THE CHURCHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1262, 7 May 1896, Page 42

THE CHURCHES.

ST. PETES S. The services at St. Peter's Church were held ou Sunday at the usual hours. Tho evening service was well attended. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were sung to plain chants. Tho anthem was "To Thee, Great Lord." Mr J. A. Tripe, 8.A., read tho lessons, and the vicar (Rev W C. Waters) preached morning, afternoon, and evening. Mr T. Trimnell presided at the organ.' BUCKLE STREET. In the absence of Father Devoy at Duuodiu, Dr Walters preached on Sunday at St. Joseph's Church, and spoke on devotion to tho Blessed Virgin from a Catholic point of view. This devotion, he said, had in all times, because of the ideal held out, produced tho highest effects in silent devotion and piety, in works of charity, and creations of Christian art. Mary had power to assist man on earth. Would it be

seriously contended that she had lost that power now that she sits on her throne in Heaven? Proof's were, readily brought forward from Holy Scripture, from the Fathers, from sound reason in sustenance of this view. Mariolatry, as it had been called, was, when properly understood and expounded, no more disparaging to Cod than a petition, say to a Minister of tho Crown, was derogatory to the royal prerogative. It was significant that no in-

structed Cat nolic spoke of the "worship" duo to Mary. The moat elementary text-book of theology distinguished very accurately between the worship due to God and the homage and devotion paid to the Blessed Virgin. In a local organ in this city, not long ago, said Dr Walters, prominence was given to a statement said to be made in a sermon | by a Church of England clergyman, that the ' one bar to tho union of the Christian Churches was the "worship of Mary " as practised by Catholics. He might assume that the rev preacher accepted the responsibility of this bewildering dictum, as the report so far bad not been traversed by him. Now, had they not in this a pitiable perversion of fact? Was it not with many in the Church of England who presumably acted under tho charter of the It'.) articles a conscientious practice to celebrate the festivals of the Blessed Virgin and pay her due homage. Had this devotion ever been put forward by tho recognised and authoritative exponents of polemical thought in England as tho one bar to union ? Was ir not a striking fact that any and every point of Catholic belief was adopted by some branch or other of the conflicting parties of the Protestant Church ? A little generous enquiry into an easy question would have shown the preacher what Catholics believed and practised in this matter, and further research, might he add, would have formed this conviction on his mind - that the monopoly of wisdom was clearly not his, and that Catholics, clerical and lay, by education and position, were fully able to enquire into their tenets, to explain them to the ignorant and the thoughtless, and generally to give an intelligible reason for the faith chat is in them. W allowed to go ono step further, he would state, for tin! enlightenment of all, that the bar to Christian union was to be sought and found not in the " worship of the Virgin "—not in Mariolatry—but indeed in the. principle of submission to a divinely chartered head, in tho principle of spiritual allegianco that every Catholic in every part of the world—lar beyond the bounds of British supremacy—joyfully and with full confidence paid to the Vicar of Christ, the grand old Pope of Pome. st. paul'r. At the 11 o'clock service at St. Paul's, the vicar (Rev T. 11. Sprott) was assisted by Rev 11. P. Tuckey, and there was tho usual monthly choral Communion service, the music, which was used for the first time, being by Woodward in L). Tho vie ir preached on the; loth Psalm commencing, "Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?" Speaking on the subject of Bible reading in schools tho preacher remarked that it was passages of Scripture such as this psalm that one hoped to have read in the public schools, and asked if it would be any harm for the pupils of both sexes to learn such off by heart. If they thought, no harm would be done, then he urged them to favour the Pubic reading in schools movement, and to haid it their earnest support. The rev gentleman also referred to the si.i ad; roil; iem i si. ; v, hi-h are m ide on public plat fm in-: hi reference lo public men sit eleei.ion limes, and remarked I hat oil her such remarks were untrue and slanderous or ! ii.-ir public men ion ;! be scoundrel ■:. 11. was in t hi , place to say whether the | e'lii;. e ; made \v< re t I I!!' or hot, but III! I : i r.iiigly ih-pn c i-l '■■! n :!i charge ■ b i:ig i l; .ide, "iilld hoped tho C-Olh,;;' I IccCoU; ! w -i:M not !,.! d.ara -.in-] -.] by any such i run In:- In I In' owning lb ■ vie W COllliiiu •! his ;vr.'.-.; of !■ ~-',:i'e ;on the Pook of .f.J:. ';•;.- !h '.' VY. Il.i'.m' ,-r .■••mlu.ded both :;-•: ;:e ■; -.:■., i . M-ahi..; ■ ■! oe, s. The text ;-:■ ;'::;• iih Iwh, i■; i : o.i ibl.'." 11l 111.) ■ ■: i.ing tie e.V..ei was Christ the Pread i.r :.:i'■•, lin: lex; being J ha vi., '.','>. Tim ohj-ci of the preach, r w.i ; to i how that i ':;:■,.4 was needful !•. men rs men, and not j ea'v a,, .-hnsici'.-. 'licit ju.-.t as our daily k-:.d liecomc-sour 1.1 .„.] and ih- h, not by looking at it and talking about it, but by ! (■a.'hig if, .-■ i <'hrist becomes the life of mcji, not by timir admiration of ifim, but by their reception of Him into their hearts. The anthem was "0, Love the Lord " (Sullivan). TEP.iI.VCE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Sunday's services were conducted by the pastor, Rev J. R. Glasson, who in the morning preached from 2nd Cor., sth chap., verses (5 to 10, on the subject of the Christian's assurance in the contemplation of death. In the course of his sermon, the preacher remarked that no ono could carefully read the epistles written by St. Paul

without being impressed with tho fact that to him tho spiritual world was very real. He refers to tho body as the temporary abode, the temporary home or house of the ( spirit; and to death as merely a change in , the mode of being. Paul lived in con- , tinual danger from earthly enemies, so far j as it was in their power to do him injury. He lived, so to speak, on tho brink of death, but, in the face of it all, he had no manner of doubt as to tho future ! that awaited him, and that; awaits every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. To those found, like Paul, in Christ, death comes only as a blessing, a going homo, the flight of the spirit to its Lord. At the close of the morning service, the ordinance . of the Lord's Supper was observed. The preacher selected for his text at the evening service, Galatians, uth chap, and 16th verse : " Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." CHURCH OF CHRIST, DIXON STREET. Tho subject on Sunday was "Earthly, Sensual, Devilish," and the preacher was Mr Edward Lewis. lie said that to be earthly, sensual and devilish were possibilities to every nation and to every individual. Without some strongly counteracting influences, the earthly was bound lo degenerate into the sensual, and tho sensual into tho devilish. Tho very Paradise of tho Mohammedan was earthly in its ideal, and the Mohammedan is sensual and devilish, as witness! the atrocities in Armenia. Humanity was earthly to begin with, and infinitely more so since the fall of our race. God knew this would be so, and provided for it in tho redemption by the Cross of Christ. The natural man fell, the God-man redeemed. By patriarch and law-giver and prophet the great Spirit Father has always been striving to lift up the earthly race, and now in the Gospel of His only begotten ' the spiritual force is completed, and the remedy against the earthly and the sensual and the devilish is the birthright of man. st. mark's. The Rev R. Coffey, M.A., preached in tho morning from St. Luke xxii., verse (if : " And tho Lord turned and looked upon Peter." Previous tolas denial, Peter, lie said, was following Christ afar off. This was like unto those who, in life, followed Christ with indifference, not altogother losing sight of Him, but just keep-1 ing Him in view, as it were. He pointed j out how important it is for us to eschew evil companionship ; for if not we are sure to fall into bad ways. Although we fall, the preacher added, if wo try our best we shall receive mercy from Him who loves being merciful. In tho evening the Ven Archdeacon Stock, 8.A., preached from St. John, xxi., 1, and in concluding spoke warmly on religious education in the public schools. He said he wished emphatically to deny the slander which was being circulated that those advocating religious education were attempting to destroy the educational system. It was quite wrong; they were trying to improve it by adding religious instruction. The service was Bunnett's in F, and the anthem "God hath appointed a day" (Tours). st. john's. Tho Rev J. Patorson conducted services both morning and evening. At the evening service, Mr John Molt, M.A., of America, general secretary of the World's Students' Christian Federation, gave an interesting address on the Christian movements among the universities of Europe, America and Asia. He stated that the American movement included over 500 colleges and universities, with 33,000 students and professors as members. It had led over 30,000 students to become Christians, over ■IOOO to become ministers, and over 4000 to decide on becoming foreign missionaries. Tho British movement, although only two years old, included ~A leading universities ' and colleges. Jt had led to a great increase in the number of students becoming Christians, and in the number volunteering for missions. There ; were over 1000 British students who expected to become missionaries as tho result of this movement. The German movement, although very young, ' was beginning to shako some of the colitres of rationalism in that country. The ' Scandinavian movement, which united the ; universities of northern Europe, was full of ' promise. The Christian movement; and • missions united overso colleges in all parts ' of the world, and had done wonderful work' in India, and Japan in particular. ' st. Andrew's. At Si. Andrew's Church the Rev C. S. Ogg pleached morning and evening. In , the morning he took for his text the lilith and 37th versos of (lie 13th chapter of St. Mark : - 30, '■ Watch . . . lesl coming , suddenly, be find you sleeping," and :!7, j "Ami v.ii.il I nay unto yon I say untoaii, , watch." lie went oil to A;iy that vigilance , was one of ourino.-t important duties, and . whatever duties wu have to discharge we mud, alt.-ml to w-11. As wo had read how , the little hand of Englishmen beset with . traitors in tic camp at I'uluwayo were obliged to put them to death, so we muse put to d-ath the spies in the camp of our , conscience. sr. .taxes'.

The Rev W. Sbirev at the morning service preached I. Corinthians, ix., 1, " Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" This was the first lecture on the conversion of Paul. The import .-nice of this event was considered as having evidential value, and as a record of personal experience. Various sceptical attempts made to explain this event were considered. These were not adequate to account for what took place, nor for results following. After all allowance had been made for psychological requirements of the case, it remained a groat witness to the power of Christ. At the evening service an evangelical address was given on Acts, xvi., 31, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt bo saved and thy house," and the preacher urged the obligation of personal and family religion.

KENT TERRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. On Sunday the Rev J. Kennedy Elliott lectured on Future Punishment, from the words of our Saviour, " Where the worm dioth not and tho fire is not quenched," Mark ix., -f-S. The two lines of thought which ran through the discourse were tho nature of the misery and its duration, and the preacher urged his hearers to flee from "the wrath to come" by betaking themselves immediately to Christ, tho only Saviour of sinners.

COURTENAT PLACE COXCSRELATIONAL CHURCH. The pastor was back in his place on Sunday in the above pulpit after his Southern trip, and gave the addresses at both services, and in tho afternoon read to the scholars in tho school an interesting letter he had received from a New Zealand missionary stationed in Madras, which referred to a big native religious festival being held at the time of writing. Special refoience was made in the letter to the missionary interest shown by the Bowen street and Courteuay place schools.