RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 167, 13 July 1912, Page 14

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

_ ! N.Z. MUTTON IN A CITY CHURCH. T__- -/____.___ ASHY AND __.__. S. WE ZEALAND. .'. - ...Mu.V ox NEW ZEALAND PATRTOTTSM. (Krotn Our Lady Correspondent.) EONTION, May .11 The night was fine and of a, soft warmth. Last Sunday night along Cannon St root, along King William Street, and dividing itself into two long shabby, straggly armies— making for London Bridge, the rest for the famous Tower Hill -came thousands upon thousands of men nut. Un strike, preceded, accompanied, and followed by hosts of sturely, weary-looking police, some on foot anil some un horseback. Banners were deliantly held above, some of them once gaudy silver, red. anel blue, now tatters after so much strike duty. Along Oheap-id. to the strains of the strikers' band with its signilhrant warmarch, "The VVcarin' o' the Green," the writer wended a way to Love T_tne. Here, though it was in Love Lane 'but an <>rd-_s_r\ Sunday evening, was the first light to on.- particular army of "Christ's Chur-b militant ben- on earth." that on.- has heard of even in New Zealand. liova? 1.-.rjie is a dark, narrow' thoroughfare l with, among its dark buildings. <>'Ie that might bo anything, as might any of the others. Hut that one is, St. Mary-at-Hill. and from ft issued its .tad. A story told in Xew Zealand years ago earner quickly l>ae-k as one passed _rraaige beings in cassm-_.s. strrplice.s and with military caps above the peaceful robes. In their hands all manner of strange iustntments. front a life to a megaphone. Tin' story was of: ._ procession— shabby as that spot by the river can produce in perfection—fallen in after -a fiery, loving <>n_h_.i__t and all on the way to v_jin.il. One rough, outside the- throng. hailed. another in it jocringly. The one on his way to-church .hook his bead. "1 didn't know- I could, either."' 'be said, '"but when a 'blooming w'rLo angel with a silver trumpet comes and nrsU yer. what are yer to do?" St. Mary -at-Hill is the .blooming wite angel's headq-arter., bis satellites it was that T met. on duty going in search of the •congregation. I_i.ter the strains of the various vile- instruments they were arineel with came to us in the church. Smiling churchwardens, smiling sisters -— b. line judged, from a navy uniform, smiling and bewitching lady choristers in surplices and mortar-boardsthere's a remarkable air of eagerness- abont the • whole placewelcomed, and a church warden ushered one into "-re highest and hardest, stall suffering woman could imagine. Only heads were visible and a grotesque impression for a moment in the darkness as of scores of people in Turkish baths would intrude, so strange the atmosphere. At the cast end was the only light save tor a gleam up in the west gallery, where the ongau evidently was, and where a. temporary master of ceremonies ruled. In the darkness people kept entering, some opening the pew doors, others sib-king, like dark wraiths, into the forms in the centre aisle. Suspended and filling nearly all the chancel arch was a white cinematograph screen, Beside it. on a ledge of a magnificent olel pulpit and carved, sounding board, a gramophone. Below it lines of music stands. llalf-an-hour after one's -entrance the -air was best described as it would be in the East End where denizens would "cut it with a knife." Billingsgate stretched savourily without the doors, and the flavour within was -of fislu. and -vigorous ___i__e__. Eyes grew soon accustomed to the dark, and long stained glass -windows, .veiled for the nonce, could; be seen, then .shields, crests and other evidences of Bobfe worshippers of the past. In the _>p_-e between the incongruous lantern•sheet and the music stands—behind' twirich now were musicians in surplices .-anting their por________i glimpse __ a "mtrr. white cross on a dark altar. After an audible colloquy, the or'•chestra began work. -Not the least musi•Jcal colonial could pa_3 the ferocious performance as good, but it was earnest —loud. Then suddenly a. light was flashed; on .he screen and there? —fresh, young, innocent and thoroughly at home in this grubby quarter as though they were shown at the foot of Mt. Egmont— groups of New Zealand lambs. Then a single cabbage tree towering iibove attendant jrangas, •ti-_r.ee and ___x. • Now, .or—perhaps a an-hour, pic--trres of the four principal towns of 2_ew Zealand, Maori scenes (Mor-i ac--tording to the operator Who, whenever .he orchestra allowed him, explained the Stems with pardonable ____ct_r_<ry), _*_w Zealand frozen mutton on trolleys on a -wharf ready for shipping. Hinemoa's tbath, "a typical New Zealand sheep arm- *__' (according to 'the guide?—in reality a shepherd with his dogs and a worn out horse), a picture of a rich harvest. How strange this last —redolent of brown Boil, golden care, lab-Tiring horses and musertxlaT menin this close air permeated with fish and squalor. Several scenes at "Whakarewarewa, .strange these, too, as one cast a thought tto the reverence of the Maori congregation at St. Faith's art Oliinemutu, and paw them here smoking with hand?, deep in pocketsone washing Oils hands in a hot pool. Children paddling, others bathing, women cooking. Dunedin from one of the hills, with •white dots on a hill in flic, distance that indicated- to the home eye the stones in the Northern Cemetery. Chri-tehnrch Cathedral taken on a sunny day; Wellington with Oriental Bay in the background: Auckland from Mt. Eden, and another of Queen Street with a bus painted grr-cn in the picture-— brought buck, in chuTch. the sound of a Tuneons voice outside the theatre calling, years ago, "P —uracil, Newmarket and "Remit —ce —rat" Ho strange, so incongruous, so affecting, under the circumstances, as to -ring a lump to the. throat. Was ever New Zealand mutton seen in surroundings like these? Or beloved blue skies, half-cleared land, and whnres, lake and ocean scenes* After an hour of preliminaries —a sacred song by a lady with the chorus sung by the whole congregation, organ solos, orchestral itema, all sacred —farther sounds most militant came to us. The searchers in the highways and hedgeway, of Cheapside were returning, and a brass hand could be heard inspiritingly. From now on the service was flashed upon the screen and the invigorating strains of "Stand trpj. tand np for Jesus" c_sS_ the-air first, "Th. crowded-icons,

gregation, more men than women, more scarfed than collared, stood— sang. Ami the voices that can cry fish, and that control the eloquence classically signified Billingsgate, sing as they cry, with no half-heartedncss. Once round the entire square church went the white-robed choir, men anel women, a banner ahead, three lanterns aloft, one man playing a life lustily. It was nearly dark still—a darkness of encouragement, it is said, as the shabbiest may worship here with the wearers of silk, and neither is remarkable. From that on, all but the lessons and the sermon in semi-darkness, so that the weirds on the screen could be read by all. the prescribed service' of the .lurch of England, slightly shortened as to prayers, proceeded, the lessons lieing read be- laymen, illiterate perhaps, if one were strict, inspired if one were attentive. A sermon—New Zealand's patriotism. IVrh-.ip.s not more than a live minutes' talk was this. As New Zealand, in feeling tint sentiment and practical loyally. is one vvi'h the Obi Country, so should Christians be to Cod. As New -landers, in their unselfish devotion in giving to the Imperial Navy a battleship to protect 1-1 p.gland's honour, so should all be ready to defend their faith. As New Zealand, separated by long seas, yet has loving thoughts for the .Mother I Country. so should distance separate no one from England's (led. It ended in fervent thrilling appeal lor the highest patriotism of all. Then a prayer was saidhard for a New XValand-r to listen to unmoved for it ran. in this crowded historic old church doing its splendid work among a <-!;:-- 100 long nht cared .for, in bumble phrases, trenchantly appreciative:— "0 Cod. we gratefully thank Thee for the splendid devotion for their country shown by tiie people of New Zealand. Grant that their generous example and love may inspire- and help us all. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." CHTTRCH NEWS AND NOTES. The Auckland Methodist. Women's Missionary Auxiliary is desirous of engaging a sister to work in the South Sea Islands. A prominent religious periodical declares thai the Rev. I_ J. Campbell stands out pre-eminently as the modern preacher, who explores the heart and conscience, anel knows how to reveal men to themselves, and snggest the remedies they need. The Wry Rev. Father Bertr_au_ has been appointed K.C. Bishop of the British Sol-omoti Islands, which has now been treated into a viearat. apostolic. The Rev. T. 0. Brook. Home Mission secT-tary of the Methodist Church, has rr-ciitlv spent three weeks on horseback visiting back-blocks in the King Country. He travelled -____"_. miles, visited 22 different settlements, and called' upon upwards of 50 homesteads, all of them in out-of-the-way places, anil some of them very lonely "indeed. He found the settlers in a much more neglected conditionso fax as church work is concerned — he had expected. 'here he had thought to find other churches representee! by hon_? mission agents, he found no one, and the Methodist Church was as much behind as others. The settlers gave him a hearty welcome, and many of them were longing for Christian services. A site has been purchased in St. Petersburg for the erection of a Baptist College. It consists of 24 acres in Lisnore, one of the finest residential suburbs of St. Petersburg. Two Baptist churches are within easy -walking distance of the site. At the Baptist World Congress, held in Philadelphia last year, £14,000 was raised for the erection of the buildings, £2000 having been previously provided at Glasgow for tho purchase of a site. The Government has readily accorded permission to erect the College, on the condition that politics are barred in the curriculum. Special music was used at the Browning centenary 'in Westminster Abbey, the anthem for the occasion being some ■passages from the poet's "ircaul," Canto xvaii, ending with ""See the Christ stand,"' selected by the Dean, and specially set to music by Sir Hubert Parry. Mrs. Browning's poem, "He giveth Wis beloved sleep," was also sung to the setting written by Sir Frederick Brlag. for the _i_rial of tile poet in the Abbey in 1880. The first- Methodist missionary to China is still living, namely Rev. George Piercy, whose voluntary work in chat country sixty-two years ago is one of the (romances of Wesleyan missionary history. Mr. Piercy was a farm lad near Pickering, New York, but had s'lso had some experience of the sea, 'The evangelization, of China became a passion, and he proposed to work his passage out and maintain himself by some kind of occupation, while he exercised 'his ministry as a local preacher among the nativ_s. His two modest rooms in Hong Kong were a. home and also a church, in which he preached, and led a Methodist class meeting. He had not been able to gain The sympathy of the missionary committee, but after two years the mission was taken over, Mt. Piercy received into the ministry, and additional missionaries appointed. Since the separation of 'the Roman Catholic Church from the State in France, it is reported that the beggared but enfranchised religious body has made strides forward in the path of progress, and is slowly but surely re gaining its influence in public affairs. Within the last 12 years 54 churches or chapels have, sprung into existence in and around Paris. High-class schools have aLso been established for the training of teachers, who upon passing the necessary examination will he in a position to compete with the Government school -teachers. Cable news has been received in New Zealand that the English Primitive Methodist Conference has given the New Zealand Church permission to separate from the English Conference, as a preliminary step toward- Methodist union dn the Dominion. The news does not come as a surprise, birt it is not less welcome, because it removes the final barrier and makes the way quite clear. It is expected that the conferences of the two Methodist churches will 'both meet at the same time in the city of Wellington, and after the performance of certain necessary functions as separate churches, will then join forces anel be- i come one -church. The conferences will probably be called together about the last week -in January next. Recently live -speaking ctmrclies in Honolulu united their forces for two weeks. Christian, Japanese, Episcopal, Congregational, and Methodists marched out every e-vening with lighted lanterns to the tenement quareers known as the Japanese quarters, for the purpose of 'bringing the people to the central meetings. At a mass meeedng held in Liberty Theatre over 2,000 were present, It da thought that as a result of this test of united effort on the part of the Protestant churches, a permanent in-ter-e_i_T-h organisation mar be, formed for the purpose of Christianising Hono- . lulu -and the Islands, ,