ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9848, 17 June 1895, Page 6

ECCLESIASTICAL.

The Beresford-streebCongregational Church was crowded last evening to hear the firsb of the ".Talks for the Times," by the Rev. Geo. Burgess,. F.R.A.S. Hjs topic v was " Christ as a Social Reformer," first aspect, "The Rights of Man." The preacher having spoken of the various descriptions of the right's of man, from Zeno down to the French Revolution, he defined those rights as springing from two fundamental ones of the right to exist, and the right of liberty. Then Jesus Christ saved for each man his rights by showing the natural laws of society, which are the divine order. Chrisb defined tho relations and duties of men. The relations were nob simply of species, but of brotherhood from the Divine Father. Christ's words, " Our Father," were the Magna Charta of the race, and this is the first principle of the sociality of Christ. In defining the duties of men, Christ moved the centre of gravity from individualism to altruism. The great law of the sociality of Chrisb was, "Love thy neighbour as thyself," and as applied by the Golden Rule, which conserved the rights of each, by respecting the rights of others. The preacher gave illustrations with regard to liberty, and the rights of property, and the rights of the outcast. , It was said the application of these principles was not practicable today. It was hard to live, the reason being that these principles of Christ were not lived. Men told him they would be ruined if they followed oub these principles ; bub he (the preacher) must tell them they would be ruined if they did nob do so—for it would be the crushing of their manhood and their immortal soul. Men were too busy thinking how they should get something to eab to think of higher truths. Let them reverse the process, and seek tho Kingdom of God, and all these things should be added unto them by the creation of a social environment in which individual rights should be restored, and, therefore, the Creator's bounty available for all. Ib was said this beaching of Chrisb was revolutionary, and it was. He gloried in it, nob as man's revolutions, foul with bloodshed and pillage, but as the revolutions God causes in His universe. Even then, while he spoke, the world was silently and simply turning on its axis. In a few hours, when their revolution was complete, their land would be face to face with the sun, which would scatter all darkness and bring in all life. Thab iwas whab Christ did tor the world. He turns men from the darkness of ignorance and selfishness to the light of God, and in His day there is no decline and there is no night. The night was far spent, and the day was ab hand. At tho Masonic Hall, Newton, lasb evening, the Rev. S. Neill delivered a discourse on " Man's Origin and Destiny," taking as his text, "Tho kingdom of heaven is within you." The preacher said a rational conception of the universe as Plato taught must ever lie at the foundation of a rational conception of what wo were aud of whab life meant, or our origin and destiny, and the meaning of our being here. So every philosophy, every theology, must start with, "In the beginning." In time,- as we ourselves grew wiser, aa our view became wider, our light clearer, ft would most surely be seen that the real -beginning was • not what it was » once thought to.be; in other words, there was no finality in knowledge. The radical error of all creeds and sects was their attempt to grasp at the wheels of progress and stop their course.

At the Catholic Apostolic Church, Gloa-. coster-street, last night, the Rev. K. C. Leal gave an interesting address, taking as his subject, " Who and what are the first fruits." Iu the coarse of his remarks Mr. Leal deplored the divisions in the Church, and sard that in these divisions the Church belied its principles and character. God would treat the Church as one. Men miuisfcored without being truly called, and this was the cause of all schisms and divisions. The Catholic Apostolic Chnrch believed that God had restored Apostles to the world in these latter days in the fulness of their ancient power, and it was the duty , and privilege of these men, who must be divinely called, to ripen their brethren and make them fit to be among the first fruits who would be gathered in before the great tribulation of the end.

Yesterday forenoon the various ministers of the Auckland Ministers' Association exchanged pulpits, as a token of fraternal esteem.

The greab feast; (Corpus Christi) was fittingly solemnised at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Thursday lasb and yesterday, being Sunday wifchin the octave of the feasb. Bub the exposition, adoration, andprocession of the Blessed Sacrament were postponed till yesterday on account of its being impossible bo carry out these functions on Thursday last. On that day the Rev. Father Madden sang High Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral at ten a.m., Large numbers received Holy Communion at St. Patrick's and all the Catholic Churches yeateiday. The high altar at St. Patrick's Cathedral was beautifully decorated. The baldacchino over the tabernacle and the ante-pendium in front of the altar being very tasteful. The rotable was adorned with vases of lovely flowers, and during the Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was brilliantly illuminated with candles. The High Mass at 11 a.m. was sung by the Rev. Father Kehoe. The epistle read in the Mass was from I. John in., 13-18 while the Gospel was from St. Luke xiv., 16 24. The Rev. Father Kehoe preached an eloquent discourse based on this Gospel, which dealt with the Last Supper. The choir and orchestra of the Cathedral sang Hadyn's "Mo. 1 Mass," under their excellent conductor, Mr. Hiscocks, with their well-known musical taste and devotion, Mr. Hartwell presiding at the organ. From three p.m. till the close of the evening service there was exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. During: the evening service the choir and orchosbra rendered Haydn's " Salve Regina" (besides the usual chants). Lambelobte's " No. 3 Litany," also a beautiful "O Salubaris," and the fine old Gregorian hymn, " Pange Lingua." The "Tantain Ergo" was sung as a duet by the Rev. Father Kehoe and Mons. Casier, with excellent taste. The Rev. Father Madden preached an eloquent sermon. on the "Real Presence," at this service. A procession, in which the Bishop and clergy, the religious societies, and the school children took part, and also benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, concluded the service.