RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, 21 July 1892, Page 39

RELIGIOUS.

The annual meeting of the St Peter’s Working party was held yesterday week at the parsonage. There was a good attendance and the Rev W. C. Waters presided. The annual report, which was adopted, stated that 21 meetings had been held during the year, and that the average attendance was 11, Several new members had been enrolled, while others had resigned. The report alluded to the sale of work held in September, which, however, had not proved very successful, resulting only in again of Ll 5. This sum, with the proceeds of last year’s social and other smaller amounts, made a total of L 74 9s Id, which had been duly handed over to the churchwarden. The report in conclusion expressed regret that so few orders were given to the committee by parishioners for plain or fancy work, either of which the ladies were anxious to obtain, and which could he executed at the cheapest possible cost. The election of officers resulted as follows :—President, Mrs H. W. Robinson ; vice-president, Mrs John Blundell; treasurer, Mrs L. Wilson ; secretary, Miss Seed ; committee, Misses Gibson and Robs. The Victorian Assembly has evidently turned completely round with regard to the religion in school question. Some weeks ago the following resolution was passed unanimously : —‘ This House views with deep sorrow and disapproval the continuance of the absence of the name of Our Lord and Saviour from the State school books, and requests the Minister of Public Instruction to provide for the issue in future of such books with the expunged passages referring to His name restored.’ The Presbytery of Wellington met in St John's Church, on Tuesday week, for the transaction of regular business. A committee was appointed to draw up a minute in relation to the death of the Rev J. W. Hope, M.A., and the death of Mr James Wil3on. The Presbytery met again on Wednesday evening in St Andrew's Church for visitation of the congregation. Rev J. Lymburn, Moderator, Revs J. Paterson, J. K. Elliott, C. S. Ogg, A, Thomson and W. Shirer, clerk, were present. In connection with the death of the Rev J. W. Hope, M.A., the following minute was adopted : — 4 The Presbytery desire to put on record their sense of the great loss they have sustained in the death of the Rev J. W. Hope, M. A., of the Hutt. Ordained and inducted into the charge of the Hutt on the 29th April, 1890, and called to his rest on 29th June, 1892. His was indeed a brief ministry, yet earnest and faithful, and although carried on amid much bodily sickness, it was not without tokens of success. All who knew him recognised in Mr Hope a man of superior ability, of fine culture, of gentlemanly bearing, upright Christian character : a man, too, of such faith and courage, and of a high sense of duty, standing at his post and doing his duty up to the very last.’ The Presbytery expressed their sincere sympathy with the relatives of their lamented friend, and with the congregation of the Hutt. In connection with the death of Mr James Wilson, the following minute was adopted : • The Presbytery learn with regret of the death of Mr James Wilson, an esteemed Elder of St John's, Wellington. During last year Mr Wilson was a member of the Presbytery ; he was also one of the commissioners to the last General Assembly. In each capacity he sought faithfully to discharge the duties entrusted to him. This, indeed, was characteristic of the man in every relation of life—his loyalty to truth and duty. A thoroughly upright man of sterling principle, of most kindly nature, and of rare, though unobtrusive, piety, he was esteemed and beloved by all who knew him.’ The Presbytery expressed their heartfelt sympathy for those who had been bereaved by the death of their esteemed friend. Mr Beck, who has been for some years identified witb St Peter’s Church Sunday School, and is about to proceed to Auckland, was on Sunday presented by the Rev W. C* Waters, on behalf of the teachers and Sunday school children, with several volumes of books, including ‘ Sadler’s Notes on the New Testament ' and works by Bishops Lightfoot and Westcott. The Rev Mr Waters, in making th« presentation, spoke of the many excellent qualities of the recipient and wished him every success in his new sphere. At St Mark’s Church the Rev R. Coffey gave notice that the collection next Sunday would be devoted to the relief of the sufferers by the disastrous fire at St John’s, Newfoundland. He made an earnest appeal to the congregation to contribute liberally. Mr A. F. Morrison, in an able paper on 1 The Labour Question in Ancient Egypt,’ read at the usual weekly meeting of St Johr/s Fellowship Association, drew a parallel between the condition of the Jews in Egvpt and the condition of labour in the present day, and said the question could only be settled on the Christian basis of brotherhood and equality. The Oddfellows’ Hall, Petone, was crowded on Sunday night with an interested audience to hear a special sermon entitled ‘Football Lessons and Illustrations from the Field.’ In the course of his address the preacher made use of the various expressions used by footballers to teach the necessity of persons running the Christian race with all the earnestness and zeal of a footballer on the field. One feature of the evening was the excellent selections rendered by the choir, and another was the display of an oil painting of the game of football by Mr Howe, of Petone. Dunedin, July 15. The Presbyterian congregation at Port Chalmers have asked the Presbytery to moderate in a call to the Rev Adamson, of Christchurch.