Religious.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 23

Religious.

At the request and under the auspices of the First Church Young Men's Association, the Rev. J. Upton Davis on the 13 th, redeliverad his interesting lecture entitled " Hammer and Tongs." The lecture, which abounds with interesting anecdotes and humorous passages, is devoted to a comment on the progress of truth, the lecturer dwelling particularly upon the difficulties which beset those who insist upon logical demonstration of every proposition submitted to them. Conviction, he said, was to be reached by a combined confession of ignorance, submission to authority, and personal inquiry, according to our means, argument only being able to guide us where to be contentedly ignorant, what authority to accept, and where, how, or whether personal inquiry could be cf use. In illustration of the rev. gentlemen's treatment of the subject, we publish the following extract from the lecture :— " I believe in Bornething like a glacier theory of truth. The wonderful pile of blue viscid ice is gradually formed by successive deposits of featherylsnow. By scarcely-perceptible but continued slipping it makes a path on the mountain side. Here it tears away masses of rock ; here it scoops out a valley; here it leaves scraped lines, records of its path on the virgin rook ; here it drops vast bouldors, there moraines of shingle ; while all along beneath its face there have been leaping, laughing, and running away over cascades in dark gorges, [through cosy dells and pleasant valleys and upon plains, rivers of living water. Was there no heat there ? How else did the vapour rise to the mountain top before it fell in broad crystals on the mountain slope ? How else but by f rictional heat— as the huge weight pressed down— did the frozen basement melt into the pellucid stream ? It is so with the great clear principles that mould the surface of human life and make it fruitful in good works* They are first thoughts out, and with patient and enthusiastic diligence, till, carrying great weight, they proceed with melting suasiveness to fashion general notions and beautify common deeds."

At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to the Rev. J. IT. Davis.

The anniversary services of the Primitive Methodist Church, Dundas street, were held on Sunday. In the morning service was conducted by the Rev. Mr Lawry ( Wesleyan), in the afternoon Mr M. W. Green (evangelist) preached, and the evening sermon was delivered by the Rev. G-. Smith (the pastor of the church). gThe Sunday evening services at the Queen's Theatre, under the management of the Dunedin Young Men's Christian Association, which met with so much success last year, were begun for this winter on Sundey evening, when the Rev. Professor Salmond delivered a lecture on " Did Chrißt indeed rise from the dead?" Mr S. Frazer occupied the > chair, and the theatre was crowded. The services will be continued every Sunday evening.

Mr Charles M'AUisfcer was returned as a councillor for South Ward in the Borough Council of South Dunedin on Monday. The state of the poll was :— M'Allister, 32 ,• Downie 17.

A preliminary meeting in connection with the celebration of the Raikes Centenary was held in the First Ohurch last night. On the motion of the Rev. J. M. Sutherland, the Rev. L. Maokie was called to the ohair, and Mr W. Peters was unanimously appointed secretary. Mr Maokie, having explained the objeofc of the meeting, intimated letters of apology had been received row Dr Stuart, Bishop NeviU, Arch*

deacon Edwards, Rev. Mr Bing, Mr Brunton, &c. The following resolutions were passed :— Moved by Eev. J. M. Sutherland, and seconded by Mr Harlow— (lßt) " That this meeting resolves to celebrate the centenary of the establishment of Sabbath-schools by Robert Raikes." (2nd) Moved by Mr Paterson, seconded by Rev. Mr Davis— "That the meeting for the celebration be held in Dunedin in November." (3rd) " That an influential committee, composed of the ministers and superintendents in the city, make all necessary arrangements, Mr Mackay to act as convener. ' It is confidently hoped that the Committee will arrange for a demonstration worthy of the occasion, and as the date of 9th November was fixed, a large number of ministers and superintendents may be expected to take advantage of the holiday to be present. An English paper says that Bernardino Peyron, an Italian priest and philologist, has discovered in tha binding of a Greek manuscript from the ancient library of St. Ambrose, on Mount Athos, two fragments of St. Paul's Epistles in the Greek text. Similar fragments at Paris have long been highly valued. A soiree to celebrate the anniversary of the Dundaa street Primitive Methodist Church was held on Tvesday vening, and passed off pleasantly.