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New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 735, 30 April 1853, Page 3

Lectures on Church History.— The first of a series of Lectures on subjects in Church History, by Ministers of the Evangelical Alliance, was delivered on Monday evening in the Presbyterian Church, by the Rev. Thomas Buddie. The topic was “The Catacombs; or the Recovered Records of the slate of the Christirn Church in Rome in (he Second and Third Centuries.” Avowedly drawing much of his material from Dr. Maitland’s ‘‘Church in the Catacombs” —a work which probably will always remain the text-book on this subject—the Lecturer gave a very interesting summary of what is known of those ancient refuges and sepulchres of the early Christians, contrasting the character of the Inscriptions on the Pagan remains exhumed from the cemeteries with those on the Christian memorials, as both was now to be seen in the Vatican Museum; and especially dwelling on the evidence deducible from these monumental testimonies to the Scriptural purity and simplicity in faith and practice of the primitive Church at Rome. The attendance was unsually large, and the Lecture was heard throughout with deep attention and interest The Second of the series was given on Wednesday evening in the Wesleyan Chapel by the Rev. T. Hamer, the subject being, “Augustine; or Christianity in Africa in the Fifth Century.” ft embodied a lucid and comprehensive view of the heresies introduced during the first four centuries, and the gradual declension from primitive simplicity and purity, together with a somewhat detailed biographical sketch of Augustine and a summary of his efforts for the revival and maintenance of the truth. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather this Lecture was also well attended. It will be seen by advertisement that the third of the Series —on “ The Waldenses, or Christianity in Central Europe from the Sixth to the Thirteenth Centuries” —will be delivered in the Independent Chapel, High Street, on Thursday evening next, hy the Rev. T. Ward,