DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12934, 29 March 1904, Page 2

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

CALL W M XISBET.

A special meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery va.fj .held yesterday in First Church Hall to (leal with Clio e.'ill lo First Church, buni'ilm, of Clio Rev. Thomas Nisbct, D..D„ e,f Brisbane; present-Keys. R: I'.ackio (Moderator pro Icm), AV. "Will, D. Borrie, ,f. Chisboim, A. Cameron, A. M. Fhihivson (e'hrW. i). ■button, A. W. Kiirmont, W. Scorgic, .'!. A. Will, .1. Kilpatrick, A, (>';vt'u, J. IC. M'l'utyre, ministers; Atessrs b, Thomson, K. Bagrie, and (!. itpi.il, o'.derf. The. Clerk said the, rail had hoon totted by 471 members ijntludiijg .33 ollicc-bfaieis) of tlii) congregation,, ami the coneurre'.ieo bv £6 adherents. llf W, ft. Adams, dork of First Church ICirk Session, .said it liliist bo gratifying to 'the Presbytery to see that the call'had been signed so heartily. Although the roll ?o|»i)risri'(l 72J mo'iiber-, it was finite aifc to say that 100 of that number were unable, to alieiid the,. church and ejuito a number y.0r.0 away from buncdhi, some of them being iii Kngland. MVr.fciujj all circumstances into account, it was a most satisfactory call, and the session felt that that was so. The most Bawruiae (if them, did not expect lo get anything I'.ik.e 471 signatures. Thirtynine, ollicobearers put (if a total of 44 'signed the. call. The firitbano Presbytery met oii the Ist pros., and ho trusted the. local Presbytery \rauid expedite matters as much as possible, ami telegraph to Dr Nisbct. TJ* Rev. A, Cameron moved—" That the Presbytery sustain tiio call and forward it to flip Presbytery of Brisbane for preion- : talion to Dr'jvisbe.t'.'' Mr G. Ke'i'd .«pcf)ii(ied the motion. Tim liev. ,1. Chisholm said there were 96 adherents' names attached to the (all. Was any attempt made'to secure the names of (i larger number, or arty special opportunity givon tp then)? The adherents in connection with ehtfrche.s consisted chiefly of the •Voting' people, and the fact that only 96 adherents, bad signed did not scorn to If a very .favourable symptom it) connection with the call. It seemed to him that iii their churches there, was a deplorably small niimbcr of. members in proportion to adherents,. According to the census, there ; Hiiro 20,000 i'l'csbyierii'tns in bnncdin and suburbs, ai'ui the membership of their churches was a liitlo over 4000." That gave four adherents to every member in the Piasby.'tefkii.i. Church, or in Fir.-f Church about 3000 adherents, anil out of that number .56 had attached their names to the call. If, say, oti.&'foiirl.h. of the 3000 were over H years .of age they .bad between 700 and £00, ; and' S6. out. of iliat muiiber did not strike ' one. C>f ephrje, tlie adherents did not count ecclesiastically; but in the Northern Church ifu'y had secured a. place almost npial to ' that of member.-:, bid the First Church .authorities think that- 96 was a fair repres&lit:ttio:i of the adherents connected with i First Church congregation? I ill- \V. JI, Adam's said that no special oifprt was made tip get Adherents (o sign. If was notified in ' the- intimations iliat ! opportunity would' be gjveii to members ami '' adlioren.ts to sign. Tlie Kvv. Mr Cbisholm'.-i ! figures did hot apply to First Church. ! There, was nothing like a, proportion of four adhpren.ts to pile mendier. The session had not mot since the. eti.ll was signed, hut he ■ wan sure the members would bo satisfied that, taking, all. ci'r.euinstalicis into account, ;S6 was a.fair ti.imibci-i No effort was made to get the youpg people to sign; if any- . thing, it. was the cither' way. Parents (iii! ' not ■think it was' necessary for their children ;■ from if) to 1!) years of age to sign. Host ! of the adherents names, if analysed, would i be found to he those of men and women. '. be did not think that in First Church there , were 700 adherents,, or one adl.crent to every member, The motion was carried, 'l-'ho Tiev. Ik Finiayspn and Mr W. 11. Atam.s wire sippohiicd. to draw up reasons for tlio translation, of: Dr Nisbet, | SXMV. TOU NEKD. C.i'.ariibeJi'ai'n.'s s'toiraCh and bivcr Tablets ■ are: just; whiit you flccii'when there is a feeliinj'.pf fullness; .aii'(l\ ; tlistrcss aftor meals. .;, ■n.-ifiilate the bowels. :l(aving'iliemf iri;>'hatural and licalthy coni ;dition!;^For : ysale' by till dealers.