THE RELIGIOUS COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 53

THE RELIGIOUS COLUMN.

• „• The Rev. Dr Lamb, of the Presbyterian Mission, South - Sea Islands, arrived at Ly tteltou on Friday by the Talune on a visit -to his relatives in Christchurch. DrLamb was seriously ill on the voyage,, and is not yet able to transact business or see visitors.

■ . ' The Wellington Ministers' Association, alarmed at the known enormous increase of gambling among all clafses of the community, appeals to the Government to introduce legislation as early as possible to restrict and, as far as possible, repress it, and especially urges that the totalisator, bookmaking, and all publication of information designed to promote gambling should be made illegal. • . * To the Womau's Bible, which a number of American ladies are busily compiling, many original notes are appended. Some of these are, to say the least, peculiar. Referring to the Ark, for instance, they observe : " Tho piucity of light and air in this ancient vessel shows that women had no part in its ' Work- or a series of portholes would have been deembd indispensable." The reader's attention is also particularly directed to the fact that Balaam's ass was of the female sex.

' . • The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking at i he Church Congress lately, Eaid that from early -cbi'dhood ho had felt most sympathy with the men who worked with their bodies rather than with their brains. His father was a working man — a soldier, who, at his death, was governor of a colony ; but his father died when he w>s 13, and hehadhad tomakehieliving since he was 17. He had known what it was to do without a fire because he could not afford it, and to wear patched clothes and boots. He learned to plough as straight a furrow as aoy man in the parish, and he could thresh as well as any man. His life had since been of a different character, but he had never besn able for all these 60 years to be idle.

• . • Afc tbe Auckland Diccesan Synod a motion wfs canied t ha*; the president memorialise the Gt necal Synod ( o provide for M*ori lay representation in lbs dioxaui synods. A resolab : on was carried that the synod approves generally of the object cf the bill For the appointment of deaconesses. Archdeacon Willis moved — " That it is the duty of the church to oppoee the efforts being made in Parliament from year to year to facilitate divorce, and that a commission be appointed t-> watch the legislation and indicate action when, rtquired." The following resolution was carried, on the motion of Canon Gould:— "That it it the duty of the church "to nrge forward by-evjjty means in its power the> movement in favour of Bible-reading in the public schools." The synod h*s closed ita nittir»gs. - '. * Ihe'Bev. E. S. Biekford, organising secretary of home missions in corinecfcions with the Victorian aad Tasma.»ian Conference of the Wesleyau Methodist Cfaurch, preached at Trinity Church on Sunday morning ; and the Key. W^ Williams, F L S., prfsiiknfc of the conference, occupied 'he pnlpit at tho same place in the evening. There was a Urge attendance on both occasions, the church in the evening being crowded. The R-v. W. Williams gavo a discourse based on I Corinihianu, vi, 19 and 20. In the coinse of his addivsi he said that the man vrho denied that he belonged to God denied that he had any part io the Atonement. The supreme test: of our success or fsiiure in thia life was : Had we fulfilled the purposa for wh'ch we were created — viz., to glorify God ? It mattered nob how far a man might be suceeafful, tested by worldly methods ; if he did not answer the purpose for which he wa» created, his life was a failure.

'.'The " pleasant Sunday afternoon " tneettug at tbe Garriscn Hall on Sunday was attended by a very large number. The Rev. T. W. Newbold presided, and Mr Taylor, G C.T. of New Zealand, preached an interesting sertton. Speoial selections were also rendered by the choir and orchestra. Id the evening the building was again crowded, when the Rev. J. S. Wheeu, of Melbourne, preached an impressive and eloquent discourse from Matthew vii, 27 and 28. Mr Wheen is a preacher considerably above the ordinary fctamp. and that this is duly recoguised is apparent from tha fact that he was selected by the recent Geueral Conference at Auckland for special If during iv Melbourne. He is one of a family of three brothers wbo are all ministers of tiah Gospel. His discourse last evening was delivered with much^powcr and elcqaence, and was listened to with unremitting attention from start to finish. There was a large after meeting, with spiritual resnlts.

••• The -George glreat School Bible Clss?, which has been so successfully carried on by Mr Duncan Wright, doss*! its session yesterday afternoon. . Mr C. Haynes, chairman of the school committee, after a few well-chosen words, presented priz s to the nuccessful scholars. Mr M. Fraer, on behalf of the scholars, presented Mr Duncan Wright with a pocket book, mnu%tache cup, and quite a number of very pretty cards, and in doing so congratulated Mr Wright on the success of his work and expressed the thanks of the committee, also pointing out the benefit deiived by the childreu and the obligation the parents were under to Mr Wright. Mr Wright, ia returning thanks to the children for their gifts, said it was pleasant to think that the children had appreciated his work. That they did so was evident from their good behaviour, and also from ths large attendances. There had been an average of over 110 for the last three months. He trusted they would all come back again after the holidays renewed in health and vigour.

• . • Dr Clifford, the eminent Baptist who recently paid a brief visit to this colony and Australia, was interviewed on his return to England. Dealing with matters educational, he said : " I noticed that in New Zealand, and also in Victoria, some of the Presbyterians are anxious to introduce the Irish Text Book into their State schools. I think that a mistake. The translation is neither that of the Douay version nor Authorised version, and in many parts it is loose and turgid. There are notes that will convey errors to the minds of the children, and others that will suggest difficulties in the reading of Scripture which had better be avoided. If a change is de3i'red in New Zealand and in Victoria it would be far better to introduce the selections of the London School Board, which. are backed by the experience of 25 years, than to introduce the Irish Texts. The reading books which are used in the colonial and Canadian schools contain such classical passages for repetition as • Abide with Me,' ' Rock of Ages,' ' Lead, Kindly Light,' and many others of like character. To speak of this as ' secular ' teaching is certainly to be guilty of a very singular use of the words." s • Daring the pwt month the agent of tto

Southern Maori Mission has been working among the Maoris of Fuketeraki and Moeraki. He has visited from house to house, held cot* tage meetings and services, and has also distributed Christian literature in English and Maori. At Fuketeraki he was for a short time assisted by a Native preacher from Port Molyneux, who preached in Maori. At the Puketeraki Kaik two ladies have for some years carried on a succecsful Sunday school service. Service is alio held there by the Church of England. The agent took care that his meetinga did not clash with these. At present he is working among the Natives at Moeraki, by whom he has been made welcome. The committee acknowledge with thanks an anonymous gift of clothing from M. O. S. (Willow Bank), which has proved very acceptable. This mission, it may be stated, is dependent upon tho public for its support. Any amount, however small, will ba thankfully received by Mr Ernest Rosevear (treasurer) at the Bible Depot, and who wishes us to acknowledge the following amounts : — J. W. 20s, friend ss, friend 10s, Miss M. 10s, War^pa and Kaihiku district* £5 17* 6d, R P. ss, H. W. 30', M. E. W. 15s, Ngapara Y.P.S.C E. 20s, .7. G £5, Mabnura 2s 6d, Orepuki 53, Tapanui 7s, Christian Outlook 2s 6d, collected by Mrs G. B. Inglis (Ashburton,) £5, A*hbutton Presbyterian Y.P.C.E. 7s 6d. ' . ' Bishop Cowie, ia opening the Auckland Diocesnn Syntfd, said as to Christian uirifcy,>,the natioual churches, like that of New Zealand, would most effectually do their part in augmenting the unity of all Christian people by caring for the onenes* of the people. It was inconceivable- that the Church of the United States of America, not to mention those of Australia and New Zealand, would ever consent to such an- arrangement as a central and paramount ecclesiastical authority in Eogland. As to the ancient office of deaconess, there were devoted women doing special church work in Auckland, and he proposed to ordain one of them shortly. The primary reform needed in the mother church appeared to be the restoration to the laity of their rights in provincial and diocesan legislation in matters relating to doctrine, on which the laity had now, generally, no voice at all. He was astonished at the lax manner in which money matters were conducted in some parish churches in EngUnd. In closing, Bishop Cowie said :—": — " In other matters of ecclesiastical detail I was at rack by the existence of defects which would not be tolerated in a diocese like our own, "where clergy and laity can apeak freely in the synod of all suoh matters, and can «n most cases remedy them. Altogether, I was more impressed than I had been before with the far-seeing wisdom of Bishop Selwyn and hi 3 coadjutors in the early days in constituting our provincial and diocesan systems on principles which commended themselves as both primitive and practical."