PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 15, Issue 2011, 6 December 1870, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND.

SITTINGS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Tuesday, Nov. 29. The Assembly met this day at 10 a.m. The ex-Moderator reported that the deputation appointed by tbe last General Assembly to present an address to his Excellency the Governor, on his accession to effice, bad done so, and had received a gracious reply, which was read. A petition from the ministers of Westland, that they might be constituted a separate presbytery, was next considered and unanimously granted, as was also a petition from the Presbytery of Wellington, that their proceedings, since November 1868, might be validated. Their validity bad been questioned, owing to the absence of a quorum at that period. The report of the committee on Foreign Missions was then called for and read. It recommended that the salary of Mr. Watt, the Church's missionary in the New Hebrides, should be raised by the sum of £30. The recommendation wa3 approved by tbe Assembly, which then adjourned till 2 p.m. Upon resuming the sitting : — Three reports were called for, which, however, were not given in, on account of the absence of the conveners ; those, namely, on Church extension, the Maori Mission, and Church Property. Tbe report of the committee on Finance and Statistics, was read, by Mr. Norrie the convener. The Assembly received the report, and recorded their thanka to tbe committee and the convener ; also to the general treasurer, Mr. Clark. A committee, consisting of Mr. Ross, Mr. Norrie, Mr. Shepherd, and the Moderator, was appointed to arrange the collections for the year, and fix the time for the next meeting of the Assembly. An overture from the Presbytery of Canterbury, anent union with the other evangelical churches of the colony, was read by the clerk. Whereupon, after due consideration, the ex-Moderator having taken the chair, Mr. Moriee moved, that the Assembly, whilst thoroughly sympathising with the object aimed at by the overture, is of opinion that this object will be more effectually attained by confining their attention, in the meantime, to the question of union with the Synod of Otngo and Southland, and, with the view of furthering this most desirable result, they hereby appoint a committee, to consist of the Revs. David Bruce, C. Frazer, P. Calder, J. Elmslie, and the mover, to consider the practicability of such union, and to confer with any committee that may be appointed for the same purpose by the Synod of Otngo and Southland. Motion seconded and agreed to. It had been announced, on the previous Sunday, that such matters as would be of chief interest to the general public would be reserved for this sitting. The night was a. very wet one, still there was a fair attendance in the body of the House. Pursuant to notice, the Rev. J. Ross moved that the thanks of the House be given to the Rev. Thomas Norrie, for the excellent sermon delivered by him on the opening of the Assembly. The motion was agreed to, and the thanks of the House were conveyed to Mr. Norrie by the Moderator. The House then adjourned till 7 o'clock. On resuming, the Moderator called upon Mr. Norrie, as the deputation sent by the last General Assembly to the Synod

of Otago and Southland, to give in his report. The Rev. T. Norrie then rose and addressed the House to tbe effect that he had been present, as deputation from the northern Church, at the last meeting of the Syaod of Otago and Southland ; that he had noticed there large attendances at the sittings, and keen interest taken in the proceedings by all parties, which reminded him of meetings of Assembly at home. He thought that the views of the Otago Church, on certain points on which there had once been some difference of opinion between them and the northern Church, had undergone some degree of modification. This was a subject of especial interest to the Presbyterians of Napier, as the introduction of the harmonium by the Rev. P. Barclay had been an occasion of bringing this divergence of opinion to a crisis. He could not say that the Otago Church hud got the length of harmoniums yet, but they were now considering the propriety of introducing hymns. They felt the keenest interest in the church of the North Island ; they had given him a warm welcome a3 its representative ; and, as a token of their desire for closer intercourse, they had sent a depnty to tbis Assembly ; one who was in every respect well qualified to represent them. He begged to introduce to them Dr. Copland, the deputy of the Otago Synod. Dr. Copland was doing an important work for the church, in a literary way. He was editor of the Evangelist, a periodical to which he could recommend every one present to subscribe. It contained, besides other interesting matter, an account of the mission operations of tbe Presbyterian Church in Otago. Dr. Copland then rose. He returned his thanks to the Assembly for the warm welcome he had received. He was, previous to his visit on this occasion, a stranger to all the other members present, but ministers were all united by common sympathy, which made them feel towards one another as brothers. He, most certainly, had been treated as a brother since his amval here. Mr. John Duncan, of Dunedin, an elder, was appointed by the Synod at the same time with himself (Dr. Copland) but circumstances had rendered it difficult for him to leave home at present, and the business to be done here was not considered so pressing as to make it necessary for him to put himself to very great inconvenience. The reason why he himself had been chosen by the Synod was, he believed, because he had been, from the first, identified with the mission operations of the church, and it was imagined that . this was the subject on which, more than almost any other, information would be desired. Before proceeding to tbis subject, however, he would say a few words with the view of removing an erroneous impression which was entertained by some people in this island. This impression was, tbat the Presbyterian Church in Otago was in the position of an established church endowed by the State. The true state of the case was as follows : — The company whiob. bought the Otago block made an oiler to the Free Church of Scotland that, if they would engage to send out Ministers, they should have one-eighth of the land to be devoted to the purpose of supporting them, and for other purposes. It was intended that it should be a Free Church Settlement, as Canterbury was a Church of England Settlement., and this arrangement bad the effect intended, of drawing Free Church people to the Province. This, revenue had been disposed of in accordance with the terms of the trust deed — onethird was to be devoted to educational purposes, tbe other two-thirds to religious purposes. It was intended originally that : the education fund should have been devoted to the establishment and maintenance of primary schools ; but the Provincial Government of Otngo had inaugurated such a satisfactory system of primary schools, that nothing better could be desired, and the Synod came to the conclusion that it would be worse than waste for them to expend one farthing in that manner. It was a strong testimony to the wisdom and liberality of the Provincial Government, that no denomination, with the exception of tbe Roman Catholics, and those only in some few instances, had set up schools of their own ; all availed themselves of the Government schools. The Bible was read in these schools everyday, but only at stated hours, and it was competent to any one to prevent his child from receiving religious instruction. The cases in which this was done, however, were very few. The Provincial Government gave half the salary to tbe teacher, the other half being raised out of the school fees. Thus the third, originally devoted to primary education, was se6 tree. Ifc was then determined to devote it to higher education, by using it to endow a chair in the University of Otago, that was then contemplated and is now realised. Three of the professors were already appointed, one of them being the professor whose salary is provided out of this fund. His branch was moral philosophy and political economy. The other two which were appointed were the Professors of Classics and of Mathematics, including Natural Philosophy. A fourth was about to be appointed, or had been, perhaps, by this time, the Professor of Chemistry and Natural Science. Other professorships will, no doubt, in time be added, and the Synod may be in a position to endow a Professor of Theology when one is needed. Tbe remaining two-thirds of the grant, which, by the terms of the trust, was to be devoted to religious purposes, was disposed of as follows. A sum of between two and three hundred pounds was given to each congregation, to be used in building a manse for their minister. This was all the advantage that the clergy derived from the grant ; their support was derived solely from voluntary contributions. Collections for this purpose are made every quarter or half year. Tbe money thus raised is sent in to the General Treasurer, and is then equally divided amongst nil congregations of the Churcb. The fund thus raised has, in the past, amounted to £200 per annum for each congregation. Many congregations, of course, further supplemented this from their own resources. Having thna fatdwelt on the economical position of the Churcb, he would now advert to the spiritual work it was performing : 1. Last year, by the direction of the Synod, deputations hud gone from each presbytery to each congregation in ifc to hold meetings, and rouse them to increased energy in their Muster's work. Tbis had, of course, entailed much extra labor on those who engaged in it, but it bad bi'en productive of much good, and would no doubt be repeated. 2. In accordance with an invitation from

the Evangelical Alliance to meet and pray for the conversion, of the young, meetings had been held for tlic purpose, on the day fixed by the Alliance, Tuesday, June 7. On the Sabbath, previous, discourses hail been delivered in nil the churches, directing the attention of the people to this important subject. 3. The Synod had desired the various clergymen to take up tbe subject of intemperance in their discourses, and this had been done. Intemperance was very prevalent in Ofcago. He could report that there had been a great and unexpected movement in favor of total abstinence over the whole goldfields. In every township there was now a total abstinence society. In the dis.trict of Tuapeka, where he was situated, there were three townships in which he held service alternately. In each of these there was a total abstinence society. These three societies number eighty, sixty, and fifty members respectively. There was also a Band of Hope for the young, which had ninety or a hundred members. In Tokomairiro, an adjacent district;, which is purely agricultural, there were two hundred total abstainers. Many, who were going rapidly to destruction, had been saved by means of these societies. 4. Church Extension. He himself had been the first clergyman settled on the goldfields ; his district was thirty miles inland from Tokomairiro. There were now 85 others, at distances from each other varying from 60 to 20 miles, all farther inland than the Tuapeka district. The farthest of all being at Queeustown, on Lake Wakatip. They were now about to form a goldfields' presbytery. 5. Mission Work. It was four years since the Synod of Otago and Southland began to engage in mission work. He had been appointed convener of the mission committee. The Rev. Peter Milne had been sent to Goona, an island of the New Hebrides group, and had since been maintained there. Support had also been given to the Dayspring, last; year, to the extent of £300. Besides this, another sphere had beer, occupied. There were about 200 Maoris altogether in Otngo ; most of them lived together at tbe Maori Heads. Up to four years ngo Mr. Leman Seheider, who had been sent by the North Germna missionary society, labored among them. Shortly after his death we wrote to the North German missionary society and asked them whether they intended sending a successor. They implied that they were unable to do so, and wished that we would do it. We sent to Mr. Duff, the celebrated Indian Missionary, now Professor of Evangelistic Theology in India, and asked him to select one for us. He sent the Rev. Mr Blake, who bad labored for two years among the Maoris with great zeal and industry. There was still another sphere which they had been called on to occupy. Three years ago the Chinese had come flocking into Otago, attracted thither by the goldfields. There were nearly 200 of them there now. They are idolaters, though their idolatry is of a peculiar description ; they are in fact fire-worshippers. On sacred occasions, such as funerals, colored papers are burnt a3 an acceptable offering to their god. The magistrates have discovered that the most binding oath that can be administered to a, Chinaman, in the witness box, is to make him strike a match before giving his evidence, and accordingly this has become customary. The Synod authorised the Mission Committee to engage an evangelist for the Chinese. Our Mission Committee lost no time in communicating with tbe Mission Committee of the Victorian Church on the subject. He (Dr. Copland) received an answer from the convener of that committee which stated that they had found a Christian Chinese, who, they believed, would be suitable. He had despatched, a reply authorising thorn to engage him, and he had no doubt that he would soon be here. In conclusion, he would observe that they could not expect always to be supplied with ministers from home, nor was it desirable that they should be. There was one instance already in which a clergyman, ordained within the colony, presided over a. country congregation where 500 persona assembled every Sunday. The Otago University, which would be opened in June, would afford great facilities for training up a native ministry. In the name of the Synod of Otago, be expressed a wish that the Assembly would send a deputy or deputies to meet with thorn at the sitting of the Synod in January next. He trusted that such a measure might have tbe effect of hastening the union of the two branches of the Presbyterian Church in this Colony, once united, but latterly, nominally, at least, not so. The General Assembly having heard the deputation, unanimously agreed to a, deliverance to the following effect : — That the Assembly record their satisfaction at having been favored with tbe presence of a representative from the Synod of Otago and Southland, and at the proof which this furnishes of the catholic spirit with which it is animated ; further, they desire the Commissioners to carry back the expression of cordial sympathy on the part of the Assembly, and of a desire to act in concert them in every way in which unity, and the efficiency of the Church, as a whole, may be promoted. They also agree to record a rote of thanks to tbe deputy. After the thanks of the Assembly had been conveyed by the Moderator, it was further agreed to send a deputation to attend the meeting of the Synurl of Otngo and Southland, either in January next, or in January 1872 ; the deputation to consist of the Moderator and Mr. James Anderson. An overture from the Synod of Canterbury, anent the admission of ministers of other denominations, was next taken into consideration. The Assembly received it, and deemed it only necessary to state that this privilege had in the past been exorcised by the presbyteries, and it was not proposed to abridge it. At the same time they recommend to the Presbyteries to exercise due care, both in respect to the character nnd literary attainments of those who arc received, so that the standard hitherto insisted upon by the Church be fully maintained. The House then adjourned, and again met on Wednesday morning. After other business — The Eev. David Bruce was appointed Commissioner to represent the church in the several courts of the home churches. After the thanks of the Assembly had been tendered to the office-bearers of St. Paul's Church for the use of the building, and to the Itev. A. Shepherd for his services as interim clerk, the Moderator gave the

following closing address which terminated the proceedings: — Heverend Fathers cmd BretJiren, — On bringing the deliberations of Ihis Assembly to a close, allow me to return to you my ainceresfc thanks for the kind forbearance which has made you overlook my shortcomings as your Moderator. I thank you most heartily, both for the honour you have done me by choosing mo to preside over you on this occasion, and for the assistance and encouragement which I hare received from one and all of you, and which has made the discharge of my duties as Moderator pleasant and light. Although your session has of necessity been extremely short, you have got through a large amount of business. There has been no time lost in needless speechmaking, and I question whether as much can be said for any General Assembly that ever sat before. It is well to look on the bright side of things, and so I would suggest that tho very smallness of our numbers may have tended in some measure to produce that unanimity and cordiality which has made the business go on so smoothly. If we had been more numerous, it is possible that wo might not have been so entirely " of one heart and of one soul." Still, after all has been said, it must be owned that the fewness of our numbers at this time haa been a misfortune. One of the greatest disadvantages with which our Church in this Island has to contend, is the isolation of our ministers from each other. Our opportunities of holding intercourse with one another are very rare ; and so we remain ignorant of eacb other's work, and uncheered by each other's sympathy. We meet with many difficulties here which are unknown in more populous and settled communities, and to meet these we may have to devise new expedients. Now, it may so happen that my nearest neighbour, distant, let us say, 150 miles, may have hit upon certain plans which work admirably, but which, I being a person of duller mind, am not at all likely to discover for myself. If he conies to the Assembly I and others may be enlightened by his wisdom, but if ho stays at home we are left, so far as he is concerned, to go plodding on in our own more or less blundering way. It is not merely for the discharge of formal business that the meetings of Church courts are useful in a country like this. Perhaps their chief value lies in this, that they afford opportunity for the interchange of ideas between the widely isolated members. Therefore it is without doubt to be lamented that this assembly has been such a small one. It may have been unavoidable, still it is none the less unfortunate. And I am not sure that very small meetings of assembly are so necessary an evil as some may suppose. I believe they have beeu caused partly by an exaggerated idea of the injury which congregations sustain by the absence for one or two Sundays of their minister. I believe in many cases this will be more than compensated by the benefit which he will have derived from intercourse with his brethren ; for as " iron sharpencth iron so man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Let us hope then that our present meeting may be memorable in the future history of our church as " tho small assembly." But separated as most of us are by wido distances from each other, we require something more tlian even ■wellattended General Assemblies to bring us into contact and sympathy with each other. We require more information than we at present have, as to the condition, prospects, and operations of our Church throughout the country. We want in fact a good Magazine which shall tell us month by month something of the work of the Christian Churches in this land in general, and of our own Church in particular. lam glad to say that such a periodical already exists. I refer to the Evangelist, conducted by our honoured friend from Otago, the Rev. Dr. Copland. He is, I am assured, willing and anxious to devote more space than heretofore to tho various missionary and evangelistic operations undertaken by tho branch of our Church in this North Island ; aud he will gladly receive information of this kind from any who might be able and willing to furnish it. I would take this opportunity of bearing testimony to the value of the sei'vice which Dr. Copland has rendered to the Church in undertaking to furnish us monthly with intelligence of the work atld progress of the various branches of the Church of Christ in New Zealand ; and I would earnestly bespeak for him co-operation in his work. I am convinced that, if the ministers and members of our Church realized the importance of such a magazine, both its circulation and efficiency would, in a very short time, be largely increased. ,1 shall only advert to one other remedy for the weakness which as a Church we ■experience from the isolation of our ministers and congregation — I mean the incorporation of this church with the Presbyterian church in Otago. It is not for me to say, whether such a union is practicable, but I am quite sure it is most desirable. The vigorous vitality of that branch of our church could not fail to communicate, by the blessing of God, new and fuller life to us. Nor would the gain be all on one side. They might learn something from us, as we should doubtless learn much from them. There are, no doubt, one or two points of minor importance in regard to whicli we cannot think strictly alike ; but is there in this any sufficient reason why we should continue to dwell apart like brothers estranged ? We all believe that Pressbyterianism is on the whole superior to any oilier form of church government; but wo must admit that the divisions of the Presbyterian Church greatly weaken its power for good. Now if wo could do our work better united than apart, I say, with all humility, that no choice is left us in the matter. To heal the breaches in our Zion — the narrowest breaches first, and then the wider and deeper ones ; surely it were an honor to have ever so humble a part in so great a work. And yet, Fathers and Brethren, it is not after all, by such measures as these, useful and attractive as they are, that the true prosperity of Zion is mainly promoted ; but rather by the quiet performance of each member of tiie Church of his own work in his own sphere, and this will bo accomplished only if we are daily and hourly drawing strength from our Lord Jesus. The outward union of churches is a good thing, and the union of believers in spiritual fellowship is a better thing, but the true and living union of the believer to his Saviour 19 best of all. Reverend Fathers and Brethren. — As we met in tho name and by the authority of our Lord Jesus as the Great Head of the Church, so now, in His name and by His authority, I do hereby dissolve this Assembly, and appoint tho next General Assembly of tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealand to be held at Christcburch, in the month of December, 1872, on a day and hour to bo hereafter i fixed.