ORANGE CELEBRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 1420, 14 July 1884, Page 2

ORANGE CELEBRATION.

Service at St. Luke's, Rcmucra,

The Orangemen having marched in proces sion to St. Luke's Church, at Remuera, on Saturday afternoon, service was conducted by Rev. G. B. Munro. The rev. gentleman addressed the members of the Society from, the text: "Prove all things; hold fast to which is good.'' Ho said that from the early ages down to tlie time of the Reformation men trusted to tlie fathers to interpret the Sciipturo, and think for them; but since then men thought for themselves —they proved all things, and when proved, they held fast the good. The liberties they now onjoyed, which were bought at such a cost, were good both to I'i-o'testant and Roman Catholic alike, and, whether or not Roman Catholics valued those privileges, they should, and hold them fast, for they were good. Ho urged upon all preset.t to buy the truth and sell it not, and, though it may cost a great deal, it is well worth preserving. The whole address was fraught with sound nVvicc, and listened to attentively by a full church. Annual Soiree. The annual soiree was held in St. James's Hall on Saturday evening. There was a very large attendance, and tea was served in two relays. Rev. T. W. Dunn, PastGrand Master, presided over the public meeting held subsequently. In his intro. duetory address the Chairman said he felt proud of the whole proceedings that day, and he trusted thattheirmotto would befrom that untilnextyearatallevents—"Forward." He asked them never to forget the liberties for which their forofathers bled and died, ami though the Irish race should feel proud that the liberties which Britain now enjoyed were gained on Irish soil, by tho evermemorable banks of the Boyne, yet they as Britons should also feel proud—for them they were as great a boon as they were to the sons of the Emerald Isle. He asked them as patriots, as Protestants, and as Orangemen to hold to the death what they now enjoyed, and let their watchwordalivays be, "No Surrender." There were some people who said " Your Society should be a matter of history and a thing of the past," but so long as Popery bad an existence there was need of this or some similar society. 1 hey would remember that Gladstone had said : " That the time had not yet come w hen free nations can profitably forget the power behind the Papacy.' That time had not arrived, and consequently the time had not come for the Orange Society to pass out of existence. It had yet a mission to fulfil and work to do, and they asked God to give them tho strength to fulfil that mission. Another reason why the Society should exist was that they should keep before the people the facts of the Revolt tion, in which our forefathers fought and bled for the free principles which we now possess. They must strive to keep these things before the people, who appeared, .-this, to be forgetting the grand principles that the Revolution brought us. He pointed out that Roman Catholics did not consider themselves so much subjects of the Queen of England as the Pope of Rome. Some might say this was far-fetched, and that the allegiance of Catholics was true, but only recently, papers published in England had said :--" We know the voice of the Pope is the voice of God,and wo must obey the Pope rather than the Queen of England." There were, in fact, two kingdoms in England to day, one being ruled over by the Qneen, and the other by the Papacy. The speaker concluded by an appeal to his audience to be jealous of the liberties and principles which had been won for them by their forefathers. Mr Brame also followed in a leni'thy address, after wiiich Mr G. McBride, R.W.G.M. of the Middle Island, gave a short address on the duties of Orangemen. Mr Gladding urged npon them mure unity and brotherly love, andhoped the time was not far distant when they would have both female and iuvenile lodges, and that the youth should be so trained in the principles of Protestantism, and when they grew older they would tenaciously hold to them, despite the sophistries of Rome. Mr Cowley, who sang the "Orange A.8.C.," was loudly encored, to whichjhe responded with "That's Where you Make the Mistake." Votes of thanks were then moved by Messrs Carnahan and Morrison to the choir, the tea-makers, and the Chairman, which were carried by acclamation. The Chairman having briefly replied, the proceedings closed with, " Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow." The pieces, which were excellently rendered by the choir, under the leadership of Mr Frith, wens as follow :—" Forward bo onr Watchword," "Strike, Strike for Victory," " Orangemen, be True to Your Principles," " Fair Flora Decks " (glee), " Laughing Cborus," " Let the Hills Resound," and " Rail, Smiling Morn." Service In the Opera House. The brethren met according to arrangement at -the Protestant Hall, Newton, at two o'clock yesterday afternoon, and marched in procession to the Opera House, where divine service was held. Between 150 and 200 took part in the procession, each member wearing the orange sash of the order. The Opera Heuso was crowded with anorleily ana respectable assemblage. The hymn, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus," having been sung. Rev. T. W. Dunn read a portion of Scripture, and prayer was offered. The bymns, " March to the Battle Field " and " My Father Lcoks Up to Thee," were ako sung, and a chapter of Holy Writ wag 1 rend by Dr. Maunsell. Rev. It. Bavin then delivered an address. He said he had a profound conviction that the bent way of dealing with error was to submit and emphasize the opposite truth. This way was the best to demolish the fortresses of darkness and error. He would draw their attention to the text in Colossians —"Christ is all in all," and ask them to look at it in its bearing on the doctrinal Christian system and on our evory-day life. While all other systems of the world might ' be considered or worked out independent of their founder, it was not so with Christianity, for really Christianity was Christ. 1 The rev. speaker proceeded to point out that Christ was all in all in the Mosaic dispensation. He carried into effect the great scheme of redemption, and in all the works of dispensing the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost He was all in al! alone, no other assisting. Again, Christ was all in all not only as priest, but also as prophet and king. This being bo, he was to our Christian religion all in all. Thus far doctrinally, and now he would look at its practical side. People seek, for peace, but to possess it they must have Christ in their souls. They seek guidance in life, but there was only one guide, and that was Jesus. The highest goal in life should bo to live in Christ. Again, Christ- was all in all to us in death, for while we could not do without Him in life, wo could not do without Him in death. The rev. speaker proceeded to attack the system of justification as taught by the Church of Rome, and said that if they wanted truth and light they should let Christ be to them all in all. He warned the audience against the whole system of Rationalism, whether it bo Arian or Unitarian, on tho one hand, and against the errors <>f Romanism on the other, and reminded them that they must rely upon Jesus Christ alone. A collection was taken up in aid of the expenses fund, and another hymn having been sting and prayer offered by Pr Maunsell, tho sorvice terminated. The choir of the Alexandra-street Church was present on the platform, and led the singing, while Mr Firth presided at the harmonium.

CiißisTeiUTßt-u, this day.—The Orangomen held a banquet last "Friday night in commemoration of the 12th of July, at which about 70 were present.