ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 241, 13 October 1886, Page 5

ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

V'esterclay'H Business Concluded. !'.i!'7"lST!"' .IMP t :ON( "ItlC'l.-iTtOXAI-TfITH.

Mr Freserrtrew tit tent iirtt to the imsiflge of Hie r'?ii'J'-t*vlu'.'!iny)]fp^(;il a desiro for the permanent union of I lid li.ifit.isi i*n'l Congregational Churches. He did not. believe that this in any Measure reflected the feeling of their people or df the Conference.

Th*l T<'v, C, Carter rcgnrded such a union as impracticable ami !!>'■ im«»i' Ihercl'orc was bin ihc expression of a vain lio'pt'-. Tho Secretary explained that I ho mucin mount was in the entirety of God's Word, and ot course Baptists knew that that included the doctrine of baptism by immersion. Mr May: Then yon intend that tlio CongrcgaUonulisls -lioulil '"omi! Io us through the water. The Secretary: Just sb"; .. Mr Frusor did not think there should bo any ambiguity about their metuiiiig. He did not consider it n desirable thing that the two churches should be fused together. TlicCongro-gdtlonali-t. however were welcome to join them as Baptists; He therefore moved that the passiige referred to should be expunged from tho report; . ~ ~ The RovJ C. Carter seconded. The Rev; \\ T. it: Woollcy thought, it a pity such a be_,dt__J boj>e should bnspoi t. (Laughter.) Whatever the Coiigroe'll.-il'Us'-s thought of the matter they (tho Baptiats) knew what they meant, , . ~ , Mr E. Bell objected to ambiguity of meaning on such a matter. .... Tho Rev. Mr Brookes considered that a union between them and tlio.Congrcgationalisls would appear to the Christian world as nil absurdity. The motion for the expungement of tlio passage was then put and carried. Tho Acting-President thought It should be perfectly understood that they had the most fraternal regard for the Congregntionnlists They looked upon tbelli us brothers in very deed "uclug that tliov won; more closely related to them than tiny dihor branch Of the Church ot Christ, and though they ctllled themselves Cbugregiitlohiilistß, lie did not sec why they should iiioubpdllse the tltlo: ~ „_._,__..., ... The Rev. \T. R; Woollcy .stipplpiPcl't.d gift statistical information of tho report by -Uililii' that during tlic year tho Thames Church had eleured oll'u dobl of £10 and raised £_Jadditional. Several minor corrections having been made, tho report was adopted on the motion.

iiXl .lE_l3i*-f 01 SVMt'ATIiV, The Rev. H. Driver moved, " That Ui'i. exi'ire.sion of our avuipathy be sent to the Rev. C. Dallastoli (President of tho Baptist L'nion of New Zealand); ' The members of tlic Baptist Cnion of New Zealand, in conference assembled, desire to assure tho Ruv.C. Dnlluslou of llieii* unfeigned regret that he has had, through ill health, to resign his position as President, and to express their brotherly sympathy with him. and their prayerful hope thai lie may shortly return fully recruited ill body and mind to resume his consecrated toil for Christ in tills land.' " The motion was seconded by Mr K. B, Sluililci's and curried, OItUETINOS, A message of fraternal greeting was received from tho Baptist Union of New South Wales. It was resolved, on tho motion o£ Mr, Pry, seconded by thu Roy. P. 11. Cornford, to acknowledge the message Willi an expression of good will and a desire for tho strengthening of tlio denomination In New South Wales., . The Acting President lyxpro.sed v ho-jo th.il some measure of federation with tho Unions of the sister colonies would bo oll'ccted without weakening the independency of each. Greetings were also received from tlio Invoi> cargill Baptist Church. ItI'CKI'TION OK Mlt. HHIFI'ITH.. The llev. T. Spurgeon lntroduoed lo the C'onfcronoe tho Roy. Mr. (Irillltlis of Cambridge who bad been received into the ministry during Uio j'i'iir. , •■•*■; It was resolved that Mr. fl.lfllths should be received as a inlnistci'iiil member of tho Union. Tho Acting-President accordingly welcomed Mr. Griflltliß and extended to him tnu right hand of fellowship. Mr. Grillilhs In replying said ho had Studied with a view of entering tho ministry of tlic Wcsleyiin Churclvbpt was unable toßiU'reiuler tho doctrine of Immersion. AUDITOIIB. Messrs E. 801 l nnd Synion were appointed auditors. Afternoon Session.

The Conference resumed at ..'JO this 'afternoon, and after the usual religious exorcises tlio ReV. AY. R. Woollcy. of the Thames, began tho reading of his paper on "Tho Reception of Spiritual Truth. Thr- poiiiln dwelt upon and emphasised, wore:—l. That spiritual truth is the only instrument equal to thu stupendous work of coping with thu world, sin, una Infidelity. 2. That spiritual truth must bo received before it can be communicated,

After n well-sustained discussion, a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Woollcy, on the motion of the Rev. P. 11. Cornford, seconded by the Rev. C. V. Carter. The paper i. to be printo In the New Zealand Uaptist.

Public Mooting. A public meeting in connection with tlic Baptist Conference was held lust evening in tlic Tabernacle, the Iter. P. li. Cornford presiding. Tbe Chairman congratulated those present on the remarkable progress which the Church inAuckland hud made during the last.,) years and said that those who remembered the wcllcsley Street Chapel as it was ill Istll, nnd looked at tlic handsome building in which thoy were now assembled, must be inspired with renewed gratitude to One who had noyor withdrawn 11 is hand' from tltcin.—Uev. A.Northot'lluucdiudelivered the I'resident's address, und in doing so referred to the fact that ho hud consented to take iho position of President, owing to the absence of the Rev. Mr. Dallaston from the colony through ill-health. Roy. K. 8. Brookes; und Mr Johnston, missionary on the West, Const, also addressed those present, and the meeting, which partook largely of a devotional character, concluded with the benediction. i