THE METHODIST CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1922, Page 5

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

VISIT OF DR. C. H. LAWS. r ' I AN INSPIRATIONAL RALLY. The visit to New Plymouth of the Rev. Dr. C. H. Laws, president of the New Zealand Methodist Conference, was brought to a close yesterday. In the morning the president met the members of the North Taranaki Methodist Ministers’ Association in a retreat. Last night an inspirational rally was held at the Whiteley Church, when addresses were given by Dr. Laws and Mr. C. E. Bellringer. The service was of an impressive nature, the hymns choaen being “O God of Bethel,” “O Hear the Power of Jesu’s Name,” “Master Speak! Thy Servants Hear,” and “O Thou Who Camest from Above,” the choir leading the singing. After a short prayer by the Rev. E. S. Harknaes, of Opunake, the Rev. W. J. Elliott, who presided, said that at the centenary church celebrations held at Auckland last month it was thought that a spiritual awakening of the people, was needed. Dr. C. H. Laws, the conference president, would, the speaker, was ’sure, be greeted most heartily and warmly in his mission, for he had proved in verwww ways his unique capacity and efficiency in work connected with the church, having passed through all the offices of the' church. Dr. Laws’ judgment and experience was valuable, and, speaking for the Methodists of New Plymouth, Mr Elliott said they had confidence in fcr. Laws’ character and ability and haifed his presence among them with gratitude and pleasure.

The next speaker was Mr. C. E. Bellringer, who said he had the happiest recollections of Dr. Laws at the tirife the Methodist Union was formed, life speaker then gave an interesting resume of the earliest Methodist leaders in Nur Plymouth, whose influence should sqeh as an inspiration to the present go** eration. Their powers for righteofUß ness had touched many lives. x • PIONEERS OF CHRISTIANITY. Dr. Laws, after expressing appreciation at the hospitality and response he had met with during his visit to Taranaki, referred to |he great change that had taken place in New Zealand since Samuel Marsden and Samuel Lee first, landed in the country a hundred years ago. Never in any age had such a grlsat change taken place in the history of the world, but men’s hearts, said the speaker, were very much the same as those of men of all agfes. The needs of men were not greatly different and their spiritual needs were still the same. The old gospel, therefore, could not really grow old and was really the freshest and the newest thing in life. “We should never lose the great evangelising spirit of Methodism,” said the I speaker in commenting upon the work of the Methodist Church in New Zealand. The Methodists, he said, were the first to bring Christianity to New Zealand., Samuel Marsden had preached the first sermon in this country on Christmas Day, 1814, but returned then to his home in New South Wales, leaving a Christian mission behind him, whilst in 1819 the first resident Angii can minister was appointed. In 1822 Samuel Lee laid the foundation of the Methodist Church in New Zealand. The Roman Catholic Church did not arrive till 1838, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists in 1840 and the Baptists in

1851, The Methodist Church was then •the true pioneer in church work in this i land. Less than 25 years after its ; establishment Methodist missionaries were established in the Pacific Isles. “The world is our parish,” said John Wesley, and his words were being strikingly fulfilled. Dr. Laws referred to the close friendship between the Anglican and Methodist Churches in those days. Marsden had invited Lee to New Zealand and he came first in 1819 for health reasons and in 1822. a hundred years ago, to establish Methodism, and he lived for a time with the Anglican missionaries at the Bay of Islands. The good fellowship existing between Anglicans and Methodists was exemplified by the speaker in several tales of the happenings in those early days in New Zealand’s history. The influence of Methodism, too, had played a prominent part in the signing of the*Treaty of Waitangi ih 1840, at which the Maori chiefs agreed to join the British Empire.

SPIRIT OF THE EARLY DAYS. In the latter part of his address the speaker referred to the message (eft us by the early fathers of the church. These were men of initiative and strong personality and though they were humble-minded, yet they possessed that quiet consciousness of strength and confidence in themselves. In the present generation the speaker thought he detected timidity, an apologetic tone, and a certain disinclination on the part of some people to carry responsibility and to take upon themselves offices in the church. The supreme need of to-day, he believed, was not for a new truth or the old truth re-set, not even for a new method, but the need was for a new leadership and new courage, for new self-reliance and new abandonment to the tasks set us by God. Nothing would be too hard to us to-day if we could catch the spirit of those men of the early days. We would then be able to prevail in our work. We should not merely praise our fathers, however, but we should strive to emulate them. We should thrust aside thoughts of halfsuccess and should think out our problems and difficulties ourselves, trying always to look ahead and bo prepared to meet the future. “Love your church intelligently,” urged the speaker, who said he believed there was a percentage of people in the Methodist Church wbo needed to be told this. Their church was the poorest in denominational loyalty, being always ready to help anyone who mentioned the name of Jesus Christ. That was perhaps an admirable quality, but it might also be a weakness as it was necessary, for people to have a strong attachment to their own church. The speaker was convinced that if the Methodist Church had not been raised up by God then no church had. The church had been Shorn out of the great passionate revival of the eighteenth century and was not a man-made ehuroh. Finally the speaker urged those present to have faith in God, to have a deep sense of God, and to be spiritual in the methods in which they did their work. The Rev. Elliott said the visit of Dr. Laws and his addresses would be memorable. On behalf of the church he expressed deep thanks to Dr. Laws Mr. C. E. Bellringer for the insuring messages they had given that Dr. Laws, accompanied by the Bbv- ES. Harkness, will visit Opunake and later proceed to Manaia and. SBtham, returning on Saturday to Ants> iand, where he is princiaal of Dunfeolgy