GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4910, 16 December 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND.

We reprint from the Ncvj Zealand Herald the address of the Moderator, the Rev. James Paterson, of Wellington, on the opening of the annual session of the above Assembly :

Mr. Patehson said“ Fathers and brethren,— For your kindness in calling me to preside over the deliberations of this venerable Assembly let me return you my respectful thanks. It is the highest honor which this Church can confer on any of her ministers, and as such I fully appreciate it. The position is new to me, as, indeed, it is to most who are called to occupy it. I hope, therefore, you will grant me your kind indulgence if I fail in the adequate discharge of its duties. We have cause for thankfulness that again In God’s providence we are privileged to meet to consult together on the affairs of the Church. I am sure I but express the feelings of ail the brethren when I say that it Is always refreshing for us thus to meet together; to see each other in the face; to interchange thought and friendly regard, and to enjoy perso al intercourse. To those among us whose charges lie in more remote parts of the country, and who seldom see the face of a brother, or have any opportunity of enjoying that thorough opening up of the mind and heart which only the common experiences and the genial sympathies of fellow-laborers can effect, such gatherings must be a welcome variety In the ordinary routine of life. And indeed they are no less welcome to those who may be placed in the midst of large communities, and who hare therefore more opportunities of meeting with ministerial brethren, but who equally feel the benefit of being withdrawn for a little from the ordinary round of work and of associating with ministers and officebearers from other parts of the country, and of conferring with one another in regard to the welfare of our Zion. To all of us, I believe, the annual meetings of Assembly are seasons of real refreshment and enjoyment. We see one another, we make new acquaintanceships, and renew old friendships; we mingle with the Christian people In the various localities we visit, and enjoy their friendly welcome and kindly hospitality. In fact. It is to many of us a real holiday; and a real holiday Is no small boon. Pity It Is that to many tho difficulties In the way of attending the Assembly are so great, that only an occasional attendance can bj given. These difficulties, however, especially those from the distance, and expense of travel, are being gradually reduced, and we may hope that ere long a greater number of our ministers and elders will be able to attend the meetings of Assembly. It is also to be regretted that tho time we can afford to bo together Is so short, and is se much taken up with the necessary business of the Church, that we have but little leisure for more friendly intercourse, or for conversing on matters which concern onr everyday work. How great would be the benefit to all of us had we more time to confer together on our real practical work; on the 1 peculiar difficulties which may exist in special localities; on the hindrances we have all to contend with, and how they are to be overcome; on tho evidences of spiritual life and growth, or the absence of these in our congregation ; on our studies ; on the books that are being published bearing on theological opinion and Christian life; on the prevailing tendencies of modern thought: on the shifting and changing of positions on both sides in the continual conflict between truth and error—between faith and unbelief. Never was there a time of more mental activity than the present; never was there a time of more earliest and searching Inquiry in every department of thought, and into every subject of opinion and belief; never was there a time, therefore, when the ministers of religion more required to be fully equipped for their work as defenders of the faith, as well as preachers of the truth. It will not do to stand on the old positions, and use tho old weapons of defence and attack. Some of these are no doubt good enough still, but others are out of date. It Is needful that wo keep abreast of the times: that we know all that is being said for and against the truth which we hold, and which it is onr main business to expound and commend to the faith of others: that we make ourselves acquainted with the discoveries of science, and with historical and antiquarian research, in so far as these tend to throw light on tho Bible and Us teaching; and that we have thorough knowledge of the difficulties and objections which often beset and perplex earnest minds, and how these difficulties and objections are to be solved. And, above all it is needful that wo keep our minds free from prejudice, and our hearts free from bigotry ; that we cultivate a liberal, but not a latltudinarian spirit: that we seek that our views bo not narrow or one-sided, but broad and many-sided, like truth Itself; and at the same time, that our convictions be deep and earnest and true. Wo should bo ready to receive new light from any quarter and to review our opinions whenever fresh knowledge seems to require. And wo should not bo alarmed at every new discovery of science, or at every now theory of science which i» propounded, as if it were to shake the very foundation of tho faith. Difficulty may exist for a time, and objections may seem formidable, but they will bo cleared oway; tho truth will over maintain its position, and scientific and theological opinion will in the end so adjust themselves as to make It evident that there fs complete harmony between the teaching of God’s works and qf God’s Word. Let us cherish earnest convictions, convictions which we have worked out for ourselves, and of which wo know tho grounds and evideijoes. Tbl« will make us calm and unwavering In the midst of the conflict of opinion around to. And It will make u» llberalandtolerant,

1 too—liberal ir our own opinions, and tolerant towards those who may differ from us. The more honestly and earnestly we have thought out our own opinions aned onvictions, the more forbearing shall we be to those who differ from us—to those, who do not see as we see or think as we think—and the more ready shall we be to accord to them the sincerity and conscientiousness which we claim for ourselves. This, it seems to me, is tho attitude of mind .we .should maintain towards llie various questions of tho day : and in bearing manfully our part in the great conflict between faith and unbelief. And surely, it rau-t be helpful to us to maintain this attitude of mind, that we who are engaged In common studies and in common work should often meet and confer together, and talk over the results of our reading and observations, while tho social interchange must refresh our spirits, the intellectual intercourse must invigorate our minds, and send us back to our various spheres of labor with new thoughts, new ideas, new plans of operations, with new linos of activity marked out, and with fresh life and energy for our work. It was hoped that wo should have seen this year the deshed end of bur negotiations for union with the Presbyterian Church of Otago. But that end, through no fault of ours, seems further off than ever. It Is wellknown that we expressed ourselves unanimously as ready for tho union when these negotiations were entered upon, and from that position we never changed. We are ready for the union, not because wo think it is to bo so much greater gain to us than to those with whom we unite. We believe the gain would be as much to them as to us. It would be no financial gain to either: they do not need our help, and we. do not ask their help in any financial matter. But it would be a great moral gain to both; they would strengthen our position, and we could strengthen theirs. It would add to the strength and influence and moral power of the whole Church. Therefore it was that we desired tho union. We believed it would be for the Church’s good. And, therefore, do we still desire it. And as the negotiations have failed, we cannot but regret the failure. At the same time this regret is very much modified by the consideration that tho basis of union proposed to us by the Synod of Otago was never a satisfactory one. We agreed to it, but w» agreed with reluctance, and only in tho hope that it would lead to something better, — In the hope that when we had even such a union as that basis would secure, and when they, the two Churches, were brought nearer to each other, and bettor understood each other, all feeling of reserve and suspicion would be lost; and realising more the .advantages of union, we would all seek that the union should bo more real, more thorough amt complete. Such was our hope, and with this hope we agreed to the terms proposed, even though the amendments we suggested were not accepted. But. as I have said, we never were satisfie 1 with tho basis of union, and therefore we the less regret that the union on that basis has failed. That basis required us to break up our Church into Synods, that we might be on the same footing as the Synod of Otago, and it gave to those Synods supreme jurisdiction, not only in matters merely local, but also in matters affecting the whole Church, such as cases of discipline, and even of doctrine, and this without any appeal to tho General Assembly—a thing unheard of in a Presbyterian Church. Further, It required that the meetings of Assembly should be only biennial. And-what power was left to the Assembly? Only a sort of general power of dealing with Church extension and Foreign missions. This state of things was to continue for five years, when there was to be a revision, and probably some amendments. Such a basis could never be satisfactory, and in agreeing to it wo gave up more, in my humble opinion, than we got, or were likely to get, by the union. It would have broken up our own unity and compactness, and would have produced this anomaly in onr Presbyterian constitution—that tiio subordinate Synods would have had all the power, and that the General Assembly, the representative Court of the whole Church, and which ought to be supreme, would have been reduced to a mere cypher, to a sort of General Conference on Missions. A union formed on such a basis would not be a true, hearty, thorough-going union. Yet we were told again and again that these terms were the very utmost that would be conceded tons, ’•nd every amendment we suggested was rejected. Everything seemed to verify the statement madebyoneof thedeputiesfrom Otago in our Assembly last year that they meant "to eat their own bread and to wear their own apparel, and only sought to be called by our name to take away their reproach. ” Many of us hearing that statement, and realising all that It implied, came away from last Assembly with no very sanguine wish or hope that this union should take place, and therefore we do not greatly regret that, owing to division In the Synod of Otago, this subject of union is for the present shelved. We hope, when it is next entered upon, it will be on a better footing. We know that there are liberal minds and generous hearts in the Church of Otago, who are as desirous of union as we are, and for no halfhearted union, but for a union that will bo thorough and complete. We know that they had no special favor for that proposed basis, but that it was a compromise,—a concession made to those who were keenly opposed to union, in the hope that they would agree at last to so modified a proposal. It was an attempt to secure by concession and compromise unanimity in the Church. That attempt has failed. Perhans a bolder and more consistent course—consistent, I mean, with our principles and constitution, would be more successful. We hope it may. Let us patiently wait and see. It is gratifying to find that our Church is making steady progress. The older congregations are growing in strength of numbers and resources ; the younger and weaker are being better organised and more regularly supplied with religious ordinances, and new charges are being formed and fostered in more recently settled and sparsely peopled districts. The returns of statistics from the various congregations, annually presented to the Assembly by the Executive Convener of Committee, shows the progress we are making In extension and consolidation of the Church. These returns of statistics are exceedingly interesting and important, and the duty of making th m cannot bo too strongly urged on the various congregations within our bounds. It is from these that we can gather accurate information as to how our Church is progressing, and how it is financially and otherwise with each congregation. Certainly, we. have a great work before us in tire extension of the church, and to that work our main strength should be given. New districts of the country are being settled : new townships are being formed, with their growing centres of population ; and in these we must plant new ministerial charges, that the people be not left destitute of the means of grace ; even in our larger cities—owing to the rapid growth of population—there is need for increased church accommodation. To the Home Churches we are greatly indebted for the generous aid they have given us In the work ; and to them we must still look for help. Nor Is it unnatural that we should, for it is from the old country, and'from within the Churches of the old country, that much of the increase to our population comes which is ever making new demands upon us for Church extension. But we ought not to lean too much on the Home Churches. We ought to lean more upon ourselves. We have resources within ourselves, but they need to be better drawn out, and more concentrated. There is clearly a want in our Church of some well-organised scheme for Church extension. It is true that the work has not been overlooked. Much Is being done In the various Presbyteries to plant new charges and to support weak ones,, But more needs to be done, and more might be done if we had some better system which would unite the whole strength and resources of the whole Church. Something Is needed to weld us more closely together - to make ns feel that we are one compact body: that we have common objects, aims, and sympathies: that the welfare of any part of the Church Is the welfare of the whole; and that it is our pride and joy to see the Church growing and extending in every part of the colony. It Is well that we are interested in our own local and congregational affairs; but we should also be Interested in the affairs of tho whole Church. We should “ look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” If there were more of this generous, disinterested spirit, surely there would be greater zeal and liberality In regard to all our schemes and enterprises; it would lead us to provoke one another to love and good works. Aye, and If there were more of this generous and unselfish spirit In all the Churches,—if, as churches, they looked not every one at their own things, but every one also on the things of others, fewer difficulties would be felt in the way of union. Geographical difficulties, and other difficulties of a paltry kind, which some make so much of, would bo as nothing. A far higher principle, a far nobler spirit, would bring tho Churches together, and make them one. There is another matter which ought very specially to engage tho attention of the Church, and that is how: able, earnest, pious young men are to be attracted towards tho ministry, and how they are to receive the training and education needful to qualify them for the work. Hitherto we have been dependent mainly on the Home Churches for recruiting tho ranks of our ministry. And no doubt for some time to come we shall have to look to them for help in filling up our ministerial charges. But certainly it ought to be our distinct aim and endeavor to raise up a ministry trained and educated among ourselves. It is hardly to be expected that the Home Churches, which can barely afford efficient supply for their own charges, should bo willing to send many of their able, earnest, accomplished young men to us. They may send those who have difficulty in finding charges at Homo; but these are not the stamp of men we want in tho colony. We want here men of energy and activity, of good sense and sound judgment, of earnestness of spirit and liberality of mind, and with a capacity of adapting themselves to colonial life and experience. Wo want men who ato not afraid of hard work; who are not easily daunted by difficulties, and who are not likely through their own lack of tact and judgment to make difficulties. There are men who are never out of difficulties,’ where they don’t find them they make them; and they go about grumbling and complaining, dissatisfied with everything and everyone but themselves. Everyone is wrong and they are right. They have always some grievance, some cause of complaint. Things have not turned out as they expected. So of course they have been misinformed and misled; or they have been left to fight their own battle, and have not received that support they depended on. And so they blame the Presbytery, or the Church, or tho colony itself, or the convener of some committee, or something or someone. According to their own statement they have been exceedingly 111-used, and they think they ought never to have come out to the colony; and that is true. They ought to have stayed .at Home, We hare no sympathy with such grumblers. They do no good In the colony; they only keep themselves and others in trouble. These are not tho stamp of men wo want. We want men of sense and Judgment, as well as of learningand piety. And wo want men whose heart is thoroughly in their work; who take a delight In it, and who never weary In it. Now, it seems to mo we are as likely to get such men among ourselves to fill up our ordinary charges as we are to get them from tho Home Church. But how are they to be drawn out and attached tn the work ? And how are we to get them specially educated for It ? These are really urgent questions for this Church to consider. How are wo. to make tho Ministry of the Church more attractive to tho vigorous-minded, earnest-hearted youth of tho Church 1 How are we to bring special influence to bear on them individually, so as to lead them to devote themselves to this noblest of professions ? We must seek them out in aur various congregations, and urge upon them the Clsirqs of our Blessed Lord to give themselves to His service in the Ministry. Wo must show them the need there is for earnest, devoted laborers, and how noble, how blessed is the work to which they would be called. And the Church, tho Christian people, must show a more liberal and generous eplrit in regard to the support of the Ministry. They must

make -the office in .'weaker charges, and in country, - charges, one less of hardship and self-sacrifice. Maqy of our ministers are toiling away in large country charges going through enormous work often riding long distances and preaching three times on Sunday, and scarce ever out of Ahe- saddle through the week ; and all this on_a stipend quite inadequate to maintain their position as cultured Christian gentlemen, and to give their families a liberal education. And even in our city charges, whore there is more wealth and population, with a few liberal exceptions, the stipends of our clergy are not what they ought to he. This does not make the ministry attractive even to earnest, zealous, talented young men, who can find spheres of usefulness in other professions. It would be for the people's own interest to give a more generous support te the ministry, as thereby it would be more likely to attract both talent and piety, and in many ways it would tend to make the ministry more efficient. But we have another difficulty, and that is, how are we to educate the ministry? For, we must in some way have the means of giving a theological education within-ourselves. It would be a confession of weakness and helplessness to look beyond ourselves. In our affiliated colleges here in Auckland, and In Wellington, and in Nelson and Christchurch, we have already the means of giving a first-class literary education; and if we had only superadded to those colleges some special provision for carrying on the studies of matriculated University students in mental and moral philosophy, and in natural science, until they graduate, then wo would have all that can be required as a preparatory course before entering on the study of theology. The degrees granted by the University of New Zealand-are now recognised by Eoyal Charter as equal to the degrees granted by any of the Universities in the old country. And residence at any of the colleges is not necessary to obtaining those degrees. Only scholarship is required, it matters not where that scholarship has been obtained. Wo may accept, therefore, a degree as a test of scholarship on the part of those who are candidates for the ministry. And surely it ought not to be a difficult matter to provide the means for carrying on the theological education of ourstudents, either under the supervision of Presbytery, or by tutors specially appointed by the Assembly. We are not in a position yet, I fear, to establish a Theological Hall, or appoint a Theological Faculty.! But we must aim at this. The time will come when it will be needed, Meanwhile let us seek out in our various congregations earnest, able young men who will devote themselves to the work ; and in our Pfesbytery we have ample learning and talent and teaching power for completing their studies. We can then train up a ministry within our Church, even with the means which we already possess. It does not require the setting up of any expensive establishment; indeed, this in our position and with our requirements, would, Ithink.beabsurd. If only we can get hold of the right men, we shall find ways and means of training and educating them; and I am persuaded that, on our obtaining such men and training them among ourselves, greatly depends, under God, our real prosperity as a Church, That which above ail things the Church needs is an earnest evangelical ministry. A learned ministry—a talented ministry—is no doubt good, and most desirable; hut no amount of learning or talent will compensate the lack of piety and of intense earnestness. It is a loving ministry that makes a loving Church. It is a ministry baptised with the spirit of lore and zeal, and entire self-consecration that, with God’s blessing, makes a Church healthy and progressive. Surely, we need to pray for a fresh baptism of the Spirit ? There are many subjects of inquiry and of discussion in the present day that are often found to be difficult and perplexing to earnest, thoughtful minds. Few of us who are in the habit of reading and of conversing with Intelligent minds in the various walks of life can bo ignorant that there aro such subjects. And often, perhaps, when we grapple with them, we feel the difficulties and perplexities ourselves. Who that reads and thinks is a stranger to doubt? What is the best way to banish doubt and to strengthen faith ? Itis just to cling the more closely to our blessed Lord ; to realise His nearness as a living presence ever with us; to drink deeply into His Spirit; to have our hearts aglow with His love, and to walk joyously in His light; and in His light we shall clearly see light! Yea, and in His light we shall reflect light. The mists and shadows of doubt and unbelief vanish in the sunlight of His presence. And that sunlight of His presence is reflected in the character and life of those who abide in His lore and fellowship. And with the conscious nearness of our blessed Lord, and in the full radiance of that divine light of truth and love which ever shines on those who are with Him, how hopefully and joyously we can go forth and work for Him. And all our work is a labor of love. And our work helps to confirm us in our convictions and principles. An earnest, faithful worker, in our Blessed Master’s service, will be troubled with few doubts or misgivings. Many things which, ns mere subjects of thought, were full of difficulty, will be, as matters of experience, clear and plain. If any man will do God’s will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God; Here is the most satisfactory of all evidence for the divineness of Christianity. It is the evidence of conscious experience. This is the best evidence for both ministers and people. In doing God’s will as revealed to us in His word, we know that it is God’s will; in obeying the truth, in living the truth, we learn to know more assuredly that it is the truth. In not only preaching Christ, but in living Christ, and in living with Christ, we know that our ministry is true, and that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.