Canterbury's Jubilee Sunday

Southland Times, Issue 14815, 17 December 1900, Page 2

Canterbury's Jubilee Sunday

[By TeleukaphJ. Christcuorch, Dec. 10. •Jubilee services were held in all the city and suburban churches. The Church of England Sunday Schools and choirs mustered at the Cathedral and took up their position on the western side bf the (iodley statue. The choir numbered 441 and some 1600 children were present. Bishop .'Julius presided and the accompaniments were played l>y the ( iarrison Band. Fully 6000 persons were present. After h short service Bishop Wallis gave an address in which he contrasted the present state of the church with that of fifty years ago. The pioneers of Canterbury had, he said, come to New Zealand because they knew England would soon be too small to hold all its people. They had brought their religion with them and had all these years taught their children to love the Old Land, from which they had sprung. In the recent war the New Zealanders had been fighting not for themselves but for their Old Country and the children present would throughout their lives have to think of that Old Country in which their fathers and mothers had been born. In fifty years' time there would be another jubilee at which neither himself, Bishop Julius nor the Premier would be present and it would then be for those who were now children to say whether the work of their fifty years had been equally well carried on. If each boy and girl did their best, by the blessing of God, to live a true and godly life not only New Zealand, but the whole world would be the better for it and God would doubtless continue to b,less this country as He had blessed it up to to-day. The Promier said he was delighted to say a few words. At first sight the role seemed a new one for him to play, but he felt it his duty to be with them to do honour to those great men who had laid the foundations of the Canterbnrv province. Many of these had paid the debt of Nature, but their works would never die and their memory would always be kept green. Close by where they stood was the statue of John Robert Godley, a man who was godly by name and godly in all his actions. Mr Godley had done honour to New Zealand ; his statue stood in Christchurch, and his name would never be forgotten as long as the colony was inhabited. Then they could not forget the excellent work done by Bishop Selwyn, who did his missionary work in the South Seas as his own sailing master in a twenty-one ton schooner. Let them picture the landing of Bishop! Harper in Lyttelton 46 years ago and then let them look at what had been done since ; the shape of their noble cathedral and their many beautiful churches. As there were many Sunday school children present he might tell them that Messrs J. R. Godley and J. E. Fitzgerald were the first Sunday school teachers in Lyttelton and Sir John Ball and the Hou. H. B. Gresson were among tho first in Christchurch, tlms showing that men in the highest position used in the old days to take up Sunday school work. He strongly urged that more children should -&* tend tJW -Sjittdaj* schools ; nations and empirt-s had {alien whefi tYUeY htid. forgotten God, and our nation, at present in the van of the world, might expect its greatness to continue if it took warning in time. The hours of secular education could not be interfered with, but he would ask parents to let their children attend school before or after school hours when they could be instructed by ministers. Sunday school teaching in itself was not enongh for a religious education and they should bewaro of that interference which was the greatest enemy to religion. Mr Soddon eulogised the gentlemauly behaviour of the New Zealanders in South Africa and wished all present all prosperity and happiness, and on behalf of the State he thanked the old settlers for the excellent work they had done in the cause of civilisation.