MR GASCOIGNE FAREWELLED BY HIS CHURCH.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11761, 22 February 1919, Page 4

MR GASCOIGNE FAREWELLED BY HIS CHURCH.

« A delightful little, function took’. ' place at the on Friday evening, when Mr Geecoigne . presented with a gold watch. Speeches were delivered and tea dispensed by the lady friends of Hie-, church The gathering was pnrposely' limited to those who had attended, and appreciated the servie'es conducted by Mr Gascoigne as Jay , reader during the long vacancy and: unavoidable absences of the vicar,, and the members present bore eloquent tsstimouy to his ailbeptabifoity as such. Rev. K J McFarland occupied the clair and made the presentation, which was a gold watch bearing the inscription “Presented to A. H. Gascoigne by ; the members of St.Martin’s Church, Mangaweka, 20/2/19,” In making thev presentation Mr McFarland referred to the great service Mr Gascoigne- . had rendered to the church in Man- ; gaweka as lay reader and treasurer.. At different points of the parish also, often at great personal inconvenience, he had frequently given willing assistance, and he was pleased to say that his seivicts had been appreciated. Nature:ly. be felt; sad, even dismayed, at the prospect of losing Mr Gascoigne, but, no doubt, the work would be carried on. God would raise up others tc take his place and Cambridge would' gain. Mr S. Hsigh endorsed what Mr McFarland had just said, and re* marked that Mr Gasccigne somewhat resembled the itoman centnrian who built a synagogue for the Jews lor he had Dnilt tham a*pulpit as a token of higi * love, and he hoped soon to see at silver plate testifying to that fact fixed on some sslient poiut of it. He hoped that whoever might he lay reader in fnturo the people would attend the services held regularly for the worship of God.

Rev.tJ. McOnw said he was delighted to be present with Ida . Anglican friends to do honour to Mr: Gaosoigne; to bis fellowship with Mr Gascoigne be owed to a large exlent the breadth of ecclesiastlal views he now enjoyed. Born ami reared as he was amongst the martyrs graves of Scotland, there was instilled into him from infancy an almost hatred of everything Episcopal and Presbyterian. prejudice was not removed during a, 26 years’ residence in Otago, which, was essentially a Scotch settlement; but 12 years’ sojourn in the North had convinced him that the Kingdom, of God was much larger than the', Presbyterian Church. Distinctions, in the North were not nearly as well defined as in Otago. Episcopacy and. Presbytery were poles asunder, and would never come together under Heaven,'yet during the whole time of the war the Anglican mini s’era, lay readers and people hud held , united meetings and worked in. absolute harmony not an nnpleasant-pe-g Usd once arisen. He knew thal Maagawek3 would be emptier to him after Hu Gascoigne had gone. Mr Gascoigne made a beautiful and feeling reply. During his eleven years’ sojourn in Mangaweka he had taken an interest in and loved his. church. Ha marvelled ai men who pat emphasis on the wrong thing?,' Millions of years were finite measurements. Eternity was infinite, yet men msae full provision for sixty to eighty years and made none for Eternity at all. The Churct’fl function was to them the current of men’s thoughts from a few years to an Eteruity’of'them, and shows them, that eternity might be entered with assistance of bliss for s wr -, more; and, in.a' small nie' 4flnrs , be< had tried to “do Jr j 9 bit. He thoroughly nnder^ oo(l ' Mr McOaw’ei position as t J iere . v T er ? l . rtffew points ou which they d a nu( j e rßfcanf] esc i other, ar> .j their friendship bad been full, and be believed would be lasting. Tbs meeting then resolved itself into a conversazione anil a very happy evening terminated with the, singing of “Anld Lang Syne.”