PULPIT VOICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 64, 17 March 1930, Page 3

PULPIT VOICES.

ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL. HIBERNIANS IN REGALIA. Large numbers of members of Auckland branch of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society, in their regalia, attended Mass yesterday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Bishop" Liston was celebrant. Later in the morning the bishop also presided at solemn High Mass, and preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion. In the afternoon, Dr. Liston blessed and opened a new church school building at Point Chevalier.

"BACK TO THE BIBLE."

EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN.

Dr. French E. Olliver opened a " Back to the Bible" evangelistic campaign at Scots Hall last evening, when the building was completely filled. The campaign is to last two weeks, meetings to be held each evening. Dr. Olliver spoke of the courage of Mary in standing at the foot of the Cross when Jesus suffered his last agony. The speaker said it was not easy to stand by the Cross in these times. Even in New Zealand the man who remained loyal to the Cross risked disfavour alike from modernists and weakbacked fundamentalists. Kussia was attempting to drive God and Christ out of the land. Dr. Oliver said it was becoming increasingly difficult for an evangelical preacher to find access to any of the centres of learning. Modernists had secured a hold upon the youth of the country, and were educating them in irtibelief regarding the Word of God. Upholders of Soviet Russia were all avowed evolutionists. In China every school had upon its walls a picture of Sun Yat Sen to which the children were compelled to bow. Some missionaries were closing up their schools and leaving the country rather than conform to that order. The influence of Bolshevism, with its acceptance of evolution and denial of God, was gaining ground on every ha'nd. Dr. Olliver expressed the opinion that much of the "churchianity" of to-day was not Christianity. Men were wanted with the courage of Daniel, who refused to compromise the truth for popularity or position. The world needed mothers who would stand by the Cross of Christ. Cigarette-smoking mothers were not going to send God-fearing sons and daughters into the world. ST. JOHN'S METHODIST. THANKSGIVING SERVICES. Thanksgiving services were held yesterday at St. John's Methodist Church, Ponsonby. The building was decorated with fruit and flowers. In the morning the Rev. C. G.' Scrimgeour was the preacher and Miss Elaine Ivory the soloist. In the evening the Rev. E. T. Olds was the preacher, and Miss Alma McGruer and Mr. Roger Errington sang solos from " The Creation." At both services a large choir of over forty voices rendered appropriate anthems. Mr. H. Horsley conducted, and Mr. Evans presided at the organ. The offertory amounted to over £30. WORK OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Speaking at St. David's Church last evening on the work of the General Assembly in Dunedin, , the Rev. D. C., Herron said a notable feature was the trend towards giving youth more scope and responsibility. There was a noteworthy contrast between the Genera] Assembly which he had attended in Scotland and the New Zealand one in this respect. In Scotland all the speaking was done by middle-aged and older men, whereas here the young men took an equal part. It was realised that it was to the growing generation the church must look for its future members, hence great stress was laid on the importance of religious education, and to that end some important arrangements had been made to increase the effectiveness of Sunday school and Bible class work. The Moderator's address, said Mr. Herron, was refreshing in its optimism, and in support of his conviction that the hold of the Christian Church was not weakening in the modern world, Mr. Budd had quoted the recent investigation of a Sydney newspaper into the position of religious worship in that city. After careful comparisons the paper declared that in the Sunday under observation more people attended the six leading churches of Sydney than were present at the six leading picture theatres the previous day, matinees included. Another gratifying feature of the year's work was the interest taken- in the Maori Mission by those among whom it worked. There had been two instances of Maoris, in gratitude for the interest taken in their children, donating land for the of a church and school. Sister Jessie, who was now stationed near Opotiki, had 80 Maori scholars in one Sunday school and 60 in another. She also gave lessons in a day school. The assembly had also considered some startling statistics in connection with the marriage age of girls. During the last ten years 517 girls were married at the age of 16, 95 at 15, and twelve at 14. While even in India the marriage age is being raised, there was no equivalent law in New Zealand, and the meeting was strongly in favour "of legislation being introduced. "GOING ON TO PERFECTION." At the Church of Christ, West Street, on Sunday evening (the service being broadcast), Pastor Wm. Campbell expounded the precise meaning of Hebrews vi. 1., "Let us go on unto perfection." In the previous verse, he said, God had given us His definition of the "perfect" as "those who, by reason of use, have their 'senses exercised to discern both good and evil." "Perfect" came from the Greek word "telios," having the same root as "tele-graph" (writing at a distance) ; and the underlying thought was "going the full distance, holding fast to the end, in the Christian walk, without turning aside or turning back." Slips or falls might occur on the upward way, but those who rose to follow harder after Christ were going on to perfection. The word "senses" really meant the mental judgment, and "exercised ' came fiom the very word which gives us "gymnastics." The call was for Christian lives trained and disciplined; not through self-invented exercises but for those who would submit tliemsel\ es, body, soul and spirit, to Him Who is first Saviour, and then "Captain' ; that "Trainer" Who Himself "was made perfect through sufferings"; having undergone all the exercises, and knew our frame, and could, with divine understanding, power and love, train everyone who sought true progress in Christian grace and testimony.