ECCLESIASTICAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 239, 8 October 1891, Page 3

ECCLESIASTICAL.

The Rev. A. Carrick, of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, owing to illness, has been unable to officiate for the past bwo months, and is at present sojourning in the Cambridge district.

- General Booth received an immense ovation on his arrival ab Melbourne on September 19, and thousands were unable to gain admission to the Exhibition Building, where the reception was held.

Two of tho three now ministers just oub from Home, Revs. G. Carr and G. Grindley, had a hearty welcome from the congregation of the Alexandra-street Church, who gathered in large numbers on Sunday, October 4th.

Ab the Synagogue Chambers, PrincesBtreeb, on' September 27th, the Auckland Hebrew congregation held their annual meeting. A letter from Sir George Grey was read acknowledging the letter of thanks forwarded by the Hebrew residents here for his exertions on behalf of the Russian Jews. The various office holders retiring were unanimously re-elected.

The ninth anniversary of the Mounb Eden Congregational Sunday-school was celebratod on September 20, when special aervices were conducted. The scholars' tea and entertainment took place on the 22nd, and although the weather waa somewhat damp, it did nob appear to affect the gathering, the tea tablos being crowded. The entertainment which followed was extremely well rendered.

The Rev. E. Isaac, of Melbourne, arrived by the Tarawera on September 29, to occupy the Tabernacle pulpit for some two months. He has been engaged very much of late in visiting various churches in Melbourne and surrounding districts, and engaging in evangelistic work with as much success as in the days when associated with Rev. J. Harrison in "England and Australia. Ab present he is the pastor of a large flourishing church at Brunswick, of Melbourne, and has come over specially to assia. the Auckland Church.

The eleventh anniversary of the Newmarket Wesleyan Church waa celebrated on September 13 by special services. The Rev. D. McNicoll, of the Thames, conducted the morning service, and preached an excellent sermon on the final reward of those that overcome. The Rev. S._ J. Serpell, pastor of the church, preached in the afternoon and evening, taking for his subjects, " Home Training," and " Not far from the kingdom," A large choir, under the conduetor&hip of Mr Young, rendered special hymns and anthems ab each of tbe services.

The members and friends of the Primitive Methodist Church at Waterview held their annual soiree on Sept. 17. The Rev. T. F. Robertson delivered his very interesting lecture on "The Battlefields of Scotland." The Rev. W. Laycock presided, and gave a Bhort sketch of the origin and progress of the church. During the evening the choir rendered several selections from the "Christian Choir." Mrs Bell, of Avondale, contributed a song, Mr Bell a song and a very amusing recitation, and Mr Fielding a reading. Refreshments were partaken of.

The Otahuhu Wesleyan Church held the «Bual anniversary soiree on Sept. 22 in the Public Hall. There was nob a large atbendance,owing, no doubt, to the unfavourable state of the weather. After tea addresses were given by the chairman (Rev. J. Rish■worth), Revs. Ward, Lee, Millar, and Steele, also Mr W. F. Tucker. The choir, xmder the able conducborship of Miss Burns, rendered a number of anthems, Mr Britain Fairburn being organist. Two solos were given by Miss McAlpine in a pleasing v " manner, which elicited welldeserved applause.

Special services in connection with the Union-street Wesleyan Sunday-school anniversary were held on September 13th. The Rev. E. Nielsen preached ab the morning service, Rev. D. McNiccol delivered an excellent address to parents and scholars in the afternoon from Exodus xx. chap. 15 v., and in the evening Mr W. Beaumont preached. Miss Nielsen sang several sacred solos and also a Scandanavian song, accompanying herself on the harp. Special hymns were sung by the scholars under the leadership of Mr F. Dryland, w'th Mr C. Parker as organist, the solos being taken by Miss "Wheeler and Mrs Dryland. The accompaniments were played by Mr Parker on the harmonium and Miss Nielsen on her harp.

The Bishop. of Nelson experienced another seizure on Sept. 24, and was unconscious for some time. He still lies in a semi-conscious state, and he is gradually getting weaker. The Bishop of Nelson has many friends and admirers, and for twenty-five years the presence of Bishop Suter in the pretty town of Nelson has been a cause fof congratulation to many a person there. As a preacher he is distinguished among the clergy of New Zealand, and in personal "intercourse with his parishioners and the members of his diocese he is universally esteemed. He is now in his sixty-first year, having been born in 1830. He received his education ab St. Paul's School, London, and at Trinity College, Cambridge University. For ten years he officiated in London, first as Curate of St. Dunstan's in the West, and then as incumbent of All Saints', Spitalfields. He took his degree ab the same time as the present Archbishop of Canterbury. He was chosen for the diocese of Nelson by Bishop Taib and consecrated in Canterbury Cathedral in 1866. He succeeded Bishop Hobhouse at Nelson.

A large number of persons interested in the Wesleyan Foreign Mission attended on Sept. 23 at the Pitt-streeb Wesleyan Church, when the annual meebing was held. Mr George Winstone occupied the chair, and made a few introductory remarks. The Rev. Mr Simmonds stated that the report of the Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Society would occupy the whole evening to read. He therefore quoted extracts. From Fiji reports showed a net increase of 770 members of the church ab Suva, while in the Rewa district 27,000 persons had listened to the Gospel during the past twelve months. In Kadavu the chief and people had given with unusual liberality, and from Rotuma an appeal had been forwarded for a missionary. At New Guinea, the Rev. W. E. Bromilow, S. B. Fellowes, J. T. Field, and J. Watson had been appointed to commence a mission. Addresses were also dolivered by the Rev. Mr Leu, Rev. Mr Beecroft, and also by Mr Shackelford, the circuit steward. During the evening various musical items were rendered by the choir, and refreshments were also provided.

The anniversary services in connection with St. John's Wesleyan Sunday School, Ponsonby, eventuated, on September 20. There was a full orchestra, in addition to a harpist, Miss Goodacre presiding at the piano. The singing of the children gave great pleasure to the congregations. The anniversary tea on the 22nd was a great success, considering the inclement state of the weather. The tea was served in the echoolroom and the public meeting was held in the church, presided over by Mr R. Hobbs. The addresses were given by Revs. J„ H. Simmonds and C. E. Beecroft, and Messrs Douglas and Astloy. Mr Banbury read tbe report, from which it appeared thab there had been a falling off in the attendance. Ac the time of tbe anniversary there had been 229 Barnes on the roll, the average attendance Ibeing 183; whilst at presenb the roll number stood at 212, and the average at.

tendance 151. Since last reporb 90 now scholars had joined and 107 had left. The Band of Hope was doing good work ; bhe school had shown up well both at bhe Sunday-school Union Exhibition and Scripture examination. The total receipts for the year amounted to £87, including a balance of £10. Out of this sum £7 12a 3d had been paid to the Home Mission Fund, and after paying all expenses there was a balance in hand of £18 14a 7d. Mr C. Bartley was presented by the senior Bcholars with a silver-mounted baton, as a testimony of his ability shown in training the school to sing so well. The gift was suitably acknowledged by the recipient.

The Pitt-street Wesleyan Quarterly Meeting was held on September the 30th. Twenty - eight members were present, also tho Chairman (the Rev. Mr Simmonds) ; and the Rev. Mr Beecroft, from the South, was presenb as a visitor. Mr E. Berry, nephew of Rev. Joseph Berry, a young man recently from England, was proposed by the Rev. Mr Simmonds as a candidate for the Wesleyan« ministry. His credentials wore of a high order, bub on account of indifferent health, and being only known by the members for so short a period, ho only received 14 votes out of 27, and was accordingly recommended. The most important resolutions were those moved by Mr It. Hobbs and carried, and were as follows : —" That) ib bo a recommendation to the next Conference that provision be mado for the admission of lay representation into all our church courts, one lay representative to each minister." " That this meeting is of opinion that it would not be conducive to tbe interests and welfare of our church to havo any vote taken as to extension of the time of itineracy until lay representation, as proposed, is an accomplished facb." The discussion on this resolution occupiod a lot of time, and at last it was unanimously adopted. A vote of condolence _ was unanimously carried to Mrs Reid, widow, and family of the late Rev. A. Reid, in their great bereavement.

The v\ ellington Diocesan Synod opened on September 29th. In his address, the Primate said be learnb with regreb that Bishop Selwyn had been obliged to return to England, and that a doubb existed as to whether he would ever be able to resume work in the Melanesian Mission. He also, with deep regret, learnt Bishop Suter's illhealth still afforded anxiety to his friends. Referring to the diocese, he said that during the lasb two yoars there had been a very large increase to the population in the outlying districts, and he hoped Borne efforts would be made towards raising more funds for the purpose of supplying these places with resident clergymen. He had written to his commissary in England to send one or two clergymen suitable for rough country work, bub he had failed to find suitable persons. Coming to the absence of religious training in Government schools, His Lordship said the very facb thab the majority of electors saw no evil in a system which excludes all reference to that which in all ages has been recognised as the strongest support to order, and the most potent restraint to the commission of crime, was a serious and alarming fact, and constituted the main difficultly in any efforts to reform the systsm. But the monstrous injustice of taxing the whole community for tho support of a system from the benefit of which many on conscientious grounds were excluded was utterly indefensible. The inference to be drawn from this state of affairs was that the clergy ought to encourage Sunday-school teachers to qualify themselves for the important work of teaching in Sunday-schools, as the clergy could rarely do anything except in the direction of organisation. In conclusion, the Primate referred to the various pantheistic, materialistic, and agnostic theories which had of late years been so widely promulgated, and warned the younger clergy especially against attempts to adapt interpretations of Holy Scripture to every ephemeral phase of scientific opinion, and on the other hand to accommodate the doctrines of Christianity to the varying dogmas of philosophic speculations. The Diocesan Synod rejected a motion in favour of allowing women to vote at church meetings by 23 to 17. The Primata was amongst those opposing.