RELIGION AND MORALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1892, Page 5

RELIGION AND MORALS.

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY REPORT.

At the annual meeting of the Presbyterian Assembly to-day, the Committee on the State of Religion and Morals furnished a lengthy report, from which we extract the following :— Your Committee have made a special eflorfc this year to secure reliable information regarding the state of religion and morals within the Church, by issuing a circular to all ministers, students, preachers and home missionaries, many of whom have shown their loyalty and readiness to assist by forwarding full and interesting replies. It is evident, from the facts submitted, thab there has been an earnest preaching of the Gospel, faithful pastoral visitation, and a conscientious effort on the part of the office-bearers and workers to promote the cause of Christ. The state of religion and morals in the Church, ac the Assembly will immediately see from our outline of the replies received, is one that ought to awaken gratitude and increase earnestness. The special feature of the majority of the replies is that of hopefulness, and though there are evidently special difficulties in colonial church work, and many things to try the faith and zeal of earnest Christian labourers, there have been tokens of the Divine presence and blessing in connection with the regular Sabbath ordinances and special evangelistic efforts. It is true that a number of ministers complain of the want of practical sympathy and cooperation on the part of their people, and that others feel as if certain hindrances to church work a nd life were peculiar to their districts ; but taking as a whole, we have to be thankful for the blessings of the past year, and for the many devoted labourers in our Church.

In this abstract we can only present a few of the more pronounced features of the replies given to the various questions submitted.

Evangelistic Services.—ln the smaller presbyteries of the Church it has been found very difficult to hold evangelistic services, owing to the distances between the churches and the difficulty of obtaining suitable agents. In the larger presbyteries, and in Christchurch and Auckland especially, these services have been considerably numerous, and were attended with very encouraging results. The membership of some of the churches was increased, and the spiritual life of many was quickened. The effects of some of them were felb in the Sabbath schools, from which some bright gems of Christian character are expected. This should act as a stimulus to increased 6ffort, prayer, and expectancy. It should bring many to seek that God might more and more bless our church, and it should also intensify the zeal of our people to win the careless to His love and service.

It is right at the same time, to state that some of our ministers are not altogether favourable to evangelistic missions. They say that they led to the disparagement of the ordinary Sabbath services, and call forth too great a trust in spasmodic religious efforts. Some believe that they leave the churches colder than they found them, and that the number brought into Church fellowship by such missions ie not proportionate to the efforts pub forth. Many prefer that the churches themselves should be guided to a higher spiritual life by their own efforts than by extraneous aid. Gambling.—Complaints are general regarding the prevalence of this vipe in all the Presbyteries of the Church, especially in the larger centres of population. It is considered by many to be sapping the stamina of our young people by awakening the desire to secure wealth without the inconvenience of long and laborious toil. Ib Iβ matter, however, for thankfulness that the Legislatures of some of the neighbouring colonies ore beginning to realise the urgency for strong repressive measures, and it is to be hoped thab the Government of New Zealand will, speedily adopt means to remove this great national reproach; Ib is appalling to hear of the vast sums of money squandered on horse-racing, billiard and card-playing, and to learn that these are encouraged by individuals holding high social positions in the colony. Earnest efforts should be put forth by pulpit, press, and platform to bring about a strong and healthy public opinion on this question, that it might be effectually repressed. Social Impurity.—On this painful and delicate subject ministers write with caution, while many of them, and especially those in large towns, confess that it is considerably prevalent. Its evil influence is widespread and exbromely disastrous. Your Committee regrets thab nothing special has been done by our Church during the past year to lessen what some consider to be the outstanding and revolting sin of the colony. There can be no question bub that ministers can do a great deal to lesson this evil, by faithfully warning the young in their churches against countenancing anything that borders on the impure, either in conversation or behaviour, and by earnestly urging parents and all who have to do with the young, to see that they are kept from reading some of the modern books oi fiction, which are highly destructive to morality and religion. Sabbath Desecration.—The whole of the Presbyteries unite in lamenting the prevalence of this evil, especially in the form of pleasure-seeking on the Lord's Day, in driving, riding, shooting, Sabbath visiting, train and 'bus travelling, and in the growing habit of half-day attendance aft public worship, while the other half is spent in a way not always conducive to religious faith. Deeply convinced, as we all are, of the Divine obligation of the Lord's Day as the Christian Sabbath, and the importance to families and nations of its due observance, we are greatly pained ab its neglecb. If the members of our churches are tempted to become careless as to the faithful observance of the day of rest, if parents become negligent of their example in this reepect, the consequences to the rising generation must necessarily be serious. Your Committee would, therefore, respectfully urge tho Assembly to recommend our people to maintain the utmost fidelity in the observance of the Sabbath, by abstaining from secular engagements and all unnecsseary travelling, and to urge the civil authorities to preserve inviolate the rest and sacredness of the Lord's Day, by cloeing all shops, Dublic-housee, and buildings nob used for the purposes of'public worship. Family Worship and the Training of the Young.—There seems to be a very general agreement throughout the Presbyteries that these duties do not receive the attention that might be expected. From this neglecb springs the irreverence and indifference to religious interests that characterise so large a number of the young. The free - and - easy nature of colonial life, and the many attractions to out-door amusements through the mildness of our climate, are considered by some to be a large factor to the neglect of family worship ; while the tendency to leave the spiritual training of the young entirely to Sabbath school teachers, goes far to explain the ignorance of many young people in regard to the simplest truths of religion. Some of our ministers trace the lawlessness and carelessness of our young, people to the want of religious instruction in bhe day schools, and consider that the time has arrived when our Church should agitato for a change in the present secular education system. Other ministers doubt the advantage that would come, in present circumstances, from the conduct of religious instruction in our day schools. Your Committee believe that the work must be done in the home, if it is to be attended with success.

Drifting of Young Men from the Churches. — Some of the Presbyteries admit that there is such a thing in their districts as drifting of young men from their church ; others state that they know nothing of it, while others stilly declare, that while young men are regular in church attendance, they are eomewhat slow in taking any part in real religious work. Many ministers declare that there is no element in their churches on which they can calculate with greater satisfaction than these young men. It is obvious from the reports from all quarters that there ia not the leakage in this matter of which such ecrong reporte have been made. The constant cry abouC the growth of scepticism in this colony is not consistent with the facts forwarded to your Committee. In fact, the history of infidelity in New Zealand is humiliating. Only a few years ago there were strong infidel organisations in the leading towns, while one or two papers, published in the interests of secularism, were boastful of the speedy downfall of the churches andof Christianity. Nearly all these associations have collapsed, while the papers have died fpr want of financial support. There may be a considerable amount of carelessness among young men, but there is not much of conscientious infidelity. It is playing into the hands of the enemy to state that our young men are drifting into unbelief, and that the Church is fast losing her hold of them. Many of our most devoted officebearers and workers are young men who are living consistent Christ - like lives, in their, daily occupations, in banks, offices and warehouses. Many suggestions are made as to the beet means of retaining young men within the Church, and of attracting those that are without, but there seems to have been none more fruitful than Sabbath morning fellowship meetings. This question of non-churchgoing among certain classes of the community, in which Presbyterians share with others, although from Government statistics not to the same degree, is calling forth much attention among ministers and benevolent workers. As a partial antidote to this your Committee again suggest to the Assembly that a Committee should be appointed in the large centres, to whom ministers and others mighb write when families or individuals leave the country districts, and go to reside in the cities. This would lead to that kindly help in such cases which would be of the highest value to them." Reference was alsomadeto thedesirability of appointing an evangelist, and to the success of the Lay Preachers' Association of Auckland. The Committee submitted the following suggestions for approval and adoption :—l. That Presbyteries be instructed to hold conferences on the state of religion and morals within their bounds, and to report to the Committee. 2. That ministers and preachers be enjoined to direct special attention to the evils of gambling, Sabbath desecration, and social impurity. 3. That Presbyteries be requested to arrange for special mission services in as many of the congregations as possible. 4. Thab ministers and preachers be asked to deliver special eermons on family worship and the training of the young on a convenient Sabbath during the year. 5. That the number of additions and removals from the communion rolls be forwarded to your Committee.