THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 19

THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THE THAMES HERESY CASE.

CHMSTcnuRcn, February 15.

The case of the Rev. S. J. Neill, of the Thames, against whose connection with the Theosophical Society and doctrinal views exception had been taken by the Auckland Presbytery, occupied the General Assembly the whole of the morning sitting and a special sitting this afternoon. A reference from the Auckland Presbytery was read. It stated tho steps that had been taken, and gave the reports of the commission appointed to question Mr Neill, and to make inquiries regarding his teaching and the division in his congregation. The Rev. R. Somerville stated at length the case on behalf of the Auckland Presbytery, and gave an outline of the antiChristian teaching of the Theosophical Society. The Rev. Mr Neill was not present at the assembly, but wrote explaining that he was unable to attend through recent illness. He also forwarded a pamphlet entitled "The History of the Heresy Hunt, by The Hunted." The views expressed in the pamphlet were Btrongly objected to by the assembly. Motions were ultimately moved by the Revs J. Paterson, J. H. M'Kenzie, R. Erwin, and W. Gillies with a view of disposing of the case, all being more or less against Mr Neill. On a vote being taken 37 were in favour of Mr Gillies's motion, and 29 collectively for the other three motions. Mr Gillies's motion, which thus becomes the finding of the assembly, was as follows : — "That tho assembly express its regret that Mr Neill did not personally appear to give the assembly an opportunity of conferring with him on tho manifest inconsistency of his position as a fellow of the Theosophical Society while retaining his position as a minister of the Presbyterian Church — an inconsistency so great that it amounts to a grave scandal, — and also on the points raised as to his having departed from and being out of sympathy with the doctrines of Scripture as these aro understood and taught in this church, and the acceptance of which he signified in his ordination vows ; but, inasmuch as Mr Neill was fully aware the case had beeu referred to the assembly with a view to a final settlement and that ho had been duly cited, the astembly feel compelled to proceed in his absence. The assembly finds it altogether inconsistent for a minister of the Presbyterian Church to be at the same time a fellow of a distinctly anti-Christian society, such as the Theosophical Society undoubtedly is, as proved by the direct statements of the founder and supporters ; find that the indefinite statement of Mr Neill with regard to his theological views has caused a large number of his congregation to forsake the ordinances of the church ; find, further, that the ends of tho Christian ministry as contemplated by this church are not I being served and will not be served by Mr Neill's ! continuance in the pastorate at the Thames, therefore tho assembly resolve that the pastorate tie between him and the congregation be dissolved, and declare accordingly ; the Auckland Presbytery to take the usual steps for having the charge of the church declared vacant, and suspend Mr Neill from the exercise of the ministry unless and until he shall withdraw from the Theosophical Society, aud satisfy the church that the causes which have led to the assembly's present action have been removed." The deputies from the southern church — the Revs. A. H. Stobo, W. Will, J. Gibb, and Dr Dunlop— were heard. Their addresses bore on the question of the union of the two churches, which was favoured by the speakers, Mr Gibb making a powerful appial in favour of the proposal. A motion was carried unanimously in favour of union, and appointing a committee to confer with the deputies on the subject and report to the assembly. February ] 6. At the Presbyterian General Assembly this morning the report of the Church Property Board was read. It was stated that the loss and expenses in connection with the recent case at Auckland which was taken to the Supremo Court amounted to £1313 7s. The report was adopted, and it was decided not to appeal from the decision of the Supreme Court, The resig-

nation of Mr W. M. Hannay as member of tha board was accepted with regret. The report of the Committee on the State of Religion and Morals stated that out of 100 lists of questions only 50 wore returned. Six reported a decrease in church attendance, 24 reported an increase, while 19 remained stationary. Congregational prayer meetings were reported by 20 to be well attended, while 29 reported to tho opposite. The Sabbath was generally well observed by those in church fellowship, but by the religiously careless was largely desecrated. Thirty-four returns stated that family worship did not exist, and it was suggested that the attention of the congregations should be called by ministers to the value of this institution. Twenty-six returns reported that no special services were held during the year. It was regretted that no special efforts were put forth by church officers to reach the religiously careless. Thirty returns reported no "lapsing," and 12 recorded that it existed only to a limited extent. The committee specially emphasised the increasing esteem in which Christian Endeavour societies were held as a link between the church and school. Reference was made to the almost unanimous non-attendance of working men and their families at public worship, and various causes were assigned. Twenty-three reported the existence of the vice of social impurity, and referenco was made to tho wholesome measuies laid down in the new Criminal Code, which comes into force on the 3rd March — such as penalties for publishing obscene literature, and for being the owner, tenant, lessee, or occupier, or who kept a disorderly house which was in terms of the code a common betting house, common gaming house, or house of ill-fame. It was recommended tbat the age of consent be raised from 14 to 16. Betting and gambling wero reported to bo practically universal, and in the propagation of this vice a largo measure of blame was reported to lie at the door of newspapers, and racecourses aud hotels were considered to give birth to and foment tho evil. The cure was indicated in the suppression of the totalisator, police supervision of bars of hotels, barbers' shops, and billiard rooms, and making the publication of betting matter in a newspaper a punishable offence. A large amount of practical infidelity was reported, but little of a theoretical order. The cure was considered to lie in earnest Gospel preaching and prayer, the circulation of Christian literature, and the use of apologetics. Tho report, which concluded with a number of suggestions, wa6 adopted.

, Fobruary 19. Tho R«v, R. Erwin read a lengthy report of the Foreign Missions Committee, which stated that the year covered by tho report had boon a moat trying one to the whole of the missionaries in the New Hebrides, and especially to thoso of the church on Ambrym. There had been much sickness in mission families, and epidemics of different kinds had visited some of tho islands, some of them proving very fatal to the native population. The numerical streDgth of the mission was the same as last year. During the year Mrs M'Kenzie, wife of tho missionary of Efate, had died. The island of Futuna was visited by an epidemic of dysentery, and out of a population of 480 no fewer than 130 died from this fatal disease. Dr Gunn, the resident missionary, was bereaved of two children ; and when to these are added the deaths of Mrs Michelsen while she and her husband were on furlough, of a third child of Dr Gunn, and also of the twin children of Dr Lamb and of Mr Smail's infant child, it would give Borne conception of the great suffering and sorrow through which the missionaries had passed. Pleasure was expressed at the fact that the Dayspring Board had just completed a contract with the Australian Now Hebrides Company to despatch an ocean-going steamer from Sydney to the islands every fortnight. The method of dealing with the Dayspring insurance reserve fund by the committee in Melbourne was adversely commented upon. It was recommended that the assembly increase the annual grant to the Dayspring fund to at least £150. Affairs at Tonga and Ambrym were referred to, and it was recommended that Mr Watt should be granted a furlough next year. The fund raised for the reliof of sufferers by the hurricane in March last amounted to £843 8s lOd, exclusive of contributions raised ia Sydney and £69 10s sent by the First Church, Invercargill. Reference was made to a letter offering sympathy and assistance received by the Rev. A. Carrick, moderator of Auckland Presbytery, from Archdeacon Dudley, secretary of the Melanesian mission. The expenditure for the year was estimated at £1000, but after the experience of the past year the committee had no doubt about the ability of the church to maintain the mission in efficiency. The report was adopted, and sympathy was expressed with the missionaries in their trials.

A letter addressed to the Cromwell Argus fell into a crevice in the receiving box at Pembroke seven months ago, and was only discovered last week. As no intimation of tho delay appears to have accompanied it the paper published the report of a meeting, which formed the contents of the letter, seven months after it took place.