PRESRYTERIAN CHURCH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4511, 31 August 1893, Page 2

PRESRYTERIAN CHURCH.

Lecture by Thomas Hutchison Esq,

There was a large attendance eit the Masterton PreabyterianjMWn last I e?ening, the'occasion being a lecture on" The Puritans and their Influence in England," by Mr T. Hutohison, E.M. •<

The chair was taken by Dr Douglas, chairman of the Association under whose auspices the leeture was given, and in a few .apt remarks ho briefly introduced tlio lecturer. Mr Hutchison tho oratorical gifts which havtWen two members of his family imminent i) ositions in the Legislature. He has an excellent delivery, and the charm 'of it made a subject which might have been considered somewhat dry by an ordinary colonial audience, extremely interesting, In the course of his rum irks lie said that in the year 1589, in the time of Henry VIII, an ovent occurred which resulted in the translation of the first Bible. Gangs of men and women were wont tu assemble to hear the scriptures in their native tongue. The effect this had on the people was wonderful. In 1560, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, some English refugees in Genoa undertook certain translations resulting in the publication of the Genoa Bible, which became a household bible in England, and was law among the poople. Men declined to adopt, or even to adhere to the principles of Queen Elizabeth, whose aim seomed to be to uprootPuritauism. The Puritans grew and about tliree-fonrthß of England and sonn began to assume great proportions. In the reign of Charles 1. a; proclamation was made and tho' Church eagorly adopted the doctrines set forth, and caused much woe. When we find Puritans adopt Prohibition and other principles there is some good done. The Puritan redeemed and secured our civil liberties, and his forefathers built up our civil liberties. . But when the Tudors came to tho throue things were altered. The kings had no power to make laws beyond those covered , by what was known as the prerogative, the right of the kings to dispense and iruposo penalties. In the field of prerogative all fights for tho liberty of tho subject which resulted in auccess were wins of the prerogative. In the reign of Charles I the laws were set at nought, Parliaments dissolved, the king made laws and levied taxes, and even justice itself was corrupted.. The Court of the Star Chamber was set up and other injustices done. Some brave hearts prepared to quit England rather than stop in their nativo land which their forefathers bad fought for. They boro much suffering and at last sailed away from England, landing on the coast of Massachusetts where they enjoyed that liberty they wished to receive. A hearty, welcomo was extended to all their oppressed brethren, and the New England states were founded. Tho people, who were left, in the end appealed to arms,and Charles paid the penalty,and resulted in the execution of racing. The maintenance of the army was tho causo of the constitution of the British Empiro as it is to-day. It whs to the Puritan that we owe our present advantages. He, it was, that made England what she boasts to be to-day—a land of settled Government. , Cromwell was the greatest man EnglanJ ever produced. Ho was a man who could stnile aud frown. His Ironsides were men whose backs nobody had over seen, and on the seas he swept all before him to the Medb terranean. Justice—that Messing measured to every man with exaotness—was never before known. Macaulay has described Cromwell as the greatest Prince that England had produced I John Bunyan as a type of Puritanism, exerted great influence on the nation. In the English literature no book—- ' with tho exception of the Biblecommanded such an audience, as bis Pilgrim's Progress. But the Puritan was not dead nor sleoping,during tho time of trouble in England. Qo had taken to the plough and to the loom; a direct fulfilment of Scripture, all aid" ing in tho building up of the kingdom of' righteousness. In conclusion ho stated that we should render all honour to tho greai men who are gone and that wo would leavo a place in our memory for lowly duty nobly done. The Eev, E. Wood moved and tho Bov. J. Dukes seconded that a hearty vote of thanks bo giyen to tho lecture)), whioh was carried by acolamation, Mr McGregor moved a vote of • thanks to the Association for having brought the lecturer before the meetiug. Carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the chair con* eluded tho meeting.