ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8963, 30 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

ECCLESIASTICAL.

NEW ZEALAND EVANGELISTIC AM PUBLICATION ASSOCIATION. The fifth annual conference of the New M land Evangelistic ani Publication Assoc:"*® was held on Jan. 2 in the Foresters' HA Newton. The morning session was dew*» to business matters. The opening B< £ r " was given by Elder T. L. Wilcock, the n e! dent. The report was read by Mr. U". Secretary. It reviewed the work oft elders of the Association at Hamiiw' Thames, Drury, and Papakura. _ &\ ' Aldridge had been favourably receiver, duri s his Southern trip. A reading cirole had w instituted in Auckland under Elder Alarm? supervision, open to ' both sexes. ' attitude assumed by the Rev. C. C. « r and the Timaru Baptist Church was couraging. Some brethren in Sydney _ solicited the visit of a preacher to inangur > the work there. The treasurers ret showed the receipts and ex P en( : ltur n;tji e £600. Over 13,000 copies of the £>' : Standard were printed during the yea' j,. circulated. New agencies had been • lisheel in the South, and the publication circulated in the Australasian group, - rica. Great Britain, and China. Ine of delegates were received from Aui> Thames, Hamilton, Drury, and r»P» I It was resolved that Elder E. H. T J Sydney during the year, also Aldridge pay a second visit to we formed in Dunedin, to extend over mo iths upon their guaranteeiug 8 jexpenses. It was resolved to c dition »l wit.i the secretary of the En ß ll,h 9 thet »nj Immortality Association, asking whe tbjj elders would be disposed to come colony and engage in the work. fortba The following officers were elect . ]co^; ensuing year : — President, T. ■ , J. vice presidents, G. Aldridge, J. d J, Becroft, E. H. Taylor C. B. Kl °8» »» & a 8; editor, 0. Aldndg.! 'SU&.O. Carr; treasurer, J. W. Carr, F j,, alkne Squirrell; book steward. ». »• jj eJ committee. Brothers Wild, J«vi , It Dines, French. Moore, and l ereno3 0D was decided to hold the next confere the Ist or 2nd of January ini 1»J- # g6o d "At the afternoon session there c (J. attendance. A paper from the fiev Be»» w Brown, of Timaru, entitled . "

Disseminate the Truths of Life Only in Christ," was read by Elder Aldridge. Brother W. Cropp read another paper on •■Our Work in England and America," and Elder E. H. Taylor gave an address on •'Temperance." The papersjwere thoroughly discussed. In the evening, at half-past six, a large number of brethren Bat down to a social tea. Elder Aldridge presided. He referred to a letter sent to him by the Timaru Baptist Church, in which they thanked the sister church in Auckland for the welcome accorded their pastor, the Rev. C. C. Brown, on the occasion of his late visit to this city. Addresses wero delivered by Messrs. J. Fletcher, W. Cropp, E. H. Taylor, J. W. Carr, R. French, and T. L. Wilcock. Tho choir, under the conductorship of Brother C. B. King, rendered a number of choice musical selections. DEPARTURE OF BISHOP COWIE. Amongst the passengers by the s.s. Mana« pouri, which left ou the 10th January for Sydney, were His Lordship Bishop Cowie, Mrs Cowie, and family, who are en route to England. The Bishop's tarewoll was celebrated by a servico at St. Matthew's Church, at halt past ten a.m. that day, when Holy Communion was celebrated, there being a large attendance. The following clergy were vested, and were assembled within the altar rails, taking part iu the service as follows Right Rev. Bishop Cowie, celobrant, who administered on the south sido, the Rev. W. Tebbs, M.A., administering the chalice. On the north side the admimstrants were the Yen. Archdeacon Dudley, and the Eov. T. H. Sprott, M.A., the former also reading tho ante* communion service. The Epistle and Gospel were read by the Rev. C. M. Nelson, M.A., and Archdeacon Willis, and the oilertory sentences by the Revs. J. Bates and \V. Cakler. Iu the body of the church were tho following:—Ven. Archdeacon Mauneell (LL.D.), Revs. A. J. Alloway (8.A.), 11. Cockerton, H. S. Davies, J. K. Davis A.), W. M. Dußieu (M.A.), F. G. Evans, J. Haselden, O. R. Hewlett, J. S. Hill, E. Houchen (M.A.), J. Kinder (M. A., D.D.), T. F. King, M. Kirkbride, F. H. Long, T. O'C.illaghan(D.D.), E. J. Phillips, A. G. Purchss, I. Richards A.), P. S. Smalltield, G. H. S. Walpolo (M.A.) The service, which was choral, was a setting by Cooper, and was excellently rendered by members of the. choirs of St. Matthew's, St. Paul's, All Saints', and St. Thomas. Mr. T. Tallis Trimnell, Mus. Bac., played too organ accompaniments and tho opening aud concluding voluntaries. At Bishop Cowie's suggestion, the otfertoriea were given to the Home Mission Fund.

A very large number of the clergy and laity assembled on Queen-street Wharf prior to the departure of the Manapouri, to bid ben voyage to Bishop aud Mrs. Cowie and family. As the vessel left the wharf three sheers were raised for His Lordship aud Mrs. Cowie, aud a cheer in response was given by those on board the steamer. In anticipation of Mrs. Cowie's departure from New Zealand with the Bishop on a visit to England, 500 women of Auckland have presented her with a piece of plate, bearing the following inscription : " Mrs. Cowie, in loving recognition of her work amonc us, from ' Auckland women, January, ISSS." The gift— silver salver— was accompanied with the following letter : " Dear Mrs. Cjwie,—Will you kindly accept this little gift from ' Auckland Women,' not as a measure of our love and respect, but in plight recognition of your many kindnessc-3 and untiring labours among us."

A sale of work in aid ef St. Alban's Anglican Church, Mount Koskill, was held on the 31st December at Mr. A. Buckland'a premises, Queen-street. The usual assortment of plain and fancy needlework, etc., was exhibited, but there was only a moderate attendance during the day. The arrangement:) were carried out under the direction of the Key. E. J. Phillips and Mr. F. G. 'iwington, and the work stalls and refreshcent tables were under the charge of the .olio',-ring ladies Jdi3sea Yates and Kobinion, rind Mesdames Yates, Edwards, and Uobinson. The goods remaining unsold were offered by auction by Mr. G. W. Binney previous to closing, and a large number of articles wore disposed of. The annual free performance of Handel's "Messiah" took place at the Choral Hall on the Ist January. The building was packed, knots of people even standing in the side passages and at the doors cf the bill unable to gain entrance. Herr Carl Seiiantt conducted, and a full choir of nearly 100 voices was present, whilst the orchestra of the society played the accompaniments. The performance was a remarkably good one, the choruses, especially the grand "Hallelujah " chorus, being rendered with great cnspnes3. The solos, which were admirably given, were sung by Mrs. Davies (soprano), Miss Knight (contralto), and Mr. Brett (bass), Mr. Barrie Taylor taking the tenor solo passages in the absence of Mr. Hosking. Tnere was a crowded congregation at All Saints' Church on the Sth January at eleven o'clock, when an ordination service was held, Mr Cecil A. Tobin being admitted to priest's orders, and Mr Charles Cookerton as deacon. Hymn 353 having been sung, Biehop Cowie preached a sermon, referring to the importance of the rite of ordination ; and he took occasion to address a few words of farewell to the congregation, as he is leaving for England on Jan. 10. The ceremony was then proceeded with in the usual form, ending with tile communion of the clergy and the ISunc Dimittir.

During the service at St. Mary's Church cn January 8, Bishop Cowie presented a layreader's license to Mr. H. G. Seth Smith, who subsequently took part in the service by reading the lessons. The "presentation of colours " to the Newmarket branch of the Salvation Army took place on the 10th January at the Newmarket all, the ceremony being conducted bj .Stuff-captain Lovelock. A missionary meeting took place on Jan. '13 in the Baptist Tabernacle Schoolroom, in connection with the Indian Baptist Mission. I; was preceded by a social tea, to which ibou:lsoeat down. At the after meeting about -250 were present, and the Rev. Thos. >pi:rgeob (pastor) presided. In hia introductory epeech he stated the reason for conrecicg the meeting, namely, to revive their interest in tlio mission work in India, Mr. F. Battley spoke on the mode of and on the financial aspect of tho question. The secretary (Mr. Carter) read a letter from Miss Newcombe (the lady missionary to India who recently viEitcd the Baptist Churches of New Zealand) relative to tier visit to Ceylon and her arrival at Calcutta on her way to the mission field. Mr. Fry gave a brief address on mission work, after which a collection was tsken up amounting to £8 10a SI. It was resolved to distribute mission boxes, collecting books and cards among those desirous of aiding the finances. The following committees were appointed Gentlemen : Eev. T. Bray, Messrs. liattley, Fry, Spedding, Gaze, Watts, Hay, Carter, Andrews, Freeman, Chambers, Rozier, W. Baker (secretary). Ladies : Mesdames Philson, Bell, W. Atkins, Batts, Yeoman, lOllingham, Cnllarton, Lambourne, Watts, Chambers, Gaze, Misses Keyburn, Pearson, E. Gaza, S. Wells, Mrs, Battley (secretary).

The Primitive Methodist Conference opened at luvercargill on Jan. 20, but in the absence of several Northern mombera nothing was done. On Jan. 21 the session was opened, Mr. G. (Invercargill) was elected president, md the Rev. J. Sharp vice-president. The =onnectional olncera are as follow : Rev. VV. Harris, secretary; Mr. W. Laycock, assistant; Rev. Ijumbcll, and J. Guy, readers; and Mr. J. Sharp, writer. The sitting was taken up with the reception of reports from stations re church properties, all showing progress and a healthy condition. Pastor j. Milieu gave an impressive address. The liev. Mr. Robjohns, the representative £>f the British and Foreign Bible Society, who arrived from Sydney by the Waihora, was entertained on the 19th January at the ioung Men's Christian Association Rooms at a social tea by the committee and leading friends of the Society. Mr. Hobjohns at the close gave an address on tho ! ane r heart of the work of the Society, and j n the conference which ensued answered a large number of questions put as to the operations of the Society. In the evening ie delivered an evangelistic address in the °ture hall of the institution, Mr. Braken* f>g presiding. The proceedings were closed y prayer by the Rev. Mr. Thomas. Ihe soiree to commemorate the opening of e new Wesley an Church, Ngaruawahia, was e " attended, nearly 200 persons being Th Mr. J. Bycroft occupied the chair. r 0 , v * Mr- Bellow said that a financial 'port had not yet been prepared, but the oc . etar y position cf the new building was p ' a sum of £60 having been subscribed ® on ®y> £19 net raised by the bazaar, and apinr 0 . the labour in erecting the building 8 given free.

A meeting in connection with the British and Foreigu Bible Sooiety took place at Onehunga on the ISth January, in the Onehunga Public Hall. The Rev, Mr. Mulgan presided, and there were on the platform the Revs. J. S. Hill, Fellows, Adams, Lawry, and Miller. There was a good attendance. The Rev. Mr. Robjohns, the representative of the Society, delivered an interesting address. The \Veoleyan Conference opened at Wellington on Friday, the 20th January. The Rev. Mr Williams, of Christcliurcb, was elccted President, and the Rev. H. Bull, Auckland, was appointed secretary. The Rtv. Mr Morley gave notice of motion, '• That there should bo an independent con« fereace for Now Zealand."