THE WELLINGTON CONGREGATIONAL MISSION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1106, 12 May 1893, Page 41

THE WELLINGTON CONGREGATIONAL MISSION.

This mission, projeoted by the Revs C. H. Bradbury and W. A. Evans, was inaugurated on Sunday afternoon in the Exchange Hall. About 60 or 70 people were present. A collection of 10 hymns had baen specially printed for use during the mission, and comprised pieoeß by Lord Tennyson, Car. dinal Newman, Adelaide A. Proctor, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ebenezer Elliott and others. Mr H. F. Edger presided at the harmonium.

The Kev Mr Evans delivered the opening address on * Christian Citizenship,' taking as bis text Phillippians 1., 27. Paul's teaching, he said, was that a man's religion should enter into his family, his social and political life, that his whole behaviour should be but a development of his religion, and that his oitizenship should be worthy of the Gospel. Eighteen centuries had passed away since Paul wrote his Epistles, and in the oourse of those centuries the Church became not only Pagan in organisation, but in creed aa well, and the greatest te ror to thought and reason the world had ever experienced, la other directions the teachings of Christ and His Apostles became crystallised into clearly defined creeds, many of which had not a shadow of foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In latter days there had come a strong revuloion of feeling against the divorce of the religious and the secular life in those who sought to be the loaders of the people, and a growing determination to Insist that in all respects they should prove themselves to bo worthy of trust and confidence. Mr Evans concluded by pointing out that as a means to the uplifting of the race, men musi recognise the bonds of brotherhood that linked them to one another.

The Rev C. H. Bradbury said what a splendid thing it would be for i>ew Zealand if the principle weie recognised and acted upon that no man should be placed In a public position—whether the position be that of City Councillor or that of Prime Minister—unless he had ptoved himself to be fitted for it. Then we wanted what Professor Huxley called ' a capacity-catch-ing machine ' —ln other words, means of discovering capacity even in the lowliest positions and applying it to its natural and best work. The spirit of solidarity must be carried oat in Its truest sense. Men must eschew and combat the selfish individualistic spirit whioh did not oare one straw for those boneath it. When this spirit obtained full sway in a community and the sense of citizenship was obliterated, that community was ripe for revolution. There was already to-day a sort of passion for humanity, and the best possible way of helping those who neoded help was to manifest a practical interest in this broadest phase of citizenship they had been describing. If Mr Evans and himself made calls upon them based in this spirit he felt perfectly oertain, if the appeal wore only viewed in this sympathetic, human, Chris, tian sort of way, that it would meet with a hearty response. They trusted to make this appeal by and by. Their mission was in the nature of an experiment; both of them had resigned their churches to engage in it, and whether it developed into a Labour Church or something of the kinc 1 the purpose was dear. The men in Wellington wanted to bo diverted from lower, more sensual and more sensuous forms, and turned in the direction of something nobler and more Divine. The motherß in Wellington would be all the better for the brighter ing of dull and monotonous lives, and the better the lives of the mothers were made the brighter promise one would have of the next generation. The youths of the city needed to be gripped by a power that wonld hold them, turn their minds and hearts to a larger and nobler world than that with which they were concerned to« day. All might be summoned up in this : Lot us strive to feel we are brothers one to another, and if those who have the power to help will give their assistance in that spirit and fashion we may attain the noblest oitizenship. There was a fair attendance in the even, iog. The Rev C. H. Bradbury spoke first, the subject of his remarks being ' Tae Religious Factor in Socialism.' His object was, he said, to strive to demonstrate that our national well-being depends upon the reign of religion on earth—that kind of religion which was inoulcated by Jesus Christ when he said ' Love God with all your heart, love thy neighbour as thyself, and do unto others as you would they should do unto you.' He laid great stress on the con eution that citizens could not be formed in a few minutes, that )t should, and did, take years of ecjuoation to fit a man to carry out his duties as a responsible member of the .state, and that education should include religion. They did not want,' religiosity,' he said, meaning thereby an observance of outward forms without any inward, deep rooted religious feeling, but a religion that could befriend the publicans and sinners, that oould show its strength and wisdom in confronting those who might be the leaders of the nation, and —beoanse they knew not how to lead—could speak to them the plain and honeßt truth : that they were blind, foolish, the people, and that would continue to speak even though it cost them their lives The Rev W. A. Evans followed with an address on • The Cnuroh of tho Future.' This church, he said, would be large enough to comprehend the whole of humanity, nil the ameliorative agencies that have made and are making for righteousness today ; it would be a church of human brotherhood, based upon and Beeking to realise the great prinoiple of the Fatherhood of God. It was to be a church wherein all men and all women, whataver their creed, might find shelter, in so far aa they sought the welfare of their kind. That was their objeofc, to try as far as they could ao to translate ' father' and 'brother' aa would make them realise more than ever before that humanity, in spite of its degradation and imperfection, ita poverty and Bin, w»8 otill possessed of nobler parts. In ooncloaion he earnestly exhorted his hearers to bind themselves to. gather for the f artheraued of that object.

Hymns wore sung and a oolleotion was taken during the evening.