THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14347, 6 May 1912, Page 9

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

. ~. * "RALLY SUNDAY.* , Special services wcro held in the Presbyterian churches of tlio city yesterday. It was '\Rhlly Sunday," and • the ministers dovotod tho occasion to reviews of tho past, tho Church's work and activities, and to tho fields of work •which lay before their congregations and tho wholo Church. ST. ANDREW'S. The preacher at St. Andrew's was tho Ilor. John Mackenzie Hie subject at the morning servioe was "The PresIrytcriatt Church and National Duty." The* object of tho rally, he said, was to Rather their congregations together, that tlwy might roview theii forces remind themselves of their dtitks, and ; pledge themselves to continue tho combat against the evils whicli had entrenched themselves in their land. God « had given them a great heritage, and '. called them to a" groat service, ami vet it- "was easy for them, to become in- .. different and half-hearted. There .was inspiration to bo iouiid in tho occasion which they Wero celebrating. It would . have definite results if they roaliaed that it was not simply a church parade, but a solemn assembly, in. which God was calling them to consider ■whether their hearts were right in His "sight, and whether they wex© doing all they could for tho upbuilding of His Church, and for tho extension of His Kingdom. Some practical information ks to tho position and prospects of tho PiTsbyterijiu Church in New Zealand .was contained in tho census statistics. These showed that within fivo years the number of .Presbyterians had increased from 203,000 to 234.0Cf1. an increase of 16J per , cent., • as. ajjainst an increase of 13} pi>r (vnt. of tho whole population. In tho South Island tho increase between 1906 and 15)11 was only . 11,000, while in the North Island it amounted to no fcwoi: than 120,000. Theso figores imlieatod how tho centre «f gravity m> far as tho Prosbyterian . Church was concerned was mpidtv sliift«}t;lrom the Soutli to tho North. Tn Oantcrbui-j- the I'nesbytorian population had .increased from 31,000 to *>,000. Tho increase in Cbristfflorch hail botp'n nboufc 7o0; tliore wan nay between 8000 and 0000 Pres- , nyterians in this city. During tho stuno i period tho turnibor of Pre.sT>.vterian , . '"harces nnd mission stations increawd hy 23 per cent., cointnunicant inonilxTS n.v 19 peT cent., Bible class niembers by 17 per cent., Sunday school scholars V 24 per wnt.,.and tho rovonuo of tho j ' Church by 2o pnr.ornt. Tho total income of tho Church for last year amounted to £141.(XX). These facts showed that there was no reason for

pessimism,''nnd that ns a Church they j wore more than holding their own. i "While rejoicing in tho progress of their j own beloved church, they did not tako n narrow sectarian view of tho religions interests of tho community. (Jod bad other workmen who wcro not in their j ranks, and these they clajmed ns j brethren in Christ. They rejoiced in i the prosperity of their Church, because of he/ past history. Tho educational authorities of this country wore just beginning to realise tho importanco of acknowledging the influence of history in tho development of iv young nation. God had given his own Chosen. People an inspired history book—tho Old Testament, with its stories of matchless courage, patient endurance, ami deathless hope. The first preachers of the Gospel inspired tho early Christians with appeals to the glorious history of tho past. Similarly Presbyterians, in. their desiro that their Church should progress, could appeal to its splendid history, and its magnificent achievements in tho cause of truth and liberty. It was not without causo that the emblem of their Church -was the burning bush, for it had passed through centuries of persecution, and had not been consumed. The - most glorious pases of modern history wcro thoso which described the heroic struggles and tho patient sufferings of the fathers of their Church. Tho preacher made an eloquent reference to John Calvin, and to tho yront influence which lie and other reformers had exerted on tho thought of their own and later tunes. It was tht> desire ot tho Presbyforian Church that tin* memory of these heroic days j and of theso heroes of tho Church j should.never perish, and that men and ' women should be raised up in their Churches with courage to attack tho strongholds of evil, with bravo hearts to suffer, if need bo, for the truth. The fathers of their Church hud died on tho I battlefield and on tho scaffold, on tho i moors siud in gloomy dungeon celLs, but I they bought tho lihertios of future generation's with this great price. Tirf Presbyterian-who «'iw not proud of the m-hievomontK and testimony of his t'hurrh, who w;is ignorant of the glorious pages his ancestors Ikkl added to tho world's history, was unworthy oi the \vm\» he bore. ' liut they desired the progress ot their Church not only on account of its past history, hut on account of what it stwd for in the life of to-dny. Presbyterianism laid special omphasis upon the Bible as the supreme rule for man in the region of faith and morals- It stood throughout for fn-v dom. ami had taken for its njotto Paul's words. "Whoro tho spirit of the Lord is,

i there is liberty." It iva s the first tmc ' democracy of modern tinier. It was or ! account of its constant recognition oi t)u» of tlio i-oplr* That tht-v believed tho Presbyterian Church to b« so '.veil adapted to tin- life ot new mnn- , trips. The Church hcci shown it* ability ito interest itMf in public qu-vtions. It. : General Assembly never had h?»r.. am. i iif> prayed jt never wouid lx<o:no. « ■ mere paradi:> «,i ccdesiai-lio. 71i< jCliiucii had ahvays put in the iorctront ; o! it« teaching tlif mvat doctrine o< t.V ; B<:r«>rpiKiity of God Pre<;bvteri:i»mm I had always gone hand in linnd with I patriotism, and a deep snif.« ot national 'duty. In othr-r days and <>{ht>r lands it ]»na made for and independence, ir.r f< r.rlffs opposition to ! ••■vil and falscho-cd. and lor the ean=r «•? ; truth nnd liyhrivjusiKvw. It n<"< 'iod no i prophet to toll that theso were tic." vory J cU-ments that wfi" in dancer of dropi pine out of the life of the Wt*ent <!aySoftnfis. slackness, instnl;i!itv, f-tlf-in- : dulgoncc, want ot honour—tlu-so weiv : danyors of tho <|nv. Thore v.x:s ri'-> > bi-ttiT correctivo than the higl' ;in ' j wlenin thai their Church had : hfon nnx'laiininjr through th«» j ■•.Man's chifU end is to plenty (!«:<!, ami • •nji>y him tor t-vr-r." ')]:•• J»rc'<hyteriaii Church had a real for the j tv.oi:ti<'th contury, and a great pail t ,, ! X'lay in tho years and niovcnioins that ! "vvero to coin-.*. should bo loyal members of the Churrh of tlieir fathers, dedicate themselves to tho unfinished tn?k« that yet remained, find ra.if.j-in th<> face of' all the armies of evil the old standard, "For ChrUt's , Croivn and Covenant. - ' ST PAUL'S SUNDAY SCHOOL AXXIVEUSAKY. St. Paul's Sunday school anniversary, postponed from the previous Sunday on account of the inclement weather, «"a.s hold yesterday. The ltcv. Thus. Tait occupied the pulpit ar the su<>ritin<: and evening services, and Mr .J. Caugliley addreusef] the cliildren in the afternoon. j The wrvtces, which were siujcially arranged for children, were largely nti tended by hofc'u children and adultr,. One of the characteristic* of Mr Tait's •iuldrcsses to - the children was. tho number of uniquely oritiiinl jllu.strations drawn from chemical experiment, magnetism, etc., invented by him. .They had at once the charm of novelty,' ami in every case the illustration really did illustrate. They were in that way vividly brought before the minde of both young and old. The leading themo in the morning address was. "'The Clean* Heart." and i:i I the evening the preacher dwelt im- [ prossive'y on tho power of habit and the method of deliverance from various ■ habits to which youth particularly may jho prone. He not deceived, he warned them, and in a host of ways ho. .Impressed on them the way people are ! o.asily deceived by appearances, tho J riskfs of evil companionship, otc.. nnd the attractive drawing iwiver of Christ. The children, to all appearances, got tho lesi-ons the preacher sought to eonrey impressed on thorn in such a I way as they will not be likely to forget lor many a day. During tho services snecial hymns wero nicely rendered by the children, who occupied a larce platform erected in front of the pulpit..