THE CHURCHES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 14

THE CHURCHES

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES. Good Friday was observed yesterday in the various Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches by tho solemn and- impressive services prescribed for tho commomoration of the Crucifixion. Preaching at St. Paid's pro-Cathedral, the Rev. T. H. Sprott referred to tho controversy which had token place among Christian scholars regarding tho meaning of tho Crucifixion. This ■ difforonco of opinoin was due to the greatness of tho Cross of Christ, and not to its obscurity. Ho behoved that every earnest thinker on this question had arrived at some aspect of tho truth, aud he believed the time would como when, our minds boing broader and our vision clearer, wo would see all these aspects of the truth as a harmonious whdlo. At St. Mark's Church yesterday services were .held as follow: —Early service 8 a.m., matins and litany 10.30 a.m., noon till 3 p in;, three hours' devotion, with addresses by. the Rev. W. Fancourt (St. Hilda's); evensong and The Story of the Cross. There were largo congregations at the services. The special services'at St. Peter's and other Anglican churches'"were well attended. A service was held in the Missions to Seamen Church in tho morning, when a largo congregation was present. Mr. James Moore, the missioner, preached the 'sermon, taking his"text from Luke xxiii, 4. A special limelight lantern service was held in the institute in tho evening, when Mr. Moore explained the slides, representing the Passion and Crucifixion, and scenes were also shown from the lifo'ofVChTtSCAppropriate hymns were sung by the choir and tho congregation. A special hymn was sung for one who is lying seriously ill) he having shown many kindly acts towards" the mission, and the congregation stood for'a moment in silent sympathy. Largely-attended' services were also held at the Roman Catholic Churches, when.tho, of Good Friday were observed, and the collection known for so many centuries as-Peter's Pence was made. At the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, in Hill Street, His Grace Archbishop Redwood officiated at -the morning service at 9 o'clock. The, Rev. Father.: Hi'ckson was deacon, Rev. Fatherl'P.eOpleVsuthdeacon, and Rev. Father Herbert master of the ceremonies. The cere-nibhy-.'--known." as _ the -Stations of the Cross commenced at 3 p.m., and the Tenebrae at 7 in the evening. . The church was crowded <ai all tho;services. ""The'special' at St. Joseph's, commenced with tho singing of the Passion at 9 a.m. ,by tbe, Rev. Fathers Mahoney, Herring, and Gilbert. The celebrant was, tho Rev. -Father-'Venning,/'the deacon the Rev. Father Gondringer,. the sub-deacon Rev. Father Bowden, and.the master, of ceremonies Rev. Father"Hurley.' After tie ceremonies peculiar to Good Friday, there followed .the Mass.of, tho Presanctified. The other features the jUvy's; services were the Stations of the Cross in the afternoon and the Tenebrae in tho ovening, when the Rev. Father M'Carthy preached a. sermon on the Passion. There'were -very large congregations on each occasion. The Ven. Archdeacon Devoy was the .celebrant'at the 9: o'clock service at St. MaryV of/the. Angels,,,and the Rev.'Father Macdonald was master of the ceremonies. The Stations of the Cross were celebrated in .the afternoon, and the Rev. Father Macdonald preached at the ovening devotions on "The Passion.". Large and attentive congregations were present on each occasion. At' St. John's Presbyterian Church, Willis Street, .a special .service was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Gibb,' who preached on the subject: "What is the significance of the death of Christ?" There was a fairly good congregation, , and - special music was rendered, Sir. Maughan Barnett being at'the organ. At the Taranaki Street Methodist Church service was conducted by the Rev. S. J. Serpell in the,- morning.- The 1 subject of the .sermon..was "'.The'Crucifixion,". and special music' was played by Mr. Harland. In tho evening Mr. Seipell conducted a service at Kilbirniei; ; ; _•;-,; DREADNOUGHTS AND POVERTY. "It cannot go on for ever," said the Rev. T. H. Sprott, referring to the building of Dreadnoughts, in the course of his address in- St. I'aul'B prprpathe-dral on Thursday night. Ho -said Britain *oould not go on for ever-increasing-her-Navy in order to keep a certain distance ahead of all hor rivals. This huge waste of resources was taking place while millions were sunk in pauperism, and it must eventually come to an end. Mr. Sprott, was illustrating the relative practicability, .of. .two,. rivaj. theories of life—the Christian and the pagan. He referred to the tendency- in these days to accommodate the Christian standard to..tho semi-pagan view of the. man in the street. Tho Christian man was in fact expected to regard the average ethical - standard of the day as the legitimate development.of the Christian theory of life. If one; dared to say;tho; two views wero in-consistent-there was- at-once an uproar. Tho Church was in danger of entirely abandoning it mission of. moulding society on Christian principles. The tendency was rather to modify Christian principles in order to make thom M in with tho viows of the ayorago man. The prevailing .opinion seemed to bo -that:-the-teaching—of~the Sermon on - the Mount was very noble and beautiful, but that no ohe"but a lunatic could dream that it could be actually carried out. It was, of course, people said, quite impracticable. From this view Mr. Sprott very emphatically dissented., He. declared-.that the logic of events proying;thSt the pagan theory of selfishness-; asi tho"nile 'if life was far more impracticable.than" the Christian theory of service,' The rivalry in Dreadnoughts to which he had referred, and which was pressing so hoavily on the •people,' was ono of tho results of the pagan view. Tho thing could not last for over. Thero must be a limit, and he believed that, some of ihose who listened to him-.would :liv.o to:.seB _ .that limit reached. Then there was tho warfare between labour and capital, which was another result of tho pagan theory of life. Why, tho present system was breaking up, beJKre their eyes. Permanent social order :;wn|d not bo based on selfishness. Tho logic ofeve'nts was proving this mo.st unmistakably, and would eventually make men see that,, the true and lasting basis of society was to be found in the teaching of Christ, who came not to be ministered untobut,to minister, .'not to bo served, but to'seryd.~Mr. Sprott appealed to Christian people not to forget that the great mission of the Church was to hasten the coming of ths Kingdom of God, 1 ... . ..."■ Y-.M.C,A. BOYS' CAM?. .The large party of boys who attended the Otaki camp went by the afternoon train on Thursday,, and the. remainder on Good Friday morning. The late arrivals were met at the station 'by the- whole band, and the 150 boys and 20 seniors "marched to the camp site, which is situated on tho old. racecourse. The football < games for the tent championship occupied most of the day. To-day tho sports will be continued, and in the ovening a camp concert will be held. Every boy in tho camp, is enjoying fo'tho utmost the openair experiences. PRESBYTERIAN YOUNG MEN'S BIBLE CLASS UNION. -" ." (UT TELBOEAPH—FESSS ASSOCIATION.) .... Auckland, April 9. The seventh annual conference and encampment in connection with the Now Zealand Presbyterian Young Men's Bible Class Union opened to-day at Kohimarama, dolegates being present from- various parts of tho Dominion. The committee's report showed the number of classes to'be 128, with a membership of 2771. Addresses were given by Mr. T. "W. Reese, of Christchnroh, and otiiI ers. - ■ •'