Welcome Soiree to Rev. Laishley.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4859, 6 August 1884, Page 2

Welcome Soiree to Rev. Laishley.

; The soiree welcoming tbe;^ Her.. R, Laisbley* to the. pastorate/ of the"Congregational Church was held last night. There was a good attendance, over 150 sitting down to tea, .while the public meeting afterwards was also well attended.' The Rev. J, Robertson, of Auckland, occupied the chair, and after singing arid prayer, apologised for the absence of the Rev a. Barley and Bull and Capt. Francis. It gave him great pleasure to welcome Mr Laishley and his wife back, and it seemed to him that the hand of God bad directedjMr Adams to come here just as Mr Laishley left, and Mr ;Laishley to return at the time Mr Adams »was leaving. In the name of }. both a theThames and Auckland churches he gave a hearty welcome home to Mr and Mrs; ( Laishley, and prayed that they might be spared many years to work here.- ?;: The Rev. Mr Laishley then took the chair, and after expressing his gratification at receiving an invitation back to his old pastorate, said that he would in future endeavor to do his duty faithfully, and hoped i that the church would be a; great power for good. He touched on the subject of Suaday) School work, the importance of which he; placed ?riext to home tuition, and advocated the establishment of a teachers' libraijy^(to con' tain chiefly works of exposition and cornmerit; and Scripturehistory)^ and a joint weekly meeting of teacherg; to talk over the-lessons.-;Vo iv'>-W3J:y^;;'>;-y;|-; p-'; ■•■■'■-■:

The Eer. W. Wdolley was very glad to be able to give aliearty welcome back, on behalf of the Baptists, to Mr and Mrs Laishleyi He > liked ■to see meetings similar to the prfsscntoiie, as they showed that there was a vital' Christian union among all the chttrohes. He did not regret the denominationalism apparent to»

day, considering that each sect (filled a; wnut of a certain class, and feared that there vras too much: tendency nowadayi; for membsrs not to stick to their own. church; So many meetings took place; that Christians; in order to attend, them, Vere wont to engage in what' might be; termed religious ; dissipation. ;i It w*s" easy enough to attract a crowd ito a publifl hall, but somehow they did riot seem to like entering a church, and he thought it a Christian's duty to keep up the serVice of his own. spiritual home first. v -He hoped the Corigrcgatiori^l Church wooldi under Mr^Laishley's^pastorship; be like* lighthouse—spreading light and saTing men from death and delivering; them front the povper'7 of sin by the 7 power "of [Christ's word. ', ■ :,--:^ '■■[''■": lr :':i ■'■■■^■: '■^'■: :J-/;^ v

The Rev. S. J. Neil I warmly welcomed Mr taishley, who, strange to say, jwaa the only minister remaining on'th^TKanies of those who welcomed him on hte arrival on the field, He dwelt on theimportance, of home influence, which was • the \ keyl* : stone of the state of society; v^ind; con--sidercd parents in the colonies -were rather lax with their children. He faTpredthe project of the Sunday School teacheri' library^ which* in a modified form, had been successfully tried for two years past in the' Presbyterian school^ He Hked tcr see re union meetings like this one, as they tended t© the unity of all^the sects^ and if Christians could; riotClove^iman; whom they had seen, how could they tore; God whom they had not seeni ; a The Chairman^in introducing,the,Ber.: Evans, paid a high tribute' to the previous Episcopalian ministers—the KEevsi; Lusli and Calder/.- :' ■■;'■■■;.■ .■--,■■:■; •„• h :;. ;. ■■'?■;:;

The Rev. Evans cordially welcomed Mr taishlcy, and hoped be-wpiild .be ; spared, many years to labor'*''for*{the V Master. Meetings like this, he thought, did a great deal of good, creating a needed, feeling of unity arid sympathy, and for himself he would like to see.-the.principle carried further, and a weekly united prayer meeting inaugurated. wHeVlepked upon Christianity as one brother- - hood, and had no sympathy with anj man who shut himself up from everyone. He lookid forward to a time when Christ . would come down and reign with.his* saints, and he felt sure there would bo no denominations then; all would be united;; He concluded by urging the importance of ■ congregations praying for a blessing pn the minister's labors,: and living consistently. ",' ''',;■ --'V^;:-\; ■;;. -^i^b'^y^r:'^ •■-.• The Key. J.Bobertson reminded them i that they were just commencing a new chapter in the history; of: the church, and specially exhorted them to earnestness in the work; There was ai disposition in these days to cry down real earnestness in religious matters as fanaticism^ but men could be deeply in earnest in business, and the devil and Christ's enemiea were in earnest, and so should Christians be, following the Master's example, and' working to His glory and " ;;i* MDuring the evening the choir sang the anthems, "I will praise :Thee,'V and " Sing, 0 Heavens," Mrs Jones rendered " Eemember now thy Creator witb^ex? pressioo, and Miss Adams and Mrs y Grainger sang solos and also a duet, Miss Hudson playing the accompaniments. . Votes of thanks were passedvtpt|^se\ who had helped to make the mealing a success, and the proceedings terminated by the singing of the Doxology add the (" pronunciation of the Benediction.