COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13114, 1 March 1906, Page 6

COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN* CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday. The advisableness of having a course of lectures in defence of the Christian faith, to be held in a public hall in the city during the coming winter, was advocated by the Rev. J. J. North at the meeting of the Council of the Churches. He favoured the co-operation of the Anglican Church with the Nonconformist congregations in the matter. The chairman (the Rev., Dr. Gibb!, while regarding the proposal as an exceedingly good one. took some exception to the word "defence," It had always seemed to him a somewhat unhappy term. It- was rather a statement of trie Christian religion that thev aimed at-, rather than a " defence" of it. 'Of course, " defence" was suggested because attacks were made in certain quarters, but he always felt that t:ie best- way of advocating the' Christian religion was by making dear what it was. A motion in favour of ill - . North's proposal was unanimously adopted. The subject of equalising tie penalty as between men. and women ■> in cases of illegitimacy was discussed, on a resolution from the executive setting forth that, in view of the difficulty and delicacy of the ! subject, the executive did not- find itself able to make any recommendation. " The chairman explained that, the hesitancy members of the committee felt was due, not to any carelessness about protecting womanhood, .but rather to the high ideal winch they cherished concerning that sex. He was not quite certain- whether it- not after all desirable that the penalty should hot be in some respects harder for women than for men. That seemed at first blush rather a hard thing to say; still they thought of womanhood 3 as on the whole superior to the harder and sterner sex. He did- not- commit himself absolutely to that- view, but-, personalis, he should hesitate to give his assent, to any proposal which, by inflicting a harder penalty than now. would bring down the level of womankind to the, level. of mankind.