TEA MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 911, 7 January 1871, Page 2

TEA MEETING.

[concluded from yesterday's times.] Mr Redstone thanked the meeting for the cordial welcome they had given him. Looking around upon that assembly he could scarcely realise that he was in Napier, or even that he was out of Cornwall. Very few months before his departure he had no idea that he should ever leave England. In various ways his attention had since been directed to the Colonies, particu larly with regard to their spiritual condition, though not with any idea that he ■ would ever be in any of them. When h e was asked by the Society if he would come to New Zealand, he gave the subject the most earnest and prayerful consideration, and concluded that it was his duty to obey the call, though his friends in England were much opposed to his coming. Mr Holder had ! said that he would have preferred a minister of his own branch of the Church. He (Mr R.) honored him for this, as he honoied any man who owned and acted upon his principles. He might say, however, that there was no difference in point of doctrine between the two branches of the Methodist Church, the distinction being merely in matters of church government, in which respect the Wesleyans might be compared to a monarchy, and the Methodist Fiee Church to a republic. In order to give an idea of the progress and position of the Free Church, he would read a poition of the annual statistics last published. (He here read a quantity of statistics relative to the number of congregations, ministers, people, Sunday schools and scholars, as well as the missionary operations of the church.) With what had been said on the subject of co-operation among christian churches he fully agreed. Last Sunday he had preached in St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, in the absence of the regular minister; he hoped to preach there next Sunday also, after which he expected to conduct divine service in the Masonic Hall until such time as a suitable building could be erected. The object of his mission to the Colony had been well stated by the Chairman; it was not to draw away the worshippers from other congregations or to work in opposition to any existing body of the Christian Church ; but it was to carry the light of the Gospel to the careless and indifferent, the poor and the ignorant, and in this work he would ask the sympathy and aid of believers. The Gospel of Chris: was sufficient for all—it had often been put to the test, and had never been found to fail. Salvation had come to all who would receive it, and all Christian* should unite in spreading the Gospel through the world. Many theories and devices of man had been set up to resist the progress of the Word of God, but all had failed,—none of them had been found to stand against the resistless tide of the Gospel. Voltaire had said that " the twilight of Christianity" had como —he said the truth, though he meant a lie. He meant that the twilight of evening was overshadowing the ancient system, and that it would soon be lost in the darkness of night—the truth w, that it was the twilight of the morning, ere long to glow and brighten into the glorious radiance of day. Reverting to the subject of the present meeting, he said that in all his experience of such social gatherings he did not remember seeing any so well managed, and for which such admirable provision had been made—not even in Cornwall. The thanks of the meeting were due to the ladies who had devoted so much time, trouble, and expense to the purpose of making this meeting a .successful one, and he hoped those present would convey them their hearty thanks. He proposed a vote of thanks to those who had given their services in providing the entertainment, —The vote of thanks was carried amid great applause. The Rev. Mr Taylor proposed a vote oftnanks to the choir. He had felt while listening to their anthems as if he could have sat and listened all night. Some of the members of that choir would belong to the new congregation when it was formed, and to them the thanks of the meeting were due; but to those who. belonged to other denominations, he thought a double measure of gratitude was due for coming forf ward on this occasion.— Carried unani-

mously.—A vote of thanks to tha Chairman was thon passed, and that gentleman made a suitable acknowledg menfc, in which he remarked that he hoped he might, see many more such meetings —The proceedings were closed by the doxology and the benediction. We regret that owing to our limited space, we have been unable to give more than a mere outline of these interesting proceedings.