PRESBYTERIANISM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13320, 10 November 1906, Page 4

PRESBYTERIANISM.

(Per Pres» Association.) ■ Dunadki, November 8.. At 1 the Presbyterian General, lAs- !- scmtbly discussion on the Temperance Committee's report Was resumed, when ministers- and l ' elders gave testi•ftrony as to tihe improved slate of ai--•faits in Invercargill and Oam aru as , the result of *the_ coin-in 1?'1 ?' into operation of no-license in* these districts. The report ' was- adopted* < The statement of the' treasurer stated that the income of funds had been very satisfactory. 1 , - " The committee re the Theological • College reported that the total attendance was 23, of whom three belongto othir , denomdnati6»'< . The report adopted,- and the donors, of scholarships- thanked. \ Tho Rev. 'I>r. > Sid©y, who has been '22 ■ years clerk and' " treasurer of t>e Presbyterian General Assembly,- was presented w-U'h a portrait of himself in oils &Ti r d a purse oi gold in jrecogini» i tipn of his great services. Dr. Sidey, in replying," ; "asked"?;the M-oderator to band the portrait., to the Theological Committee 'tg >be placed 'among the records of men who hiad hit them. .' - - <■ \ 'Ounedin, November 9. The Presbyterian Asssmfoly adopted the report, on Sabbath-school examination, anft resolved that Pilgrim's 'Progress should replace Man of Covenant as the subject of essay. The report on training home missionaries was adopted, and G. Bishop, J. A: McKenzie, J. Thomas, F. Euse, and \F. Lopdall were declared missionaries .iii 1 . full standing. The Church property report was adopted. ;■' f ;[ ■ • It was resolved to express sympathy with the Bible and Tr a ct Society in the loss sustained by fird in. its premises. t • The report X aY tlie Bibie-itf-3chools Committee- stated, inter-! alia, the, hopes! entertained a year" ago that „ the 'general < election would advance the c a use of Bible-in-s;hco 1 s by ir.'n;ing 1 a Plebiscite Bill within measurable distance were unhappily falsified by the event. Very few o? the members of the now Parliament favour a ny form of Bible teaching- in the national' seho'ols,'' and .'only some thirty gfthem have prornisiod to support a "special^ refferGndum* of the quc-stioin to the electors. In faccof these things, sthe5 the executive of the referendum 1 le-ig'e j could only conclude, that the time was inopXjprtune.for A a continuance of the campaign, wliich they had l:e>n strenuously .conducting' aip to the date •of ' the 'election. ' 1 " Very regretfully they resolved' to discontliaiue the - services 1 of the agent, and to desjiet for the -present from" the various otter -ac-. tivities in" which they had been eri-

gagged. - The jfoll.pw3n«g .deliverance was adopted : "The Assembly deeply regrets that , the efforts: pui forth to secure from Parlianian/t; a plain, unambiguous referenceof the question •of Bible-in-schools to the electors for their decision .have not yet beea successful a*d instructs the. Committee to co-oP<*-ate with executive of the Beferenr du'm League with ' a view to obtaining, the legislation necessary to effect this,, -..object, and to take such other steps as may seean, expedient for the 'furtherance of the movement,- and enjoins ministers to impress .their people with' the pan-amount importance of the restoration of the Bible to the public "&hWs^ "&"nd the danger to' the moral well-being of the nation from - the, purely secular character of the present durripukmi, and commends to -ministers the t great desirability of their conducting classes, for Bible-read-iriff.'.and study in , every- school into which access can be obtained, under conditions? that afford some-hope of a profitable. rosnilt.V T| j ' " - For Printing and advertising c&U at the Herald Office.