CHURCH OF CHRIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13948, 2 January 1909, Page 6

CHURCH OF CHRIST.

W-- [ NEW ZEALAND . CONFERENCE; The triennialconference of the Churches of Chi4i.-ia.-New Zealand was opened in I the Qifeen's:Jlaii, Paget-street? Ponsonby, | ; yesterday morning,, .then? being some 60 £ delegates, representing.. 32 churches. The |i;' president/Mr*.' 3. Jftgli3 Wright, of Dun- |: edin, presided. After * brief devotional I service.hearty •welcomes were extendedto f the delegates by Mr. Wright* and Mr. : A. f' M. Bryden, president of the Auckland dis- ■*-.- trict conference. . '~'-. J The, president, ?n a lengthy address, J which was listened to with marked attenj| tfoff, dealt with the relation of primitive ?a'.;-;•■ Christianity to the twentieth century. In £.-' conclusion,"he quoted the following from /J-. •'. the preface of Canon H. Hcnsley HenI derson's book, "Apostolic Christianity": f --"To me it has been a labour of love, I from which ■ I "rise with ■ the conviction L * trial in iheMjiostolic age the latest ChrisI^^^^SQ^cefltSiry -must; find, its guidance. I*; <•* In reverting- to first principles, the Church | • must recover that allegiance which she has h . now so largely forfeited. We are haunted t V and burdened by the idiosyncrasies of the f later history. We are slaves to the- fourth p century, or to the Ages of Faith, or to 1,- • the Reformation, or to the Zeitgeist of "oar i .'-:.- own generation, hence our impossible demands, our obdurate divisions, our desperate rivalries. Behind all that long apostacy we call Church History is the k age of the Apostles when the mind of the c Spirit was reflected in the life of the society with, a fidelity which has never |- since been witnessed, , There we may discover ■■: the original principles of Christianity, return .to which is the supreme I Spiritual necessity of our time." fci>- - Mr. H. Langsford,"of Christchurch, followed with- a paper on the best methods , for extending the Gospel in New Zealand's towns,, and Mr. : J. G. Price, of ..TaKaka, elaborated on : the same subject r i~- in .regard to country districts. : 'tvhkiii 'The training of young men for the work uisbonpf, evangelists was the first matter conW f ' ,in &idered at the afternoon session. Mr. A. MaiD - of the staff of the Bible College, t'lptaiijMelbounie, outlined the work done in that Thani«?institutJon, and urger the churches to take of , the facilities afforded. The Turuaf report of 1 - the' Evangelist Training CornNew Fmit tee "was ' read by Mr. J. I. Wright,. •*"*■ which showed that the committee's fund K was in credit to the extent of over £100. It was agreed to recommend the churches >'" k' to give support and sympathy -to the - , -Bible College as the best means of training young men for the work of the Gospel. A committee was appointed to consult with Mr. Main and report to conference . on some definite plan of work to be adopted by the Training Committee. ■ .The subject of foreign missions was intro- ,; duced in .an, able paper by Mr. Ralph Gebbiei: of Chriutchurch, read in the writer's ■?;- absence by Mr. H. Langford. The Foreign Mission Committee's report and discussion ,-, on the fubject were deferred until Saturday {■'.. morning. ':, V" v i ;*-i."vTho.Church of the New Testament was ~,.- the next- subject dealt with, being . intro- |:: duced in an address by Mr. H. Grinatead, who contended 'that the New Testament Church was a model church designed as a guide for the Church of to-day. This address provoked a warm discussion, which, , owing to the lateness of the hour, had to 1 be. adjourned till thifi morning. r " '! At eight p.m. a Home Mission rally was '•' held in the Ponsonby Road Church. Mr. A. M. Bryden presided, and able and force- '. ; ful addresses dealing with various phases ', of Home Mission work were delivered by ~-[~ Messrs. W. J. Hastie (Dunedin), E. Lewi's , ,; (Spring Grove), E. T. Edwards, B.A. j (U.S.A.), Jas. Routkdge (Dunedin), and H. . Grinstead. . . ' The conference resumes its sittings in the _ Queen's Hall, Paget-street, this morning. j v --;. <