ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14895, 22 January 1912, Page 5

ECCLESIASTICAL.

CENTRAL MISSION. ' The usual week-end services were conducted by the Central Mission yesterday, ; The missioner, Mr. John Bissett, is at present in the country enjoying a, well? earned Holiday, his place being filled yes- , terday by an old friend of the Mission— Mr". E. Dimant, of Melbourne. lln the Albert-street Hall -at 11 a.m. Mr. Dimant - spoke .. on .Romans . . xii., while in the evening his address was based on John in., ML The " People's Ser- ■ vice "was preceded by = ; a short service of song,' conducted by choir and orchestra, during which, a solo, "None can Help like Jesus," was rendered by . Miss E. ; Thorpe. ; Mr. Dimant speaks in the Central Mission Hall on Wednesday evening next on "Palestine." -t-.—;—---',»; > '~■.-,_\ . MISSIONS TO SEAMEN. ■ A bright service was held last evening "in the Sailors' Home Mission Hall, Albert-street, when Captain Bazeley gave, an address, and the firemen and sailors jonied heartily in the singing. The usual -congregationr.of .seamen, attended evensong at; tha Seamen's ' Institute on Sunday.. In the unavoidable absence of the missioner, ' Mr. Arthur P. Cowie, who is confined to'his bed, : the service . was conducted by Mr. Arnold Harrison, of Northcote,. Miss ; Hawkes , acting as organist. At the conclusion of the : service favourite hymns were sung. :'.■.,. . Y.M.C.A. At four o'clock yesterday the Y.M.C.A. held an open men's meeting, at which the general secretary . presided. ; Among those who spoke Were Messrs. Miles, Snook, Ohms, and Goddard. ' The mating proved a helpful one, ' arid" some hearty singing was enjoyed by all .pre-. '. sent. At the' social tea which followed there were present Mr ; Snook, of White- 1 haven ; Mr. Hoare, Plymouth, Devon- : shire ; Mr*- J. H. Austiss, of Hamilton ; and others were from London,;■;? Colling- \ wood, arid Auckland city. A number of old members were welcomed back., THEOSOPHICAL. Mr. S. Stewart lectured last evening, at the Auckland Theosophical Society's! Rooms, Wellesley-street, on "Talked-of Wonders—What can we Accept ? "to a large and. interested audience. This lec- ) ture pointed out how there had always been crowds of: believers in every folly, but very few discriminative individuals'; for people went mad in crowds, -but only, regained sanity slowly. He then detailed a number of extraordinary delusions which had afflicted the world, and described the classes who had exploited them. Under these circumstances it was difficult to know how much to accept; : but it was clear that we could only adopt '.; what commended itself to * reason, was • capable of at least some show of demon- ;'■ stration, and was not accompanied by huge drafts upon credulity which make things seem incompatible with truth', fact, and sound judgment. , True knowledge had never been gained by following the multitudes or. their idols, but only by close observation, guarded experiment, and repeated experience.,: An interesting discussion took place. , v, In the Town Hall concert chamber Miss C. W. Christie lectured on "The Riddle of Life: (I). How-Man* Became Human; , (2) What Man is To-day; : (3) . What He Will be in Future." The j lecturess briefly outlined the coming into a 1 manifestation of a Logos of a solar system, , containing within Himself the divine . sparks, each of whom goes forth into- mat- ; ter, in order to render all things subject , to Himself. Thus, passing in the process | from a static centre of consciousness, en- , folding all divine . potentialities;; into a i dynamic , centre, unfolding .all divine } powers, he finally, attains to self-conscious union with the One, " Involution," or , descent of spirit into matter, always preceded " evolution," or the gradual and triumphant ascent of spirit out of matter, the veils of the latter becoming less and less blinding as the life within unfolds. c The methods by which individualisation is ( attained, or, technically, the birth of the t soul, or ego,, were followed very atten- 8 tively. , ; """. D , GOOD TEMPLARS. . jj The Ark of Eden Lodge" of : Good Tern- w plars held ■- a very successful' open meet- y ing on Friday evening in the Eden Ter- g . race Fire Brigade Hall. Bro. Denvers, Chief Templar, presided over a large at- j tendance of members and visitors. Bro. a McDermott gave a short and interesting temperance address, after which the following contributed to a.very enjoyable » programme -Miss Wiltshire, Miss Kelby, j~ Messrs Edwardes, Haselden,. Pearce, Bui- * len, McKay and Ingram. Miss Andrew " acted as accompanist. The meeting closed * with a vote of thanks' to the perform-; « ers.. ,; ' . ' ; ,