CADETS’ SUNDAY EXCURSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3061, 13 November 1912, Page 67

CADETS’ SUNDAY EXCURSION.

At a mooting of the Dunedin Presbytery tho following draft of a letter was adopted : “ First Church of Otago, Dunedin, Now Zealand, November 5, 1912. To tho Moderator and Permanent Members of the Presbytery of Victoria, British (Jokimbia. Fathers and Brethren, —We, tho members of the Presbytery of Dunedin, New Zealand, desire to express to you tho unfeigned pleasure wo iiavo had in the visit of a company of military cadets from the Vancouver High School, lads for tho most part of our own Scottish race and Church, who havo been born into and who remain under your pastoral care. Wo have admired their stature, their activity, their soldiery bearing, their progress in their exorcises, their intelligence, and their courtesy. We have rejoiced to receive them into our solemn assembles, and we have had much happiness with them in tho closer fellowship of our dwellings. Wo congratulate you upon tho possession of so noble a heritage of sons, tho token of the present and the earnest of the future greatness of your dominion. We believe that such occasions of intercourse between distant parts of our Empire are productive of much benefit alike to our Church and to our State. It is good that cousins of the same blood, the children of parents who have gone out from our ancient homo to inherit the earth, should thus meet with one another for the comparison of ideals and for concerting of measures for their common profit. We are sensible that this voyage of your cadets has stirred such feelings generally throughout these southern colonies of our nation. In view, therefore, of the continuance of a practice so well begun, this Presbytery has under consideration an overture to the General Assembly requesting the supremo court of our Church to correspond with the Churches of the Motherland and of the colonics that together they may take steps to preserve unimpaired the positions and testimonies for which our Church stands. W r e have to confess the presence everywhere of forces tending to undermine the institutions for which our Church in the past waxed valiant in fight. Wo feel tho need especially of ever remembering the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. We have reasons to regret that certain of our citizens, against the expressed desire of hia Worship the Mayor of this city, supported by tho Reception Committee, and against tho protest of th:a and other churches, took occasion to press upon your cadets their opinions and their practices. Wo would therefore invite you to take counsel with us and with other Presbyteries throughout our Empire, so that wo may hold fast tho faithful word according as wo havo l>oen taught, that wo may hand down unimpaired to our children the lofty traditions of our sanctuaries and of our homes, and that in tho meeting of our sons there may be ever tho remembrance of those things which are most surely believed among us to our furtherance and joy of faith.”