Religions.

Otago Witness, Issue 1416, 11 January 1879, Page 9

Religions.

We understand that a telegram was on Tuesday received from London by the nominators of All Saints', Dunedin, informing them that no appointment of a clergyman had been made in England. Mr Fitchett's appointment to the charge of the parish under license from the Bishop's Commissary will, therefore, stand good. We believe the Bishop of Melbourne has agreed to ordain Mr Fitchett to deacon's orders. The usual evangelistic service at the Queen's TheatreonSundaynigbt was wellattended, many having to stand in the passages. Mr West, of Wanganui, and Mr M. W. Green, evangelist, delivered appropriate addresses for the New Year. Mr D. Wright presided, the service of song being rendered by the choir of the Association. The large audience listened very attentively to the powerful discourses of the gentlemen who addressed them. The Rev. Dr Stuart occupied the pulpit of Knox Church on Sunday. In the morning he preached au able sermon from the words, " Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus," and in the evening he gave an interesting catechetical address to the children of the church, taking for his subject the "Meeting and Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob." It was mentioned on Sunday, at the Church of the Christian Disciples, Great King street, that the collection in the church on the previous Sunday, for the Benevolent Institution, amounted to L 23. On Sunday evening last, Mr Hautrie West, organist of St. John's, Invercargill, now on a visit to Dunedin, assisted Mr Mortish, organist of All Saints'. The musical portion of the service was exceedingly well rendered by the choir. Mr West played as a concluding voluntary the well-known " Hallelujah Chorus," which was much admired. This gentleman also assisted at St. Paul's in the morning. The children attending the Presbyterian Sunday School, Port Chalmers, were taken to the Friendly Societies' Groundb, at Sawyers' Bay, on the 2nd inst., and there passed the day in a delightful manner. About 100 adults were also present, and aided in making things comfortable for the little people. At a meeting of the Presbytery of Southland on the 31st of December, Professor Salmond's proposals anent theological training having been discussed, it was proposed, seconded, and carried unanimously — " That the literary curriculum be preserved intact, and that the Presbytery recommend action to be taken by the Synod in the direction of shortening the theological curriculum." The subject of Mr Charles firight's lecture at the Princess Theatre en Sunday evening was " Reason and Authority.'' The lecture, which was a sequel to that of the previous week, was listened to by a large audience with the greatest attention. The Rev Mr Isitt, W6sleyan Minister, obtained 12 months leave to visit the Hot Springs for his health.' The Rev. J. W. Inglis delivered the last of his lectures in Dunedin on New Year's night. The subject was, "Robert Burns, the Poet and the Man," and it was evident a treat was expected, as the attendance was better than it had previously been— in fact the hall was crowded. The expectations of the audience were realised to the full, for the lecturer had his heart in his subject. A decided feature of the lecture were the readings of selections from . Burns's works, and these were loudly applauded. It is not too much to say that the lecture was the most interesting of the series, and the audience at the close testified their appreciation in the most hearty manner. The Rev. Mr Inglis left Dunedin for up-country yesterday' For some time past there has been a likelihood of a public debate on a theological question being arranged between the Rev. M. W. Green, minister of the King street Chapel, and Mr Charles Bright, and on Tuesday a committee meeting was held, at which a subject was decided upon. Mr ' Green and Mr Hislop, on the one side, met Mr Bright and Mr Stout on the other, and, after some discussion, the following proposition was agreed on:— "The Divine Origin of Christianity," accepting the following definition of terms : 1. By "Divine Origin, " it is understood to be of Divine origin in the sense in which no other religion is. 2. In the term " Christianity, "it is understood that there are included the Deity of Jesus and His death as an atonement for man's sin. Mr Green affirms ; Mr Bright denies. A working committee is to be appointed to make the necessary arrangements, and the debate will probably take place the week after next. In an article on the accession of the Rev. A. R. Fitcfeett from the Wesleyan communion to the Church of England, the New Zealand Churchman says : — " Our Church needs power ; we are lamentably weak in the pulpit ; and, say what men will, so long as preaching is an important part of the functions of the Chris-

tian ministry, so long will men be impatient with dull mediocrity, and demand something that has thought, and originality, and pith in it, from the occupants of the pulpit. At least here and there, one or two clergymen of preaching power may be tolerated in metropolitan parishes ; and character and general attainments being in every respect good, it is not any great disadvantage to a minister of our Church that he Bhould have been once a Wesleyan. We may feel sure that if such a man accepts the Prayer-book and submits to reordination, he will loyally submit bimßelf in all things to the established order and practice of the Church. As regards doctrine, there iB probably not so great a divergence in opinion between earnest Wesleyan ministers and sincere Evangelicals or devout Broad Churchmen, as there is, on the other hand, between the extreme Ritualists or the Rationalists of our Church, and the extreme Low Churchman. Breadth of toleration, with loyal submission to the Prayer-book, are the two distinguishing characteristics of good Churchmen nowadays, and in that point of view we do not see why Mr Fitchett should not prove a great accession to us.- We are aware that some of Mr Fitchett's views on scientific questions have not pleased everyone, and have made him some enemies ; but we believe that his desire has been merely to point out a possible via media between certain positions of modern science and the teachings of Christianity. Whether he succeeds in this or not, his motive is a good one, and should not be condemned. On the whole, we think if Mr Fitchett obtains orders in our Church he will not be unfaithful to our standards, and will give us a much-needed stimulus in the way of both thought and practical work. At all events, when the Church at Home is discussing the possibility of a comprehension of whole bodies of Nonconformists, it is surely not for pur clergy to give the cold shoulder to one who is, in every respect, a representative man, and is likely to form a link between the members of two communions that are so closely related by history and traditions as are the Wesleyan body and the Churoh of England."