Presbyterian Assembly.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1927, 8 November 1906, Page 3

Presbyterian Assembly.

PRESS ASSOCIATION Dunedin, ycißrvday. Tho Presbyterian General Assembly comrufuood it.t annual sitting yesterday. The Rev. D. Barrio preached, and afterwards introduced the Modes a tor, the lvsv. G. Munro, who took his pUoa and deliver! d an address. Ho referred to tho 10-ses the Oiiuroh hud sustained during tho year. The eubj in i f his address was '• Tho relations of our Church to tho sooial and civio ilfa of the community." Ttro speaker said : '‘We mu«t realise tho conditions of society tc*day and remember that

human ua'.uro ts very much the same a

ways and every whirr. Wo must apply tho Gospel to mon as they live in the 20th

century, aud they will find hearty response to r-ur preaooiug aud teaching.” If they woro indifferent to the eooial evils of tho duy, such os inti mporance, impurity, indns'rial wrongs, Sabbath desecration, (-•• i commercial immorality, they were p.caching only hull Gospel.” Tiro speaker defended tho Chutcb at bousq leugih, aud contended it must take partin politics, but not party politics, for a political parson was not generally a suooaes. A) tho same iitno thoro was a Christianity in politics wbioh must ever bo brought prominently faeforo tho public, for only in that way could dishonorable things be banished There were many questions, but he would only mention ihree. One was the temperance question, he expressed the bolief that in a few years, probably after the next election, there would not bo a single public house from the Bluff to the North Cape, tempting and drawing the morally weak into its vortex. Then gambling was an outstanding vico, and it must bo their aim to stir up the moral onthusissm of influential men in the oalnny against it, and never sorupls to expose and denounce all who oonntenuDco it. Then shore was the question of tbo Chutoh’s relation to opium traffic, and they must speak ou! fearlessly. He concluded by expressing tho hope that all their business might be over-ruled for tho greater uni:y and extension of tho Church depending on their spiritual life and tho advancement of she glory of God. DunediD, last night.

At tho Presbyterian General Assembly to-day tho report of the committeo on the state of religion was adapted, the deliveiauee rejoicing at the widespread agitation ngainst gambling generally, and the promise of the Government to introduce legislation on the aubjeoh A motion was passed, calling on Government to psßs legislation to abolish the tetalisator, and take each steps as may help to suppress gambling. The temperaica report, which was hopeful in tone, was discussed briefly, and consideration deferred.

To-night tho report of the Maori miss'oas wa3 brought up. It was resolved to adopt the report, thank the committee, express gratitude to God for another year of rich blessings, heartily commend estab* liahment of so rnauy Sunday schools around Taupe, agroe to the rec.mmendaSiou to appoint Miss Spenoo as deacomss in tbo Maori mission work at Tsupo at a salary of J6BO, expross satisfaction at the improvements to the rnauso of tho mia-. sic

maries ana creation of ft ohurch building at Taumaruaui, authorise the transfer of £2OO from the Maori mitsion to school funds, rcjoica in the measurn of success that has crowned the year’s efforts oi missionaries and teachers, and command them anew io iho prayers of the eoogregaSion. The church extension committees' reports were considered. That referring to tho northern church wss adopted,, the committeo being authorised to make special grunts to Taumarunui, Waitotara, and other necessitous localities, again approve of tho 6:tabii.-hmeui of collecting agencies in eaob congregation, nni in this connection respectfully solicit the cooperation of she Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union. The roport of the southern committee was also adopted.