WHITELEY MEMORIAL CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 219, 16 March 1914, Page 4

WHITELEY MEMORIAL CHURCH.

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES. The anniversary services of the Whits ley Memorial Church were held vesie ■- day, the preacher for the day being i!:«j Rev. J. VV. Burton, who took *o.- his morning text "The Invicible Kingdon." In the evening thi preacher delivered to a large congregation an address w. "The Place of the Church in Human Society." He took for his text Ephetianb iv., 1-2: "The-building up of the bojv n* Christ." The preacher showed that throughout human nature the great law swept that only the serviceable ;Oiil<l endure. All the institutions of men, inclnding the Church, came within the curve of this law. There was necijl t broad definition of the Church aa i human body. No one section could he hailed as predominant, fienominationalism had, perhaps, its advantages, ec long aa the spirit of tolerance prevailed. The preacher continued that he had no desire to advocate a stale samcneis of form or creed, but while faith vari tf ii ita form of expression there could be only one spirit throughout. By the Church of Christ was meant that body of men and women, varioualy named witk various interpretation of their faith, who, in loyalty to the teachings ot Christ as far as their understanding c'' them went, made His experience the ru'e of their lives and sought bv Hia to fulfil their mission in life. That in ~ eluded Roman Catholics, Salvationists, or Plymouth Brethren, equally. Thai church would always exist, for it was /. serviceable one. He went on to '.ell of the functions of the Church in the pant in moulding and influencing human society, and declared that it still had functions in the present. The man in the street often declared that the Church was in process of decay. The truth was, rather, that it was in process of change. It was dropping its old assumptions and childish notions, and substituting saner and more spiritual views. We were llv-

ing in a great age, when the grub was changing its skin, and would yet take to itself wings of gauze. One 'function of the Church was to find a deeoer sanction for human conditions. Its ethirt came rather by inspiration than bv labored discovery. It had to climb the mountain, and theTe, in the awful aoliface to face with God. and reveal to the wondering masses nn the plain the "pattern ahown on themountain." It had also a social function. Its Master was the Friend of ti». poor, the Comforter of the unfortunate, and the Hone of the outcast; and th* Church, as the Body of Christ, must >n its life express His spirit. It must declare against everything which held aumanitv in thrall, yet take no side. It waa meither Liberal nor Conserva<;W.», socialistic nor capitalistic. Its duty waa tJ proclaim inviolate a just and Wed life drawn from principle, and to hold reft the hope of human progress. .W-a ' Christ built a church of human liv* ci "* a certain quality of shape, hence rt.< Cl.urc-h proclaimed with intensity *he truth of regeneration. With the new Bhapeg of life and character could be erected a new Temple of God. Special music was contributed jby the ehoir, the numbers including "Evening Light" (F,aton Fanning), "Come unto Him" (Gounod), and ''The Heavens are Telling" (from "The Creation"). At the evening service Mrs Duncan gave a fine interpretation of "0 Best in the Lord.' Mr G. H. White presided at the organ, Mr A. V. Carbines acted as oianist, and Mr A. Gray was choirmaster in charge. Tho collections for the day amounted to £46. '