MISSIONARY MEETING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 29 August 1914, Page 4

MISSIONARY MEETING.

AT ST. MAM'S HAM,. JMTJiIUiJSTINti ADDiIEstiES. There was only a moderate attendance at St. Mary's Hall last night, when «Ml(tie.i.s»» we W delivered on missionary natter, Ihe liight. Itev. the lfehi ol Auckland presided He apologised ■ i j 1 ! 0 1 lcon -Hawkins' absence, hut said ■ that Archdeacon Evans would speak on the iMaori mission. IiACKJJLOtih. MISSION.

+],' iVh .'" 1 - , Smia > ■!>«*«« Native to "aukblocks mission, said it was not a mission to the heatihen, but to our !Z ow , c>> unh People who often appre. dated the services far more and attendeel m proportionately Jailer numbersthan th« townspeople. They were very keen about their church and their religion. In some planes ,the chureii peop e were very scattered, and,therefore the work would not develop into new •parishes. The methods of the mission were visitation and services, as well a« the instruction of th o children. When a- priest Mas working in the mission lie was able to administer the Sttcramie'nt. As to 'icsulls, it the work wag done as it should De, God i n His goodnessiwoaild permit tne tssu-Us to.be seen. 1 There .•were drawbacks connected ivatih the work, such as liaving no organist an I no choir. Tile groat need was for prayer that God would raise aip clergv for the baokbloiiks, so that the people might not nave only iavmen to md-nistvr to their spiritual rieeds. Taranaki reeded a priest set apart for baeWbloeks "'Oik, and under him tiliree or lour pri sts to go out into all parts of the district.

MAORI MSsiOW. Archdeacon Evans ■bdicved that the people were bound: to <lo tfheir best for tDe welfare of the Maoris. For many years past St. Mary's had given £IOO a yea.r to the Maori mission. We had. he said, taken away their religion, and were bound to find them another. ought to *oc 'the greatest j-rivilegc' of the white people to do all tirey could for tlie bright, cheerful and intelligent Maoris. This diocese contained about half the Native population of the Dominion. flie Uativo missioner was quietly going round to the paiis, and ■was 'being well received. There were, said the speaker, annnv .happy Christian Maoris, and we ought to help them, all we could. It was a glorious thing to help in such a work. melanjssian' Mission.'

Ihe Rev. C. W. Howard, referring to the Melanesian mission, said it was the most important wemk the Owrch of Now Zealand (had to do. In Norfolk Island Bishop Wilson was working "at the front," and he was a man tihe Church ought to be proud «f, for he was a splendid general of t*ie Church. A. good deal would be heard about tihe »w Hebrides after the war was over. The present state of government there was very unsatisfactory. Mr. Howard t'nen described the church work carried on in Melanesia, admitting that il wade very little progress at Santa, oruz. ami ho asked for the prayers and assistance of the people for the Afclan*'sian mission, the history of which he traced from the time- of Jiislo ( p ficlwyn. iT'ho days bad' passed when work wr, r , resented 111 tne manlier thai was ill vogue 100 years ago. There was a great ijjeal of what might, be termed tile original revelation of religion to ihe p?ople of Melanesia in the new revelation of Christianity. This should teach more and mo-re the value of spiritual work. Sacrifice was the foundation of the native's religion, and from this arose the origin jf nana and cannibalism. .More reliance than was proper wis placed on the help from England, 'hut 'he hoped that the people of New Zealand would do more iiv their prayer and alms to extend! tilw Gospel to these southern wple.

THE BISHOP'S ADDIIIKS. Bisliop Averill said the addresses t.lia.l evening were considerably .".hove ttto average «t-' missionary Meetings. Missionary work was the anos't important i work of Christianity. To b? miissionI ary-heai'ted was to take a real live interest in rni-sionarv work. The real lesson «f the Parables wsui lite value o{ one human soul in, the ught of Cod, and until this was realised' there could be 110 missionary spirit. Those wlio bad (•xpeviciK'c.l something »f God's goodness should ho desirous that the same experience be extend'd to wbheris, so thai; the best in them' sliould he drawn out;. The danger 'ar.is that people \v3io got away to the ImckUocks would lose tlleir 'hold on religion, and it was a very serious tlung to wiinold tiie means of helping those people to be their true selves. There was somethins* pood in each one, and btawever down anyono might get. there was always a soft, tender spot. He urged that poo,pie should fret a li+.tle irtnrc ot the spirit of Christ ami put it to practical use. He quoted from 3iis experience (of tiie Maoris, especially those in Ilawke'j Bay, where aund'eds attendedl church services. The Bishon alluded to the detrimental elTtcc of the phophet Una's teaching. ami described t'lie mean-) adopted to cireumserHbo (Rua's influence. He also referred to tile action of a number of Maoris, who by cutting timber out of the T,nsh and selling it t* a dairy factory, obtained funds for building a jdiuroh. A good many people did not know the Maoris or tlleir possibilities, but ii-i assured them that every penny given to the Maori mission was money well spent. The soealker .eonehid n d a powerful address by urging that the church people should not grow weary in wcll-doiiur. and that they should 'do ab in their power to aid the Maoris. U' would like to see in every parish one day set apart for assisting missnons. The meeting was closed wit[H the benediction.