BAPTIST UNION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 3

BAPTIST UNION.

ANNUAL NEWVZEAMND : :" YESTEMArs'-PEOCEEDINGS;':''"'". The annual conference of the N«w'Zealand ■ Baptist Union' was resumed at the Vivian ■ Street Baptist '.4t', 9.30 a jo. a , ,'devotional service' vree • conducted ' bythe Eov. B. H. Kirwood-(Auckland), and / at Iβ 'a.m., the iti\'.' s«*si»n. '.."•.'•.' '...■,■■.;■■.,.■-....■;.- ' : Mr. Eobt. Myhill. (Chriatchiirch) was fleeted { a personal .member,ef .-.the ;nnion..,, ■ ..,„■.■'•". On .the, .recommendation, of' ,the' "■■"' Committee.the.'iiew church at.^Mangaraznaraina l . was affiliated "to;, the,union. '.'■: '<". *-V v v'.V The oonferenoo, on tho motion of the Rev, ■ v. •I. J.. North, rosohrtd that a cablegram of sympathy bo sent to tho Eer.,'TV Keith' Eweri,-.'■'■ • at Present in.PerthVTVostern Atottalia/'on"th« ■" eenons illness of Mrs. Emm. " ' "": " " ••■::•'< ■ The annual report/byMr."J; ; R. Carey, on - ; . the progress 'and condition of the ohnrch '»'■ organ, "Tho, New Zealand Baptist,?; was.pre--

sented. The report.. commented: on tho; need ■•■ , ( for a larger circulation. The net increase of--: subscribers wae. 35..,iA credit balance/of ,'JCS": ■'.■' Bs. 2d. was shown as the result of tho year's -' operations. It was decided b;r tho conforencf that a special ooramittoe be appointed to con.« sidcr"the whole question-of•• the management ,, ■'■' orthe.journal,- and, 'inter alia, the mgges. , : twns put forward in-' Mr. Carey's reports T-'i Tflat 'the' annual, subscription- be raised frpn>, 2s. Gd. to 3sV that'.illustrated' pages bo added, : . and that tho union "grant ah'annual subsidy. •".- On tho recommendation o£ -the ■ committe* • appointed-earlier in tho oonfcrenooi to report";' on the question of increasmS the' income' of ,, '", tho union", it was' decided' (1) to-arrange for •• a visitation ,, of the churches, i with a view to securing additional subscribers; (2),t0 draft a: • scheme, of oanvase;,<3). to observe a Home Mis. >■'■ sion 'Sunday during, March in eaohi-'jearc (i)'', and to request pastors and deacons to etiha the uprogress of events onco a quarter, ';.',.':. ~ On'the redommendation of : a'special commit tee appointed.to,rcvisp the.conecitntion;of the union, a>v6ral amendments in the direction of > defining; tho relation , of the aniiliariesto' the union,- that; the -Various special ■efforfs"'6f' : tha' :; ' denomination as , a whole'jfiight be consolidated,/ securing greaterysnperTision and■ were adopted.; ■:;, .■:'•■-,:-..■ ■:■■• , ■■ - : '■'-'. :?;■■?':. i~ '■ .-.- .-.--.:• ■••;D>l«e»teivEht'eplairMd.':v-i : VvkCv:,li'.^ : -.'; During the:lanoheon adjonrnment.the gates were entertained at dinner at. the Pcople'e Palace, Cuba Streets by. the' WelKngton' •■ Ministers' Association. There were present, , and .were, introduced, to the'delegates by-.the'.'i Rov. J. J. North (Baptist' representative on th« - Ministora , ■ Associatidn),"the"Hov. Thos. Fo» (president of the; llethodist. Conference), jth« ' Bov. James Gibb, D.D.' (representing the'Pres^- , '; K byterian Aeseinbly)/the Revs. J. K. Elliott and °' : W.- Shiror (of the. Wellington Presbytery);"and ■' the Rev: R.' J. : Clark (eecrotary iof ■ the ■ ifinii- - ters'■ Association); ■■• "■•.■: r -- '■-:■'• Dr. Gibb; in tHecoursoot "ft characteristio,' address, commended the orangelical fervour of ~ ' the Baptist Church." Baptists, ho,said; were ;i - red-hot gospellers, l and he welcomed: thoh asso- ■'' ciation.-with othor ehurohes'' to the' end that-V'--'--all-might'work , us i whole'in such efforts; as j: and national righteousneesi Hβ i< ."• '.regretted- to -say.'.■ that, a -large pagan eloinent-v existed.in- this and.every other, city in New Zealand.. To combat .this,.,tveo things wora '■'' • urgently ■ r«q uired to'. bo aCcompliehcd:.; Firstlr,," ' a .genuine revival of epiritiial religion, and; ,I ' ■■','• secondly, closer. churoli 1 union. He hoped that...":' .some day there, would be. an'organio .union j6f--t'- ''■' the .chnwhes. -' .In'.the /meantime,-;all.should *■' '■ l strive for; the of Christ's'evangel- . "■ ■ and-the promotion of national'righteoasness.,""':.' ; - The.Rers. J. K, Elliott; WaShiret and'Thbii-.'' F«o also, epoke,; and the Rey.' J.' K. Archer''' i"'i (Napier); and' Mr. R. 1 Shedding. (Anctland). roi j eponded on behalf of .the' delegetes::'•;•*■:■":-.■:■ ■■ ■$■ '.'■ The■ afternoon sftssioii-was" dwoled'to~,eriotur!and' lnterestjnß-. discussion.; on,' tho subject .of , s ' ; ' "Th.fl:..W6rk';o?;::QQd,-in':.the; Chnrchee.? -The \ discussion was opened' by the Rev. A. S. Wil-"'/ -V son, and.was freply;'debited,by the' delegates. /.- ; Tho-speakers were: the Rave. W. Hay, R. KnpwTes Kempton; W. H'. Hunter, F. G. Buckingham, J. K. Archer,.C^D. 'Gardner, R. S. "> Gray.■ G. Dallaston, and Messrs". Harper, Mokai- , - fe !>i W, Cor «e' Johnston;-Gilbert- Carson, D. ! ; Findlay.and 0. G.M'Hattief- - . • ■ - /'-

S =:■;:■■*:.■ • ■-. ■ „:■■ ■■■>~. f .V. ;. \. tiH.TiW ]■■'.. '■ ■■Min't-Mmnv^^^Xi:*?^ l'. In''««n^Kon\-wth-'ihe\iapKVt"Confer«os' V! -' , .•ft meeting- for-'men ; wae held in'tHo 1 evciiinc, at which • the Ew Charles Boyall(Ca*orshamJ™ :• presided.. -■•-..,•... »■ . "-:■'■■, .:' a ... The ohairmaa',' in the'course"'of an'openinu■;.' address, , 'said that the' Baptist 'Church' was a'" ; domoeratio body; itfwas' ■Roverned -by the 1 ' people. It was aleo largely a working-man's ".'• chiiroh—not .that it ; *as spoqially: oon6tituted.'f to deal with-working-men,-but its'"'conercga-■'' hone .wero mostly composed: of workers.; -'-VMost.' \ - ■of: my ■ deacons ■ are >orking-men,"'"said ''Mr,' ■'' B p oyall';' : "one'is- a cutter,.'.two , are •■gardeners, .'; , and-another- is a , - hMryiesserr'and thcy'are all'"■ good tradesmen.":.'; (Applause:)'"Baptist minis- ■■':. tors, he continned,-always voted for tho amel-ioratien.ofitho'.troublee-:6fl'the workers, .and . it wae>|!ood that'they eheuld. choose'to" eser->° else their v0te5.';,...:..:.■.•. .■:■- ', .«.: ,':■-:-•■"!'

.fpeeking,..on:.-.'/The-i,(3hTirehiand. Social-fee. '■'■ •forme."-the I?«T.:j. K,;Archef (of ; Napior, late of England) ossertediffiat the problem of.social'i'' refora was.jthc problem of applied l Christianity. <"-■:- ;It mclnded; earhe*t.';endeavoiirs?toi-put r 'their'ii ":'■'' preaching nnd,.praying'into •practice,.;;. It had . ■Jμ been., said thst,;the teochinß of many orthodox.:': ' churches of- the' pr,cfpit,d(iy,iras.oxce6sitcly. in-"'•".' dividnalislic.,;Onjv:,tl ! d;othcri'dny,aa.Bn(tlish ' ; :V ' speaker had.; said, .that : the ,■ cardinal -heresy-' of «■ ■: Christian people'.was'.tHat,. they.,did not.-applT,.,;; ,- their'Christiaiiit.ft-Tho'SeHbtures commaaded "•' ■ that they-,ehould trv, io ■ solve • social i problems.; ■ ■'; ' love to God',and. lovb' tb^mari,'.';acted" upon,'.* !■ '•■ : woald solve-iU. economic problems. (Hear, ''-.y- ■ hear.) .. Whenever,ptople ,endenv6iired''to-live '.*'■ v oftt the religion of the Bible, it had been found <■■ ■"■■'■' that their religion .embodied/it«;lf-in'-s66uil--u !'■■ condition*.' ,The Old. T.esta.ment ■■■ recognised".,■..'■.• Slavery, but ■, the."tiriio '"eam'd".-.Vi-hcn the slav'4 !'■.--. realised,that•,he could not ■ bo".bound., in '.hoii. ■'-,;•■ ■ v and free in, »»1. Social injustice was'aslha'te.!:;; nil sight of God. as ,priestcraft..'..:(Ap,..a; -. plaice.),. Socialism .was..noi;tho;.ncgatibn: off O/' Christianity.., Some -Socialists were'' agnostics, v. ; '.'■'; but they-were, hot agnostics, because they were : \ Socialists—thex ywejo. , ' agnostics in additibni ■" ■?• ■ Iheiraga-raruine;. system, , as.wo know it, is ' : .■' a sort of slavery," said Mr. .Archer,- ','and, Jiot." : :'. ; the best-Wad'of slavery, , There-must bo some I'.- 'v. chan"c If. the v Cliiifch help to'bring '"■?■ ■■'■ about tliiii chance," we shall bring it about with'." '. - .:■■'. out the Churchy but tho Church.ie the or-.' ? gnnisnhpn to c»tal>Jish it" (Applouse.)'.'V-.j.,.; .-. ■ ; .: '.'.'lf Uic Church had.takenJts prppc-r placein t : "■• ■■■ the problems of .mankind/' t|iere would bo no .'■•< ■■'■ heed to.jDealc; oh'this' mibject'-at'-'the' present;-/' s time, V-said .the Kov, William Lamb (Giebprnc), in introducintiihis tjieme, l "National Perils and' .■' Dangori. , . , '%,: urged that the theory* of ■' tion took- , away , the , dignity;of sacred-relation* : -. ships and homo'life. .Wliilo/doploring'thefro-.-v ■-'■ quency of divorce,' he remarked, on tho fact -,'" that, were-it'hot fortho arrival' bfimmi- ;;: tho population: of 'the" Dominion wdjjjdi"''-. i ; tm found to.jbe nltoost-- , diminishing.': Ho re-» : .• : ,-i ferred feelingly, to "the.:bombastic "spirit .of.'l ■' Imperialism, which, he said, was being "fos-~ '•': tered in M\v Zealand,'and which''.was coiW> '*■'■; ;trjry, to all the •teaching, of the Gospel. ,-■■--■-':"(, -y , Mr. A. , S. , Adams (of-Dune-din), wliib speakmg .of "Baptists and: the Domocracy, ' ex- i ■ presscdtlic opinion' that tho Cliurch' was gradu- ; ;•. ally waking .up" to a sense, tf, l«r reeponei- : : ' - ; bihty, and would soon tike an active part-in:..-, i the more serious"problems-of the , present-day.- 1 - - i Christianity stood for the value of human life,' '■"' •■"■- for .tho development; of body'-hnd of soul. In-.'.-"! ■:- tho Baptist Church men and, Women met on an '"r'i equal footing, they , recognised \-no spiritual:' ■ nuthonty, no • priesthood, and all had' an equal " r voice;iu the government of,the church. Those'''."'principles, had ..been foiighb for during the '■ .v ages, and Baptists ,of the '■ present day wore"- " under a great-debt of gratitude for, their free- ,■ domloihc stalwart men'who had (tone througt -• ' many.trialß,, They belicve.l in the'b?otS' , hood of ■. man, and the '-Baptists -wore a demo- ! -. . S l t ] ™PPorte<l..«.oKil- i upHftinK, which: to help men,, and took, part in , evei-r • ■ movement or agency whidh would result in•' moral and material betterment in the condi-''. ':■'■ tions of the people. ■■'■■[ ■■ < ■ ■;'■- A number of : anthems'- were sung bv the " '""''> maio choir. / ~' v ■ ■": ■ •' '■-