LATE REV. P. W. FAIRCLOUGH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16984, 21 April 1917, Page 10

LATE REV. P. W. FAIRCLOUGH

THE FUNERAL. Tho funeral servico of tho lato Rev. Paul Wynyard Fairclough, F.Ii.A.S., was held in tho St. Albans Methodist Churcii on Thursday (says tho Christohuroh Press), in tho presonco of a largo number of friends of tho deceased. Tho pulpit of tho church was draped in black, and a Union Jack was placed upon tho desk of the pulpit as a token of tile late Mr Fairelough's strong patriotic and Imperialistic sentiments, and also to indicate hia connection with tho Defence Forces of tho dominion, of which ho had been a chaplain. Among tho many who wcro presont to pay their last tribute of respect wero tho Mayor (Mr 11. Holland), Mr h. M. Isitt, M.P., Captain Hardy (representing tho Defence Department), Messrs E. Rosevcar and W. Bull (of Trinity Church, Dunedin), Mr T. E. Corkill (of Wellington), and Messrs R. Evans and W. Parnham (of Kaiapoi). Telegrams wero received from the Mayor of Kaiapoi, the Rev. W. A. Sinclair (president of tho Conferonce), and others. A very beautiful array of floral tributes wero placed in the chancel, surrounding tho coffin, which rested upon supports in front of tho altar.

Tho servico opened with tho Lord's Prayer, delivered by tho Rev. A. C. Lawry (ex-prcsident of Conference, and chairman of the district). This was followed by tho Epistle, road by tho Rev. T. A. Joughirt (president-elect of Conference), and tho address_ given by tho Roy. "W. J. Williams (prosidont of tho Christchurch Ministers' Association). Prayer by tho Rev. S. Lawry (oonnexional secretary) followed, and during tho servico tho funeral marchcs by Chopin and Handel wero played. In his address, the Rev. W. J. Williams said that the gathering was a sad surpriso to all of them. Only about a fortnight ago many of them had joined with Mr Fairclough in a farowell gathering to some of their ministers who wero leaving Christchurch, and it was Mr Fairclough who had proposed tho health, of tho departing guests. A groat personality had passed swiftly from their midst—it was 110 ordinary man who had been taken from them, though their friend had never given himself any superior airs or made claims of pre-eminence. But lot them measure him in any way tlioy liked, and they must come to the conclusion that tho late Mr Fairclough was a man a long way ont of tho common. Ho was big physically, and ho had a heart to match; his outward appearance awakened expectations of something unusual, and nobody was disappointed. He was a manly man, with a scorn for littleness. Ho drew men to him with tho note of sincerity which rang bell-liko in all his utterances. Ho had a great hatred of shams, and especially shams in religion, and it was that which made him distrustful of professions which tended to loudness. He believed in doing his bit for his ■ Church in his own way, and it was a quiet but effective way. Mr Fairclough was a man who was biggor than his Church, which was saying a great deal, 6eeing that tho Methodist Church was tho largest Protestant Church in _ tho world, except tho Lutheran. His vision was not circumscribed by his Church's boundaries, but he gloried in tho comprehonsiveness of God's idea of the Church," which included all those who were truo to the essential verities that wero revealed in the gospel of His Son. There never was a man who was . less, of a bigot. He lived in a larger world than did most men of his class, and saw things in a broader light, and therefore he was sometimes misunderstood. Ho did and said things in his own way, which some peoplo perhaps did not think was tho right way, but he was content to stand or fall by his Master's ruling, and to leave misunderstandings to be cleared up by the breaking of a more glorious day. They had lost from their midst a friend, a brother, and a true-hearted minister, whom thev would truly miss in many ways. They had not only lost a front rank preacher, but they had lost a first rank writer. Ho wielded a powerful pen and rendered a splendid service in the cause of righteousness. For six years his brilliant literary gifts were given in the editorship of tho eonnexional and in no place in New Zealand or Australia was a paper moro ably edited. Mr Faircough's love of astronomy was referred to by tho speaker, who said that his vision of tho stars was all tho cleverer and moro comprehensive because it reached beyond them and took in tho God who mado them. Mr Fairclough was also an ardent Imperialist. His study of the stars never led him to forget that his feet rested on the solid earth, and that thero was no part of the earth so _ sacred as that over which floated tho British flag. _ He was never so eloquent as when Imperialism was his theme. He had a mighty concoption of tho destiny of tho British Empire as God's instrument for levelling up all other nations to the standard of a high Christian civilisation. Tho outbreak of tho present war with the possibility of a victorious Prussianism, roused his love of the- Empi.ro to a passionate pitch, and but for his age ho would have been at tho front among tho foremost in cramming the insolent challenge to civilisation down the throat of tho Huns. "I don't think," said the speaker, "if he had been otherwiso fit, that ho would havo sought exemption from military service on the ground thai ho was an ordained minister of religion. A liberty that had been fought for before ho held was worth fighting for again, and for those who fell fighting in the great sacrifico for their country, he, at any rate, could see no less a reward than that of welcome and recognition by the Great God Himself." Tho speaker concluded by giving words of comfort to tho bereaved, and by exhorting those present to profit by the fine example set them in tho life of their lato friend. At tho ' conclusion of the servico tho coffin was taken to tho Linwood Cemetery, tho committal prayers being given by the Rev. A. C. Lawry. Other ministers who took part in tho funeral service were the Revs. C. E. Ward. T. Fee, and C. Abernothy, the last-named being one of the oldest friends of tho deceased.