PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 36, 12 February 1892, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

YESTERDAt AFTERNOON. Whangarei,—The Assembly resumed ab ,op.m. yesterday, fyd" further debate took

place, in corr.rnitte., upon the petition of tl:e \V hangarei coa Hr e_rution to have Mr .Samuel Osborne dulyjj c g nse d and ordained. it beingurged that Mr Osborne had all the scholarship qualitic&tions for such an appointment. Upon thi 3 petition the Presbytery ot Auckland recommended that Mr Osborne be given tha status of a third-year student of divinity, that he be required to pass the exit examination, and 'that, in event of his passinw in the prescribed subjects, the Presbytery be authorised to take him 0a " trial for. license. The subject was debated at length, and warmly. Ib was strongly urged by several of the speakers that to grant tho prayer of the petition would be to act contrary to the regulations or the Assembly, and that if this were made a special case other unqualified persons would have eauaily strong claims to be ordained. On the contrary, ib was urged that Mr Osborne was a welleducated man, that he had proved himself an earnest and acceptable preacher, and that tha people of Whangarei were very anxious to have him. It was eventually resolved on the motion of Lie v. Mr Gillios, seconded by Mr Sutton, " That the Assembly cannot grant tho recommendation 0 f the Presbytery of Auckland, thab the examination for the University course be granted toMrOsborne, and thab he bo received as a student beginning his theological course." EVEMNG SESSION. At 7 p.m. the Assembly resumed, when a number ot visitors were present in addition to the members. Missions.—The tirafc business was the rejjort on tho Maori and Chinese Missions vead by Rev. James Doull. Mr Doull said ho was pleased to bear testimony to the 'fact that, the Mission was not without tokens of blessing from God. Mr Fletcher was working where one-half of the natives were Hanhaus, but he was pleased to learn thab one-halt of the children in tho school v;ero from these whares. Ho was saddened by the fact thab while other Missions had been remembered in the prayers of the Assembly, tho Maori Minion had been forgotten. He desired that tho Maoris wero moro earnosbly and regularly borne in the prayers of their ministers and members. lie was sorry to see that the income was £26 less than lash year. He considered that the Maori and Chinese funds should be separate.—Rev. Mr Blako said that, while they had made additional efforts for natives beyond the reach of their vision, they should nob forgot thosa in their own land. He had no belief in tho current reports thab tho Maoris were ceasing to care for religion. Ho could testify thab thia was not so. Every minister should feel that the Maoris had a claim upon tho churches. Ho moved, " That the report be adopted ; that thanks be given to tha committee and especially to tho convenor, and express gratitude for tho measure of success attending the Mission, earnestly commend its missionaries and their work to the prayers and the liberality of the Church, and recommend that tho annual collection be for the Maori Mission, h,_b that a special bo opened for tho Chinese Mission, co I that ail moneys specially given for | that Mission may be devoted thereto." — iMr Hutton seconded the motion, and advoj cated the distribution ot" tracts printed in the Maori language.—Tho Rev. Mrßyburn considered they should do moro for the Maori Mission and church extension in their own laud than go further aiield and neglect the land in which they lived. He hoped friends would give more support to this fund in tho coming year.—The Rev. Mr Tredwoll fully sympathised with the remarks of the last speaker. lb was bub little that their church did amongst bhe Maoris. He would like to bring that fact prominently before tho members. —Tho Rev. Mr Sidey pointed out that if the increase was to be given to Mr Fletcher, they must take steps to increase the fund.—The Rev. Mr Patterson suggested that tho funds should nob be separated, but thab £10 I should bo given to the Cnintse Mission.— The motion was then adopted.

Chinese Mission.—The secretary next read the report, which stated thab tha work during bhe pasb year had consisted mainly of Testament ami tract distributions. A letter was aiso read from Mr Kern Yee furnishing information regarding a Chinese missionary who could be obtained, bub the Committee in the report stated that it was hopeless to expect to appoint a missionary at the present time. It trusted thab the Lord might open up some hearts and hands so that the Chinese Mission could be carried on properly and with success.—The Rev. Mr Ring moved the adoption of the report and thanks to the convener and committee, that the Assembly regret that ib is not in a position to appoint a missionary at present, but remit the matbertothe Committee to consider, arid suggest ways and means by which ib could be carried into oflecr.— The Rev. Mr Stuart seconded the motion, which was adopted. The Deputy's Address.— Professor Dunlop, tho deputy from tho Synod of Otago, was next received by the Assembly.—The Moderator said, "Dr. Dunlop, wo are delighted to see you in our midst, and will be glad to hear you."—Dr. Dunlop said : — ■'Moderator, fathers and brethren, my mission here is very simple, in fact, most distressingly so. : ' Tho speaker then said it was his function, as depute from the Synod of Obago, to convey to them the warmest fraternal greetings of that body, warmest because his church stood so near, with the exception of organic union, lie has glad to see present one of his students and bwo of his old members ab Home. With regard to the two churches he considered They were bound in the nature of things to become one, and ho considered it was to bo desired that the union should bo shortly consummated. There was no rivalry ; tho land had been divided between them. He felt the desirability of a more catholic spirit to extinguish any little jealousies that existed, jealousies that were almost incomprehensible to a Briton—(applause)—jealousies that were eminently inconsistent with thab catholicity which ought to distinguish the Christian Church. He hoped that the, course ot things would favour both churches in this "respect. Some peopb said now tho Church had played its part and thab Christianity was a spent moral force, and that they must now turn to other agencies to perfect tho work which Christianity had so nobly done in the past and carried to such an extent. Well, it scorned a bad thing to throw away the ladder by which it had risen to this point.' Ho pointed to the fact thab apart from Christianity there was no civilisation that was ab once noble and stable. He felt that tho world would mako a great mistake if it despised the Church, bub it would be a greater mistake if it ceased to feel that it was God's chosen instrument for tho work of improving tho world. (Applause.)* He hoped that tho Church would never give way to tho belief that: ib ccnld do bosb by sinking inbo a genoral philanthropic institution. (Applause.) It seemed to bo believed that Christianity had been a blessing right up to 1892, and that now ib had ceased to bo so. They should remember that they belonged to a branch of tho reformed church which had done a grand work. To be under obligation to God was to bo free from all despotism. Calvin's followers were tho fighting wing of tho Protestant Church. Dr. Dunlop then spoke abpome length upon the good work done by tho Scotch Church in tho past. He said he considered chat their Presbyterian brethren in America wore a sample of what a Presbyterian would grow to in a free country, Why should not the Church

strike its roots deep down in this young country and mould the public life? (Applause.) He considered that the men who showed thab pieby accompanied by distinguished literary abilities did a great work for the Church. The present age appeared eminenbly apologetic." Dr. Dunlop then spoke with regard to the want of students ab the institution to which he belonged. Ha concluded by ajrain tendering the warm greeting of Otago. "The speaker was loudly applauded at the conclusion of his address. —The Rev. Mr Ogg said as he had been the deputy to the Synod of Otago, it was allotted to him to move an answer bo the greeting. Ib appeared to him thab a union between the bwo churches was nob likely to be shortly brought about. He must congratulate Dr. Dunlop upon the address he had delivered. He moved, "That thia Assembly expresses its pleasure at receiving the address from Dr. Dunlop as deputy from the Church of the South, and very heartily thanks him for his very able, instructive, stimulating and sympathetic address, and cordially reciprocates the kindly feeling expressed by him on behalf of his Church."—The Rev. Mr Patterson seconded tho motion, which was adopted.—

Tho Moderator then thanked Dr. Dunlop for his address and the warm fraternal greetings he had tendered, and tho hopeful sentiments he had given expression to. He must ask him to carry back to tho Church in the Soubh the warm and fraternal greetings of tho Church in the North. Ho trusted that a large number of their young men would come under Dr. Dunlop's teaching in the South. Missionary Work.—Dr. Lamb was next introduced to those present by the Moderator, who said ho was devoted to the service or Christ in bhe New Hebrides, and bhis was his first appearance before the Assembly of New Zealand. —Dr. Lamb said it was lb years since ho had gone as a schoolboy to tho old school at St. Matthew's. He wished to boar witness to tho truth of Cod. He claimed to have a fair knowledge of the x<e\v Hebrides, and ho could say thab some of the islands were occupied by cannibals, oven where missions wero on the coasts. Ho considered that missionaries should bo trained sn that they would bo in a position to heal tho sick. In China they would find the sick waiting for tho ministration of the Tho samo power was felt in the largo cities of the Old World. By means of medicine tho Gospel was winning its way. Tho Gospel was a part oE Christianity enabling bo show them the samo love as Christ had done. Half the human race yeb awaited to bo conquered for Christ. In tho centre of Africa they found tho apostles of Mahommedanism full of lire preaching their doctrine, and ib was requisite thab bhe missionaries of Christ should also bo bhero. In China bhey had whab was said to bo bhe future conquerors of the world. The aim was to conquer China with tho cross prior to the flood gates being opened. Dr. Limb then spoke ab some length upon mission work in Africa, India and China. At bhe New Hebrides bo suggested a central hospital for missionaries and co-opera-tion with traders to secure satisfactory steam service A training institution for native teachers was also required. The speaker also paid an eloquent bestimony to the life and labours of the martyred Bishop Patteson. In conclusion Dr. Lamb made an earnest appeal for bhe Church to support bhe mission work.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

The Assembly re-met at St. James's Hall at 10 a.m. to-day, the Rev. Dr. John Elmslie, Moderator, presiding. Proceedings commenced with devotional exercises. Moderator for Next Year.—The Rev. J. Hill moved, and it was agrocd that tho Assembly appoint tho Moderator, exmoderators of Assembly, the present moderators and clerks of Presbyteries, and Messrs J. Smart, J. Reid, and J. Wilson (elders) to nominate a moderator for next year.— An amendment, moved by tho Rev. Mr Steele, to appoint a named committee, was lost by 2S to 9. Fotir.iov Mission's Report.—The Rev. M.-Gillies read the report of the Foreign Missions Committee, which dealt exhaustively with the progress of missionary work in tho New Hebrides Group. Of Tanna, a most encouraging report was made as to tho labouis of Mr Watt, whoso new church was stated to be attended by almost ovoryono in the neighbourhood. At Ambrym the teacher, Kalasong, and bis wife, wero reported to be in good health. Although the teacher was doing everything ho could under the circumstances, tho work of the Mission was not ver_* encouraging. In connection with Ambrym the Committeo regretted that the church was likely to suffer another disappointment, ai it was considered doubtful whether Mr Fairlie would proceed to tho islands or not. It was further stated that a Loudon friend of the Mission would possibly contribute £600, and certainly £400 to'the mission. Dr. Paton promised the church, on condition that she would send Dr. Lamb as a medical missionary to the New Hebrides, a donation of £150, but he in point of fact sent a draft for £500, on condition that the church undertook to maintain three missionaries on the islands. Instead of receiving £750, the Committeo had actually, in cash received, and by definite promise £900, and the fund was in credit £1,600. Collections for the year amounted to £449. Acknowledgments were also made of the gift of a new boat, presented to Mr Watt by Auckland friends, on his departure for the Now Hebrides, and for a cheque for £2f> from tho Sunday-school teachers of St. Paul's, Christchurch, towards a medical outfit for the missionary.—The Rev. Scott West moved tho adoption of the report. In New Zealand, he urged, they should havo a special interest in mission work. Foreign mission work was at the foundation of Christianity. As a Presbyterian Church they had been very fortunate in thenmissions, and they wero very fortunate in having bhe services of such a man as Mr Watt. They had also a great helper in Mrs Watt, and in Dr. Lamb ho felt that they would havo a missionary who would bring the New Hebrides mission very much nearer to New Zealand. He movod bhe following resolution :—" That the report bo adoptedrwith thanks to the Committee, and especially to the convener; rejoice ab the safe return of our devoted missionaries. Mr anil Mrs Watt, to their field of labour, and at the improved prospects of tho good work on long-beni»hted Tanna, assure them of the church's continued sympathy and earnest prayers thab they may yeb share in a reaping time of joy after their many years of patient and Jaithful sowing in tears; welcome with vory special heaninoss Dr. arid Mrs Lamb on their way to the mission field, trusting thab the noble devotion of this, the first of tho sons of our church enliabing in this work, may awaken throughout the Church in this important branch of obedience to tho marching orders of our living Lord and Master, and praying thab our young missionary and his wife may be long spared and eminently blessed in their work and influence j.regreb that circumstances have as yet hindered Mr Fairlie fulfilling his engagement as second missionary to this Church, and, should ho finally withdraw, authorise tho Committee to appoint another iv his place, and leavo the choice of station to bo occur.iod by Dr, Lamb to the decision of himself and tho Mission Synod ; authorise tho Committee to expend a sum of not moro than £200 for manse and boab ; concur in the proposal to remove tho mission premises in Ambrym to a more favourable position, or, if it be found moro advisable, to sell tho present buildings, andoroot others at tho now station; direct the Clerk of Assembly to convey to tho Rev. Dr. Paton the hearty thanks of this church for his haodsome'gifb of £500 to the New Hebrides Mission fund, and that tho convener of the Committee be directed to convey to the in London a like hearty vote of

thanks from this Assembly for his generosity in undertaking to support our third missionary for three years, leaving all negotiations in connection with the suggestions made by him to be carried out by the Committee ; that the thanks of the Assembly be also given to the Sabbathschool teachers of St. Paul's, Christchurch, for their gift of £25 for the medical outfit of Dr. Lamb ; also, that tho thanks of the Assembly be given to the Auckland friends who gave to Mr VVatb a boat on his return to the Islands." — Rev. Mr Hope seconded tho motion. — Rev. Mr Sidey urged caution in tho adoption of these recommendations without due consideration of the financial aspect of the question. He moved as an amendment to refer the whole matter to a special committee for consideration and report.—Rev. Mr Paterson seconded the amendment. — Rev. Mr Gillies thought the matter could be thrashed out at once, and some decision arrived at.—The amendment was carried by a large majority, bhe Committeo to report on Saburday morning. Ordination.—On the motion of Rev. Mr Sommerville, ib was agreed thab the ordination of Dr. Lamb take place ab St. James s Church on Monday evening, that the Moderator preside and ordain, Rev. MiTread well to preach, Rev. Mr Paterson to address the missionary, and Rev. Mr Macnicoi to address the people(Left sitting.)