THE GOSPEL

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 180, 24 April 1924, Page 11

THE GOSPEL

SPREADING IT IN MANY LANDS ADDRESS BY REV. DR. J. H. RITSON A public meeting, arranged in connection with the visit of the Rev. Dr. J. H. Ritson, world secretary of the Bible Society, was largely attended at the Town Hall last night. The Mayor, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., presided, and among those associated with him on the platform were the Primate, Archbishop Julius, chairman New Zealand Board of Missions, Sir John Luke, and representatives of all denominations. Tho Mayor said it gave him pleasure to preside over a meeting which had such a broad object in view. "I belong to an old school/ said His Worship, “and, above all, I believe absolutely in tho Bible.” (Applause.) He went on to traverse the work being done by the society in circulating the greatest of Books among all ranks and all nationalities. Archbishop Julius, chairman of the New Zealand Board of Missions, took the opportunity of welcoming Dr. Ritson, who. he said, would be warmly welcomed throughout the Dominion, not only by Anglicans, but by all Christians. (Applause.) B.v way of introduction to the address of Dr. Ritson, the Archbishop dealt ivith the Scriptures and popular old-time misconceptions about the Bible, “but no matter whnt is said,” said the speaker, “The Bible has the other side that reaches up to Heaven and which no human being can criticise.” (Applause.) Dr. Ritson dealt eloquently with “the Bible in the world,” .and touched on the responsibility of the individual to assist in tho great work. .Wo thanked God for our Army and our Navy, but these were not all the things that held us together —it was the bond of something infinitely stronger. The future was in our own hands, but how were we going to help a distracted world? The great task of the society was to remind the individual that all were under the domination of Christ, and when that was brought about the world's troubles would be at an end. The safety of democracy would never be assured until the absolute autocracy of Jesus Christ was acknowledged. Mr. Temple White officiated at the organ, solo items were rendered by Mrs. AV. H. Hindlo and Mr. L. H. Daniell; Misses Dawson and Sutherland and Messis. R. Haynes and B. O. Stokes sang “God So Loved the AVorld” as a quartet. Tho Rev. Dr. Gibb gave Scriptural reading, and the Rev. AV. Greenslado conducted prayer. A WELCOME LUNCHEON.

At the luncheon tendered by the New Zealand branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society to the Rev. J. HRitson, M.A., D-D., yesterday, there was an excellent attendance. Among those present were the Hon. Sir Frederick Chapman, the Mayor (Mr. R. A. AVright, M.P.), and Mr. C. M. Luke. The chairman (Mr. G. A. Troup), after briefly welcoming those present, called upon Sir Frederick Chapman. Sir Frederick Chapman said he looked upon the Bible as the only successful means of introducing the germs of civilisation to uncivilised races. lie thought that tho Maoris owed a debt of gratitude to missionaries, who set them on the road to civilisation by the approximate union between the two races, brought about by means laid down by the society. Be cordially welcomed Dr. Ritson on behalf of the society. Air. C. M. Luke eulogised the work that the society was doing, and pointed out the vast amount of work that Dr. Ritson had done and was doing to further the distribution of the Bible throughout the world.

Dr. Ritson, who was greeted with applause, detailed how the work of the society was carried out by thirty-six laymen in London, and stated that he personally thought that they would hold together better than thirty-six ministers. (Laughter.) The society had been in existence 120 years, and had never yet been in debt. It dealt with and published the Bible only, and translated it into the tongues of men just as they found it. Dr. Ritson proceeded to touch upon the great problems of the world, which could not and would not be solved, ho said, without tho help of the Bible. Ho classified the problems as under:—(l) The condition of Europe. (2) The winning of pagan Africa before Mohrtminedism gets a hold. (3) The Christianising of the masses in India. (4) Christianising of the leaders in China. (5) The winning of tho women of the East to Christianity. Dr. Ritson also referred briefly to the problem of the condition of Europe. He thought that unless nationalism and racialism wore abolished tho world would plunge into a cataclysm, and the only way to prevent this was by the uso of the Bible. The Bible was the supreme expression of eternal law between right and wrong and was God’s standardisation of moralitv. without which there could be no peace in the world.