CURRENT NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 242, 12 October 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

CURRENT NOTES.

The committee of the British and Foreigu Bible Society recently placed on record an appreciation of the life and service of the late General Booth, of the Salvation Army, who was one of the vice-presidents. Dr. Horton, who is approaching the completion of fifty years at Lyndhurst Road Congregational Church, has intimated to the members that the time had arrived when it will be necessary to instruct the elders to take the necessary steps to find another minister to carry on the worsf Writing on the anniversary problem, Ernest H. Hayes, editor of the "National Sunday School Union Teachers' Books," suggests that the majority of liymna used at auch service should bo selected from those known to the children, and also the congregation, so that everyone can worship fully and intelligently. He contends that two hymns of a special character at each service are quite enough to provide novelty and to mark the day as different froni ordinary Sundays.

The annual service was held recently at Eyam, Derbyshire, to commemorate the deliverance of the village from the plague of 1(>65 and 10'GG, wheii five-sixths of the villagers died. The service, which was attended by thousands, was conducted front the rock pulpit in Cucklett Dell, just outside the village, where, during the tiriie of the plague, services Were conducted by the rector, the church having been closed.owing to the risk of infection. Catholic Mexico crowded into its ehurx'fles on Saturday, June '22, to give thanks far the peace, says a Mexico City I cable to tlie "New York Hei'aM." Flora] j offerings α-owded the-, altafts of their cathedrals. The Mexican bishops have declared that plana are under way to bring back all the prie«ts who fled the .country when the Government ban ' against them was put into effect last year. Plana are under way for a great nation-Avide celebration on July C, The Mexican Press predicts a .new era of progress and trailquility. Preaching on "The Churches' Response to the Age" at the annual synod of the Cornwall West United Methodist District, the ReA\ R. A. Balman said: "I do not wish to build up an argument from a- set of statistics, but it seems elementary logic to conclude that a decreasing membership thereby decreases our field of influence. The loss of 5600 scholars in one year, following, as it does, successive losses, should give us heartache. Nor will it continue if we will gire our attention to winning the young life of our schools to a definite discipleahip." He later quoted: "We coddle the saints when we should be pursuing sinners."

The translation of the Bible into the Chinese language dates back to the days of the Nestorian, Franciscan and Jesuit Missions centuries ago. The earliest record is the inscription on a Nestorian tablet unearthed at Sian-fti in 1625. The (late of its original erection was the year 781. It relates how Nestorian missionaries, as emissaries from a college in [Persia, had journeyed across Central !r^! a and reacll «i the then capital of j Uiina, in, 635. Several evident references w> the Bible appear in the inscription. I iii& famous Venetian traveller, Marco |t;olo ,n Ins Works states that the Fm|r 'S?T-, W^6 P»"Wy honoured by Ivublai Khan aud his t •>