Religious.

Otago Witness, Issue 1495, 10 July 1880, Page 15

Religious.

A meeting of those interested m the Church of England Sunday schools was held^ at St. Paul's" schoolroom on Monday evening, the Bishop of Dunedin presiding. There were ©resent Archdeacon Edwards, Revs. C. J. Byng, Titchett, Kerkham, Eonaldson, and Davis, and about 20 ladies and gentlemen connected with the Dunedin Sunday-schools. It wai decided to reorganise the Sunday-school Institute and the clergy of the diocese, Bupenndents of Sunday-BChools, aßd any delegates from the country Sanday-achools were constituted a committee, those residing m Dunedin and the suburbs to form the executive body. The Bishop was elected president, Archdeacon Edwards vice-president, Eev. H. J. Davis hon. secretary, and Mr Ashcroft treasurer The firet ineetißg of committee is to be held at St. Paul's Schoolroom next Monday evening. It was resolved that a conversazione should be held at an early date to clear off the debt of about L3O due by the late Society, and the contribution to be asked of the different Sunday-schools of the diocese to the funds was fixed at 10s for each 50 children in attendance. Several speakers urged the necessity for the congregations and the parents taking more interest in the Sunday-schools, and Archdeacon Edwards mentioned that in America men of £ K h Btfttion, including the ex President, General Grant, taught in Sunday-schools, while here it was with great difficulty that men of intelligence and education were prevailed on to The Eev. L. Mackie lectured on Monday nfeht in the Temperance Hall, under the auspices o thelYoung Men's Christian Association, to an audience of about 100 personß, on John Wickliffe." Mr Mackie first gave a Bketch of the life of the early Reformer, and afterwards a review of the movements with which Wickliffe identified himself, and the achievements JeTwasableto accomplish. Principal amongst the latter was the translation of the whole Bible into the vulgar tongue .for the i first time. The lecturer also showed the stand Wickliffe took on the question of the relation of Church and State, the debt the present age owes to him In the matter of enjoyment of constitutional liberty, and the good he did in connection with the institution of preaching. Wiokliffe, the lecturer ventured to say, if he lived m these nines In theße Colonies, would have been a leader in the van in the endeavour to maintain intact from seoular intrusion the saorednesg of the Babbath, to secure the Bible-reading in the Instruction of youth, to wage war against the ourse of drink, and generally to curtail the prevalence of vice in every form. The Church of Eome, it need hardly be said, Mr Mackie being the lecturer, came in for a few hard knocks. The vote of thanks was moved by the Eev. W. Kirkland. Dr Macdonald occupied The Lyttelton Times says :— " The tender of Messrs Stocks and Stenhouse, the contractors for the nave of the Cathedral, has been accepted for the construction of the Cathedral tower. The contract price is L4OOO, and the work will be taken in hand as soon aB the con. of All Saints Parochial Guild was held on Tuesday, the Eev. A. E. Fitchett, the president, in the chair. The principal busiDeßß was Borne advisable arrangements regarding the 11 Ladies' Working Meeting " connected with the Guild. A vote of thanks was passed to Mrs Barber, of Hamilton, for a handsome donation in aid of the " Ladies' Working Meeting " It was resolved that contributions be asked of members of the congregation and friends, towards a sale of articles proposed to beheld on the completion of the enlargement of the Sunday- schoolroom, which is expected to be finished about the middle of September. It was resolved that the Committee be < reSueßted to determine upon what proceedings mil take place to celebrate the re-opening of the schoolroom.