RECHABITE SOIREE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1487, 22 November 1872, Page 2

RECHABITE SOIREE.

The second anniversary of die Hope of Napier Tfent, LOR, was eebrated by a public soiree in the Oddfellows' Hall last night. There was a fair attendance, though the Hall was not so full as we have seen it on other occasions of a similar kind. Tea was provided in excellent style by Mr 3. T. Johnson, and the proceedings eomtneuced at 6 30 p.m. At about 8 p.m., the tables having been i-emoved, the chair was taken by the Rev. G. M. D'Arcy Irvine, M.A., Master of £he Napier Grammar School, who holds the degree of P.C.R. in the Rechabite Order.

The Chairman said that when the committee did him the favor of asking him to take the chair on the present occasion, hi- principal reason for accediug to the request was this—that he was a brother of the Order, one of the chief rules of which was that each member should always recognize the others as brethren, and act a true brother's part. This feeling of brotherhood was the foundation -of every excellent asso-, ciation; in their unity lay their stiengtb, and without it the most promising organization would come to nought. The gi eat success which had attended the Rechabite Order he attributed in no small degree to meeting of this kind, where officers and brethren mot with each other and with friends outside the Order, ami interchanged kindly words and greetings Such meetings as this showed the outside woild that there was a talismanie influence in sobriety and self-denial, tending to produce kindness and courtesy, and unite and cement mankind in the bonds of brotherhood and love. Tilts tact found a striking illustration in the world-embracing society of Freemasons. At the age of 21 he attained the dcgrre oi a Master Mason, an 1 had been now a Royal Arch Ma-on for seven* 1 years, and during the whole period of his connexion with that, body their principles and practice more and more commended themselves to his esteem. (Applause) But above all, and before all, the oneness in the Christian body should be the type of that of every other brotherhoo,d. It excited the admiration of the very heathen, who were constrained to exclaim, "See how these Christians love one another !" It was sometimes said that an opposite statement would now be more applicable to the various Christian Chuivhpa. Such, he granted, might occasionally be the case, but it was only in cases where the absence rather than the presence of Christian influence predominated Tr was never the case among the true dr-ciples of Jesus Christ —those who alone were entitled to the name of Chdstians. The great Author and Finisher of our faith h;)d left this infallible criterion by which His followers might be recognised: "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." When he looked back on his experience as a clergyman pi the Chun-h of England he could not recall anything in the Church atliome so well adapted to sustain a Minister of God in his woik of faith and labor of in the trials, discouragements, and disappointments attending the faithful discharge'of the duties of his office, as the sympathy and kindly help ot his brethren in the ministry. If there was one thing more than another the want of which he had often fell since his arrival in this country, it was the clerical meeting—where the warm shake of each brother's hand, the genial smile and welcome greeting, the frank and unrestrained outpouring of feeling, the helpful counsel, the earnest pray era for one another's growth in grace, the united study ot the Sacred Scriptures, the experience of the fathers of Israel, so generously, considerately, and disinterestedly given to their juniors in the ministry, the brotherly love and. hearty co-operation eo manifest among them all- this was indeed a privilege, the want of which here he well might morrnfully deplore, and to which he could not look back without a natural sense of present spiritual loss. "Covet earnestly the best gifts," wrote St. Paul to the Corinthians, ** and yet show \ unto you a more excellent way." Great as was the excellency of gifts, there was a greater excellency in love. Let unity then be the great characteristic of the bodv. Let each brother remember that

the pecuniary benefits of the association were tl e least of its advantages—that its chief excellence and the main source of its power lay in the f:«ct thsit its essential principles were unity and brotherly loye. It might be a patter of surprise to find kiiu taking part in a public meeting after hearing the report so industriously circulated, that au inhibition had been sewed upon him prohibiting him from again opening his month before the people of Napier. He could not tell what private arrangements might, have been made to carry out such a design—all he knew Has that he had received no such inhibition. No aspersion had ever been cast upon him during his long and faithful service at home which would warrant so atrange and serious a report; and he was not aware of having committed any offence since his arrival in the colony to warrant his being treated as a silenced and degraded clergyman. (Applause.) fie was aware that in his acceptance of the Head Mastership of the Grammar School he had, in the opinion of a few, committed an offence amounting almost to u crime ; but he could not see that

ir. was an offence. Tt had at any rate been condoned by the public, and even those who opposed his doing so would admit that his action had been to the public benefit. It was refreshing under the circumstances to meet with such sympathy as had been shown him by tlie brethren to-night; but in the Rechabite body he felc sure he would ever tind a complete galaxy of soberand therefore steady adherents. He charged the brethren to be tolerant and temperate in their language and conduct to outsiders. Many without the ranks felt a deep sympathy with their gre-it object, and were ever ready to render aid and assistance —witness some of those who had kindly given their valuable help this evening. In conclusion he hoped and prayed that the unity now subsisting among the brethren might increase and merge into that greater and more glorious unity which would last to all eternity, and m which separation would be unknown. In that holy union would be found true liberty, equality, and fraternity—perfect liberty, for all would render willing obedience ; perfect equality, for ;tll would be equal in .o\e; and perfect fraternity, for all would equally love. True unity was not the unity of despotism, which, like a statue of ice, held together in the cold grasp of power elements of an incongruous and opposite character, and which the heat of human passion might at any time tnaw and reduce to ruin ; nor yet an artificial constitutional union, which might be compared to the image in the vision of the King of Babylon—the head of gold, the breast of silver, the thighs of brass, and the feet of mingled iron and clay. *t was like the true unity subsisting in the body of a living and breathing man --each member united to the head, and duly related to each other—while through the whole constitution extended true sympathy and feeling, and the whole was vitalized by the life-blood of Christian love. (Applause.) Song: Mr Martin.— ( s The Roast Beef of old England." Brother W. Wiikie, Tent Secretary, then read the following report: Mr Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen, — In giving you a brief statement of the financial, positioti of the Tent, I have much pleasure in stating that it is in a very prosperous eondiiion. The following remarks apply to the funds as they stood at the, end of the last quarter, on 25th September last. The subscriptions (about lOd per week) are proportionately divided into three parts—the Sick Eund, the Funeral Fund, and the Contingent Fund* The amount to the credit of the bick Fund was £ll4. 6s 4d. This, fund is kept by the Tent iu the name of three Trustees, in the Savings Bank and the. Bank of. New Zealand in Napier, and is for the purpose of paying the sick allowance of 15s per week to any member who (being at the time in compliance | with the laws of the Order) is unable from sickness to follow his. usual occupation. The proportion payable to the Funeral Fund is .re*. mitted to and kept by the District Officers in Wellington, and is paid to the Tent on application being made by them on the death of any member of the Tent, and is paid by it to the wife or representative of the deceased, as the case may be. The proportion paytible to the Contingent Fund kept by the Tent, and is used for paying the salary of the Tent Surgeon, rent of the Tent-room, lights, &c, and any other expenses connected with the working ot the Tent." The amounts to the credit of the different funds for the Quarter ending 25th September la&t were;—Sick^