Their Majesties at, St, Paul's.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6201, 23 February 1904, Page 2

Their Majesties at, St, Paul's.

46, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C, January, Bth, 1904. Rev. F. H. Spencor, Wanganui, Nev/ Zealand. Dear Mr Spencer.—l am glad to be able to report a further step in our preparation for the celebration of the Society's contenary. The suggestion for the observance of "Bible Sunday" has been received most warmly in almost every part of the world. The Churches of Stvedon, Norway, and Denmark have all promised to take part, and most of the Proteatant Churches of Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland will q,lsq join with us. The American Bible Society is making successful efforts to secure a Uke result in the United States. We are thankfnlto God Almighty, amongst other blessings, for the privilege he has given the Bible Sqciety in allowing it to be in this way a means ot uniting in common worship all those who are the followers of Christ. In particular, we rejoice that the movement has now taken a wider basis than that which 13 represented by religions organisations. We hopo that in every Christian country the whole mass of the people may be induced to unite in this great festival, and thus bear testimony to the responsibility which they admit being members of Christian nations. To this end we are inviting the civil authorities to take part, and as a first step we have petitioned his Majesty the King, through Che Archbishop qf Canterbury, to attend, accompanied by the Queen, the service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Bible Sunday. Their Majesties have graciously consented to do this, so that the service at St. Paul's will be in a large sense of a national character. I convey this information to you that you may use it in securing the attendance of his' Majesty's representative in yqur pvsrn district, if i§u,ch ba possible. We gtanc{ befpre the worjd as a Christian na'.ion, whose government, administration, and justice are all founded npon the precepts of our religion, it is therefore only fitting that those who are the representatives of national government should join in thanks for the Book which embodies the principles whioh they represent. We shall be glad to hear that in making your arrangements for Bible Sunday you have secured the attendance of those who are the official heads of your district at some central place of worship. Kindly repcyb to us aa soon as possible, by wire, if necessary, the result of your efforts.—Believe m.% yours sincerely, A. Taylor.