PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8115, 10 November 1904, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The Assembly met in Wellington on Tuesday evening. Dr Erwin, of Christchurch, was elected Moderator.

Notice of the following motion was given by the Rev. Dr Gibb : "This Assembly desires to express its profound sympathy with the United Free Church of Scotland in the calamitous position in which it has been placed by the recent decision of the House of Lords ; it protests against the principle on which the decision is based — that a Christian Church has no right to modify its doctrine in harmony with fuller knowledge of Holy Scripture, and the leading of the Spirit of God, without the risk of losing its material possessions indispensable to the carrying on of its work ; it regards the decision as subversive of the liberty wherewith Christ has made His Church free, and for which Scottish Presbytcrianism throughout the centuries has witnessed a good confession; it prays that the United Free Church may be divinely guided at this crisis of its history, and that He who makes all things work together for <jood to His people may so overrule this disaster that tho Kingdom of Chrit- in Scotland and throughout the world may be all the more advanced thereby." The Taranaki delegates present arc : — Roys. J. Johnston, W. H. Philip, S. S. Osborne, Messrs F. Matthews. J. N. Murray, P. Burr, and John Maclcay.

Upress association.]

WELLINGTON, November 9.

At the Presbyterian Assembly to-night the Moderator (Dr Erwin, of Christchurch) delivered his inaugural address. He prefaced this with some remarks concerning the position of the churches in Scotland. The situation created by the decision was such a monstrous one that the instincts of justice refuse to acknowledge that the law was justice, though they did not impugn the legal aspect of the decision. The report of the Maori Mission Committee, presented tyy the Rev. R. M. Ryburn. of Wanganui, stated that the greatly increasing interest of the church in this mission had been well maintained during the year. The income during the year amounted to £900.