popular member of Irish society. His tall, stately figure and dignified bearing make h r m the physical ideal of a prelate, whilst his rich, musical voice and national gift of oratory giva him a rank as a popular preacher second only to the late Archbishop Magee. In spite of his 73 years, the Archbishop preserves his youtblul love of fun, and the merry twinkle in his eyes is the invariable prelude to an anecdote or jest which sets " the table in a roar."

Weird Religious Service. — A remarkable religious service took place in Ocean Grove, iv the Stale of New Jersey, where tho building was purposely made totally dark, except for a gleam of light from the altar, where the head of Christ stood out from purple draperies. No word was spoken, and the intense and impressive silence was broken at intervals by the soft notes of violins and chimes made for the occasion, terminating in a weird echo "of song. The darkness made moving impossible, and the audience were strangely stirred by the ceremony and worked up to a high pitch of excitement.

• . • The Rev. J. C Small preachedhis farewell sermon in St. Paul's Cathedral on Monday from 2nd Cor. ii, 16— "Who is sufficient for these thiDg9?" — and gave the Apostle's answer — " I thank God, through Jesus Chr'st our God, I can do all things." References were made to the works of artists and scientists, who recognised their limitation?, to the noble women who devoted their lives to relieving the wants of suffering humanity in our hospitals, and also to the necessity of supplementing the work of Sunday echool teacher's. During the past three yean he had received kind sympathy and ready help from every member of the congregation, and he said he need not ask for similar consideration for his successor as curate of St. Paul's Cathedral.

• . • When it became known that the Rev. J. C. Small had been promoted to the curacy of Clyde and other parts of Central Otago several presentations were arranged in his honour. These included a Prince of Wales rug from Sb. Paul's Association, a Gladstone bug from St. Paul's Sunday afternoon school, and several books from children attending the morning school. The rev. gentleman was recently entertained at a social j n g^ p au \' 8 Schoolroom, and Archdeacon Robinson, in

making a presentation, expressed the regret of Mr Small's friends that he was about to leave the city. The rev. gentleman briefly thanked the contributors for their kindness. He leaves Dunedin by train this morning.

Presbyterians in England. — The noble historical witness of Presbyteriaus to tho Gospel would render its representatives worthy of respect even if they were but momumental of the past, as the Quakers and Moravians largely are. But the Official Handbook of the English Presbyterian Church proves that the revival of Presbyteiiauism in England is a reality. The fact musb be welcome to all lovers of civil and rc-ligious liberty, for ifc administers consolatory reassurance in the midst of the ominous recrudescence of priestcraft under the auspices of a reactionary government. PresbyterianUm means a true and sturdy Protestantism, especially when it is free from all the corruption of State patronage. The English Preabj terians, in their modern organisation, are wielding a social and spiritual power beyond all proportion to their numbers. They have in London about a dozen powerful churches, whose members are almoEt entirely drawn from the working classes. One of these has a membership of over 600. The cuclook ii now doubly favourable for Presbyteiians ; for the frantic efforts of sacerdotalists to Romanise the Anglican Church are producing wide and deep disgust, which will drive multitudes of thoughtful people out of the Established Church into the FreeCommunious. Nonconformity has nothing to fear and nothing to lose in view of the spiritual infatuation of the priests, which has even bewitched the Government itself — Christian Commonwealth.

• . • The Rev. Dr Rouse, who has been engaged in Biblical revision and literary work in connection with the Baptist Mission Press in Calcutta, occupied the pulpit in three churches on Sunday, appearing £t John street, C*versham, in the morning, at South Dunedin in the afternoon, and iit Hanover street in the evening. In the morning and evening he spoke of the Indian mission, and referred to the difficulties of the work connected with the roi-s : OD, and its prospects. He said that mission work in India musb never be judged by the number of baptisms, partly becaure there were a number of believers who, for various reason*, were not baptised. He also stated that there was a general leavening influence at work which was slowly producing a feelir g of the falsity of Hindooism and of the truth of Christianity. When there was such an enormous population as there was iv India and so few workers it might be some generations before they came to the actual profession of the Christian re'igicn The population of India was more than twice that of the whole of the Roman Empire at one time, and it took nearly '200 years to make that empire nominally Christian. Dr Rouse left for Melbourne on Monday in company with the R-jv. A. North. Both gentlemen are going to the neighbouring colony to attend a conference of delegates representing tbe Baptist Churches ot the Australasian colonies, the objecb of tho conference beiDg to discuss matters ot common interest to tho various churches and lay down linos for cooperation and closer union.