MARSDEN CENTENARY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 7

MARSDEN CENTENARY.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS COMMEM. ORATION. In his address at the opening of the Anglican Synod at Auckland on Friday, Bishop Crossley said: Christmas Day, 1914, will bo tho greatest day in tho spiritual history of Now Zealand of our time. It is the centenary of the coining of the Cross to Netv Zealand. It is tho Marsden memory. The suggested plan is twofold. First, to have ' iv great gathering of Maori and pakeha to thank God, to speak of His llcrcies, to praiso tho memory of (ho mighty dead, round tho Marsdon Cross,'on (ho very day, , at tho very place. I would like a sco a great encampment far a few days round that cross. Wo might spend a very happy time, ii time to bo much remembered, in Eucharist, in praise, in thanksgiving, and in intercession, linking up the teaching of revelation and of history. Further, we might learn mucli boll; from a pagoaiit recall of tho old Maori past, and uy a \ Btudy, through, lectures and otherwise, of tho problems which lie around us. Most chiefly would I hopo that" on that Christinas Day, in that placo of wonderful and holy memory, there might bo tho largest Communion Servico over known in Now ' Zealand, when tho old and tho new New Zcalander would kneel side by side, and thus witness to our loyalty and to our lovo for the M aster. Tho other commemoration, it is suggested, should be hold in tho February following, i.e., February, 19)5. It will be a Church Congress, held hero in Auckland, aUondoJ wo would hopo, by represontalives from every part of New Zealand. nml by delegate* from all tho linkca Churches of our Communion all over the world, Tho Primate and Bishops hnvo eent a letter to nil tho Metropolitans, and many interesting answers have been received, which will lio laid upon the table of (he coming General Synod. Now, if either of these commemorations is to be worthy of our Church and nation, it will. ~i be the part of the Auckland diocese, both by her historic and geographical association, and by llio desire of the Bench of Bishops, to lead, and to lead strongly. It is not too soon for us to be moving. May we move unitedly nnd with enthusiasm.