CHURCH GOSSIP.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 31 October 1912, Page 8

CHURCH GOSSIP.

A Maori of the warrior type was rere rred to by the Superintendent of the Maori Mission (Archdeacon. Hawlsins) at the Synod meeting held in AuckLnnd last week, as a typical specimen ot the devout self-sacrificing natlve- He has seen 71) summers, and though of poor education he has been instrumental in keeping the church d^ flying jn his settlement both during and since the native war. Sunday after Sunday he had made himself .and others happy by Biblical reading, and now the delight of being visited by the clergy had come to them. " You don't won- i der, do you/ added the speaker, "that ! 'we are petitioning the Bishop to malic : i him the first licensed lay reader in th.3 | ; district ?" A furore of applause was the answer. j** * * ! The Jewish congregation in Sheffield ik negotiating to purchase the Town■head Street Baptist Chapel, with a view to converting it into a synagogue. **• * * 'The reason my people keep me so . lorg, is because 1 keep them so short. 1 rarely preach over 20 minutes," was j said by tho Rev. James A. Little, who Has been for 41 years pastor of the Church' at Hokendauqau, Pennsylvania. He added "I just take up two or three points and hammer them home straight, hard, quick, and hot." *.■ * « a The Australian Catholic Federation has now 364 branches in Victoria, with a membership of over 20,000. I * * * .#■■■■ Labour Sunday was observed in 20,000 American churches on the finst day of Sept-ember Special stress was put on' the right of all working men to have one full day free of labour each week. * * # # As 1000 men will shortly be employed on the South Australian section of the Trans-Continental railway, the Presby- j terian Assembly of that State has ask- | cd the General Assembly of AustraJia to appoint a missionary for tho camp. i * * ♦ * ■ The Bishop of Falkland Isles tried ' . to raise £100,000 in England to put his \ scattered diocese on a sound footing. As only £6,150 was donated, ho has announced his intention of resigning if substantial further help is not forthcoming. * # # * Tho Order of Bridgotin© Father* has '• bran revived in London, and an elaborate scheme is being inaugurated for the establishment of a centre of aeti-r vity for tho members of the community. * * * * " i Preaching recently in Westminster j Abbey on modern Pharisaism, Archdeacon Wilberforce said: "How common and how utterly detestable was religious Pharisaism, the most Tin-Christ-like of all tho specimens of vice. Ecclesiastically it would make one traditional typo the sole measure of the Church of God, and ruthlessly unchurch all who conscientiously differed from that type. The irreligious Protestantism that greedily believed any amount of lie* about tW Church of Kome, the bigoted Anglican who well-night denied a goul to a D.:s&enter, the Nonconformity that .from mere jealousy would dospoil the Established Church, equally merited the reminder: Take heed that they whom you despise do not go down to their long home justified rather than yourselves." * a r- * Tho Hoy. Lawrence Capel Cure, roe-t-ji* in West Essex, died recently at tho age of 78 years-. . Ho was known as the ' Hunting Parson,", and always wore an om-fushionrd hunter's smock, together with a tall hat. * *• ' ■» ■* .The special committee of the Canadian Alei'.ienlist General Conference has issui'd an ad interim report on Church Union, which is full of hone and expectation of success for that great movement. Tho voluntary action on the part oi' the various churches augurs well for the ■overcoming of practical difficulties, and the ?>'eth:)(H:st, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches in Canada {should nut long be apart. The Government oi' India lias invited tho Provincial Government, inehid.ing Burma, to .absolutely prohibit tho smoking and nreynrntum of smoki'ii}; material in »s-nU>-:>ns or nunibrring more- than two persons. The L're-sbyter:an Church lias made a s-K'cr-s-.fnl start iit Mflininui. Six Maori boys have signed on, and six more are waiting admission. The work. ct far, includes ploughing and milking along w # ith Bible study and agricultural study, 'it is hopfd that at an early date buildings will be erected on the farm itself. At present the boys areaccommodated in the manst* grounds. 4C. J*. J\ «. Tho Kcv. P. W. Boys, of the Methodist Chinch, is contributing .to the "N.Z. Methodist Times" notes of his journeying to and about tho Old Country. In the latent issue of that journal ho contributes a touching account

of a burial at sea. After describing the sickness and death of a lady member of his church, he proceeds to tell how, by permission of the captain, he conducted the burial service. . " The hour of the ceremony was fixed for noon. Instead of the body being wrapped in a winding sheet weighted with load, the captain ordered a coffin to be made, heavily weighted with bolts. Those gifted with sweet voices, irrespective of creed (for lionian Catholics helped) formed themselves into a choir. All the clergy on board were present, including the Catholic priest, a broadmincied and courteous gentleman. Thus at noon, with a perfectly calm sea and a cloudless sky, the cortege moved from the hospital. The colrin, carried by eight sailors, preceded the chief mourner, then walked the captain, followed by the whole ship's company not ou duty. These all gathered at an opening upon the main deck, where a slip had been erected, and thus, siirroiindod by the Medic's passengers, the si>lomn service was read. Th« hymn, '.Nearer, My Cod, to Thee,' was sung. Then came the committal, and a.s we read the words, 'Wo therefore commit J he-« body t<» th<s deep, looking for the } resurrection, when tlti-- sea shall give \ up her (lend, through our Lord Jesus Christ,' the captain raised his hand, Uni engines of the great steamer were j stepped, and then, with the only move- j mint-around us being the albatross cir- j cling overhead, tho collin was released, I ami .sliding down the slip, the mortal j remains of our sister found their last I ivsting-place in the tropical waters of . the Atlantic Ocean. There was scarce- | ly a dry eyo as wo gaged at the still I " waters, and many of us thought of that time- of which the exiled John prophesied, 'When there shall ho no more Koa,1 and 'When the sea shall give up ' her dead.' "