FIFTY YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 237, 4 October 1916, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS.

'•' ' J METHODIST JTJBUXE. ' EECOKD OF PITT STREET CHOKCH. ■ ' Vhe iubilec celebrations of the Pitt «trpet Methodist Church were continued 1-7 pveniu" with a reunion tea, which & attended by about 400 Methodists, end bT a subsequent demonstration in Scorch, at which the Mayor (Mr. J. S Gunson) presided. Amongst those- ■ "ho occupied seats on the platform tW-Bev-. William Morley. DJ3-, of Mel-. tfcfffTi-e-nvho-Nvas-pTesßiit-at-the-epenHig- •" of the'eburch in 1866, and oUjciated as fifeter-TrdmlSTO to 1881. He has ' 4me to Auckland speciaUy for the 3 ub,- ---!«• 'celebrations, and his friends are Marvelling at his sustained health and . . 'The Mayor, in the. course of a nomely speech, congratulated the pastor, the ittustees. the members, and the adherents unon the attainment of the church iubilee. Although not the pioneer, the iktt Street Church bad long been known a- the mother of Methodist churches in •Auckland. He trusted that the past, (worthy as thoir record had been, would he far outstripped by the record of the future. The Mayor said he was glad to l e present because he thought that-the "citizens should from time to time, through their elected representatives, Express their interest in the important York carried on by the churches, and elso because of his personal attachment, to the church. Such a celebration 'brought hack a flood of memories—of happy days, faithful pastors, and Christian "fellowship. The past was a guar■'aiitee of the future, and in this connection they should remember that Chris- > tianitv was not the product of the 'Church, but that the Church was the agency of the religion of Jesus Christ. To-day the Church was faced with the Ijnfeed for meeting modern requirements, tint in doing that there must be no sacrif £te of its'basic principles —truth, honFiity and fidelity. It was on account of Germany's of these principles 'that we;were engaged in the titanic letrug-gle which was taking place in the. -Jforthcni-Hemisphere. —If-as—individuals Jwe would follow these principles, we jTjould Be "towards" col- - lectire righteousness. He concluded by ;€spressing"the hope that '""Peace on earth yapd goodwill towards men '■" might speedjlv be accomplished. (Applause.) Dr. Morley gave a delightful address, •ujled with reminiscences of Old Auckland. He had seen many larger cities in ihe course of his travels, but never one •mlh more beautiful surroundings or. '. Mith brighter prospects .for.the future. He. epok'e of the endowments of the late 6ir .George -Grey, of the Maekelyie and '{(ostley bequests, and of othgr generous ;gifts-by-puWic-spirited citizens. ."When he came to Auckland from England, the •Voyage "occupied 14Q days :"they."landed where' ttfciMapris used to. come with their canoes; and Tile firet eviidence pf'the'fruits of, the land was"a : kit of jnost peaches. The "speaker went on to describe - the Auckland of early days, and incidentally mentionud that during , the /Waikato wars •Ihere'were"lf)",dOd red coats in the town, jtfce population - "being then, a tenth of what it is now. He mentioned innumerable rnames in the course of Hisrejferences to worthy pioneers and, by -way of illustrating the "difficulties with which • 'they -were- faced,- said that he was in Zealand for eeven years, before '!)&' *a-w a railway. He !&ist come all-the way from, ffokianga to _preach in Auckland. presuming his 6eat, the speaker Viis warmly applauded. . .. The Eev. Charles H. Garland, also a ! ■ former Minister of the church, gave a . •most interesting address, in-" the- course [ of whsh he showed hew the trend of tlre-.pfat-oO yearn had. h*snjor the "social" bettcrpent-of mankini, the evening musical numbers were rendered-hjr tire - chdif. The minis-' ter- tthe-Eev^-C^ -H ; -taws)-read seyeral messages of greeting which had been re-:seft-ed.from,.prominent : men and neighbouring churches.