ST. PAUL'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7913, 30 November 1887, Page 3

ST. PAUL'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The annual meeting of tho congregation of St. Paul's was held last evening in the church, the Rev. J. G. Paterson in the chair. The clerk of session, Mr R. C, Harding, read the following ANNUAL REPORT. The session, at the closo of another year, have again to thankfully report a year of progress. Thero have been evidences of awakened interest in spiritual things, especially among the younger members of the congregation, a largo number of whom have been added to the church. Tho regular services have been fully attended, and the church was noticeably crowded during tho winter months, when a series of evening lectures was dolivered by tho Rev. J. G. Paterson on tho subject of " Commercial Morality ; or Religion in Business Life." The sacrament of tho Lord's Supper has boen regularly administered, theattondancoonall occasion! being largo. It has been thought desirable to increase the. number of elders. One of tho members of session. Dr. Cowoll, owing to the effects of a severe illneis, has been unable to take any active part in the meetings of sessions during tho year, and his presence and counsel have been greatly missed. Other members, from causes quito unavoidable, can attond only at intervals, and the session considers that in order to the more efficient conduct of tho work of the church such an increase is advisable. Tho recent opening of a Baptist Church in Napier has led to tho departure from our congregation of a number of valued momborß who belong to the Baptist communion. Wo would especially mention tho pastor of that church, the Rev. P. H. Cornford, whose long and faithful work in connection both with tho services at tho Port and tho young women's Biblo class in tho Sabbath-school wo have had occasion in former years to acknowledge. In the latter department of work he has been succeeded by Mr M'Diarmld, who is now rendering valuable and efficient aid. Tho work at Meaneo nnd the Port, conducted by -Mr Findiay, will in future bo carried on independently of St. Paul's Church, tho session having been released from tho duty of oversight of these congregations. A special evangelistio mission has been carried on in St: Paul's Church during the past ten days by Mr and Mrs .Mountain. It would be somewhat early to speak of the results, which so far aro full of promise. Mr and Mrs Mountain aro specially successful with the young, and havo succeeded in interesting them greatly in tho service of song. The largo attendance of young peonlo at the dally services has been very gratifying, and It i 3 intended, with a view of continuing tho work, to hold regular services for young disciples. Theproposal to adopt the hymnal "Church Praise" has ogam been before tho session, but they did not think it judicious to tako the responsibility of deciding the question, which will therefore bo brought before the congregation at a later stage of this evening's proceedings. In conclusion the session trust that the Divina blessing may still abide with us as a congregation durintr the coming year, and that all connected with tho church may do all in their power to advance its highest interests, reraemboring that "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build Mr J. •W. Craig, the treasurer, read the annnal balance-sheet, which was very satisfactory, showing a credit balance of £339. It \i as intended to pay off a mortgage of £300 next February, leaving tlie' church entirely free from debt. Mr Craig also, as superintendent of the Sabbath-school, made a brief statement in regard to the position of the school, which was very satisfactory. The number on the roll was about 250, and the average attendance 200. GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr M'Diarmid moved that the hymnal "Church Praise" be adopted from the Ist January next ; but that no hymns be used for the first six montliß except alien as are in the book in present use. He spoke in high terms of the musical beauties of the book, which had now coruo into very general use. The motion being seconded, Mr Lamb moved as an amendment that the question be decided by a ballot of the congregation. As there was on the part of some members an objection to tho proposed book, a fuller and more representative vote could by this means be taken. Mr E. C. Harding, in supporting the amendment, said he had strongly ODposed ■ the introduction of the new book some , two years ago, and would still be sorry to i see it introduced. He was acquainted with many collections, and thought the one now in use the best lie had ever seen. • The newly-incorporated hymns included > some of the most sensuous and unjerip- ■ tural of modern compositions; aiiu an ' equally serious matter was the omission ! of many of the finest hymns in the book > in present use, which had held theii i ground in the affections of the church foi f more than » century. He hoped thai b before voting, every member would com c pare the two books, and notice what hac s been omitted. s Mr T. Sidey said that if tho hymm '> were thus objectionable, it was strangi c that the churches had not discovered tin y fact. , c The original ?notion was withdrawn o and Mr Lamb's amendment carried. r- The meeting proceeded to the electioi n of additional elders. Messrs Bowman

* Granger, Larkin, and M'Diarmicl were •- elected. n The next business was the election of c managers. The three who retired by c effluxibn of time— Messrs J. M'Vay, H. il Renouf, and T, >Sidey — were re-elected, and Messrs E. Black, A. Eccles, and J. Murray were elected in place of the three c reaigned. i The Rev. J. G. Paterson gave a brief I address on the work of the church. The Itev, D, Sidey followed, taking as t his text a certain recent newspaper ' criticism of the Presbyterian body, in - which the writer expressed " unwilling r admiration" of certain qualities, includr ing their sincerity and spiritual strength. r The Key P. H. Cornford expressed his - fraternal sympathy with the congregation ; with which lie liatl so long Deen associated, t He said he never felt more at home than ) in St. Paul's Chnrch. I The Rev. Mr fraser spoke briefly cont cerning the new hymn-book. He agreed : with every word Mr Harding had said as r to the unscriptnral character of many of I the hymns. There were some that had ) no right to appear in any Protestant col- • lection. He would not specify them— he 1 kiiew ioo much of human perversity— for ■ these very hymns would be at once sought > out. However, the musical beauties of i tlie book were so great that he would like [ to see it adopted. He then made some i brief remarks on the aubject of " Home : influence. 1 ' i The Rev. Mr Edwards said he hoped over-refinement would not lead them to discard the old book. He had derived no i small edification from the hymns lie had heard in the service of St. Paul's. The Rev. Mr Mountain said that many years ago, in compiling a hymn-book, he collected all he could discover. One fairly astonished him— for bad music, bad arrangement, and false doctrine he did not know its equal. lie had full permission to use any hvran in the book, and out of over five" hundred, could only find two fit to incorporate in his collection. That objectionable book was the oue at present used in St. Paul's congregation. Sensation.) " Church Praise " wasin his judgment, the finest collection — considered musically, poetically, or doctrinally—that he had yet seen. He did not say it was perfect — he never expected to see a perfect boolc — but it came the nearest to a perfect collection of any that he knew. A vote of thanks to the choir having been passed, the Rev. Mr Findlay pronounced the benediction, and the meeting closed. During the evening, the following musical selections we're given : — " The Homeland" and "Arise, Shine," by the choir; solo, "The Better Land," Miss M'Nae; anthem, "Lift up your Heads;" solo, " There is a Green Hill," Miss Johansen ; anthems, " Jesus, Word of God Incarnate," and " Let us now go even unt6 Bethlehem."