SCOTCH CHURCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 161, 4 February 1854, Page 9

SCOTCH CHURCH.

if (From a Correspondent.) ! Pursuant to advertisement a public meeting fwas held at the Royal Hotel on Tuesday evening, to consider the means of establishing a jjScotch Church in this settlement, at which there |was a considerable attendance, many having |come a distance of from four to eight miles to |be present. The Chair was taken by W. K. iMacdonald, Esq., who read the advertisement convening the meeting and a letter addressed to the Chairman, by John Deans, Esq. |expressing regret that ill health prevented his (being present, or of talcing an active part in furSthering the object of the meeting, which he {otherwise would have done, and requesting that |his name might be placed on the subscription pist for £10 towards the purchase of a suitable jsite for a church, which he would increase to pIOO as soon as a reasonable prospect could be ■entertained of their being able to commence the pudding of a Manse and Chuech, besides jwhich he would contribute yearly towards the pupport of a Clergyman. L c Chairman then called on the mover of jthe first resolution, when Mr. Wilson said ; I Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen.—lt is a pleasing feature in the character of those of you pho have assembled here to-night, that you have

met for the purpose of endeavouring to restore to yourselves, in this the land of your adoption, the ancient Church of your forefathers, a love of which you have carried with you to this the antipodes of the land of your birth—the church to whose teaching you are mainly indebted for the Christian principles you have imbibed, for the principles of morality which have governed your lives, and restrained you from many of the vices peculiar to erring human nature —the church which has taught you to be loyal to your Queen, faithful to your country, and indulgent towards every denomination of professing Christians, whose principles, and especially whose forms of worship, may happen to differ from your own, in short, to respect the religious prejudices of your fellow-Christians, by whatever name their form of Church government may be called. That these, Gentlemen, are the sentiments you entertain, I infer not merely from having the pleasure of your personal acquaintance, but from the liberal nature of the several resolutions about to be submitted, the first and*imost important of which I now beg to move. " Resolved, That in the opinion of this meeting, it is highly desirable that a Scotch Church should be established in the town of Christchurch, to meet the requirements of a considerable portion of the inhabitants of this settlement, who have been baptized, educated, and brought up, under the Presbyterian form of worship." To Christchurch having a preference some may object, but if we take Kaiapoi and the Stations on one side, a number of the stockowners being Presbyterians, Lyttelton, and the Bays of the Peninsula on the other, Christchurch will be the most central both for the erection of the first Church and for the general residence of the first Minister, which would enable him in cases of Marriages or Baptisms, more conveniently to visit the more distant members of his congregation, and at the same time you would, for a time at least, content yourselves with one service every Sabbath morning in order that your brethren at Lyttelton might enjoy an evening service, which would afford to them the same privileges that you so anxiously desire. It is a further gratifying feature in your character that many of you contributed liberally towards the erection of the Episcopalian church in Lyttelton, some of you have subscribed towards the proposed enlargements of the church in this town, and several of you have promised assistance to the erection of an additional church at Kiccarton, besides which many of you were generous in the support you gave to the erection of the Wesley an chapel. These pleasing traits of liberality on your part, promise to be generally reciprocated by Churchmen and Wesleyans on theirs, for already voluntary offers of support have been made you by both denominations. The mutual assistance thus rendered exhibits the true principle of Christian liberality, and must inspire you with the fervent prayer to Heaven that every blessing sought upon this land, and upon this people, may be heard and granted, whether such prayers proceed from a place of worship recognised by the name of Church or of Chapel. The Resolution was seconded by Mr. Johnston, and on being put to the meeting was carried unanimously. It was then moved by Mr. Anderson and seconded by Mr. Miln— "That with a view to effect the foregoing object a Committee be appointed to obtain subscriptions, to select an acre of Town Land fora Site, to procure a suitable design for a.building, to ascertain the best means of obtaining a Minister, and to call a public meeting before which they will lay a report of the result of their exertions." This resolution on being put to the meeting, was also unanimously carried ; after which an animated discussion ensued, whether it would be most desirable, to have a minister of the " Free Church," or of the Established Church of Scotland. Ultimately it was agreed, " That at a future public meeting, on the question being put, whether a Minister of the Free Church or of the Established Church be preferred, the minority pledge themselves to conform to the wishes of the majority." The third resolution was moved by Mr. Ferguson, seconded by Mr. M'Brattney, viz. " That the Officers and Committee do consist of the following Gentlemen:

" Mr. John Deans, Treasurer ; Mr. W. Wilson, Secretary; Messrs. W. K. Macdonald, James Meldrum, John M'Farlane, John Anderson, James Johnston, William Stewart, Charles Young, William Nankin, Douglas Graham, Ebenezer Hay, Hugh Buchanan, Samuel Manson, David M. Laurie, John Grub, James Stout, Simon Hossack, George Duncan." The Secretary was instructed to prepare subscription Lists, and to solicit the privilege of their being left at the Hotels and principal Stores for signature both in Lyttelton and Christchurch.