SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1251, 6 July 1880, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOL CENTENARY.

Tick Centenary of Sunday Schools, was celebrated at the Public Hall, Cambridge, on Sunday by a service, which was attended by the children of the various Sunday Schools of that town and tlu'ir friends. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the attendance was very numerous, the large hall being filled Amongst the congregation were a number of Maoris who appeared to take a lively interest in the proceedings. 'lh<? llcv. W. Evans presided, and Mr John Houghton Juu. conducted on the Harmonium. The service having opened with prayer and praise, the Rev Chairman in a few introductory remarks, referred to the object for which they were gathered together, and very forcibly and clearly pointed cut the many nnd great advantages, which had accrued in all pruts of the civili/ed world from the establishment of Sunday-schools, hr> then called upon Mr Smerdon to address the meeting. — Mr femcrdon said ie gave him great pleasure to sec such a large attendance upon the present occasion, it was prof that in Cambridge greit interest was taken in the all important work of the moral trai ing of the young. The advantages of thi3 work could not be overestimated. He next proceeded in a htyle singulaily adapted to the understanding of the youngest children present to detail the history of the Suuday-8"hool movement from its inception by Robert Raikes down to the present ; relating the great advances it had made and the good which by its means hid been effected. He concluded his remarks by expressing surprise at the number of intelligent children who^e f ace> he saw before him,and hoped that the benefits which they had received from their Sabbath instruction, would multiply and bear abundant fruit.— Mr S. Bright then addressed the meeting. He commenced with a reference to Sunday Schools in the year IS3O, in whioh he had borne a part, having been one of the scholars in a Sunday School which had 2000 names on its 1011. In connection with this he remembered the Sunday school teaching of his contcmporaiies had been the means of determining fifteen of the scholars to undertake the office of <lissemin».ting the teachings of the Gospel amonu; the heathen. Going back to the foundation of the institution, the centenary of which they were that day met to celebiate, he said he had no doubt that the good Raikes must have been actuated to enter upon his work by the knowledge that the l.irge majority of children in his day were growing up entirely ignorant of the precepts and teachings of the Saviour. Through his instrumentality the foundations of religion were laid in numbuiless hearts, aud his followers had continued to carry on tho good work. He (the speaker^ was glad to find that in the Sunday schools of this new country there were none of those distinctions which militated somewhat against, the work of the teachers in England. In New Ze iland all classes met together in the Suudaay schoole and the ie?ult w.is, he felt assured, a common benefit to all. — Mr Brookes, Superintendent of the Trinity Presbyterian Sunday School next addressed the congregation, baling his remarks on Solomon II part of verse 4. " Fits banner over me was love," and dwelling on the efficacy of Sunday schools in implanting in the children a proper degree ot love and obedience towards their parents, no less than to their Father in Heaven. Illustrating his argument by a leferenee to the "Sun, the Wind, and the Traveller he showed the superiority of inducing obedience towards their parents by love rather than by fear and violence, and spoke of the power of human affection and .sympathy, and especially referred to the self sacrificing love of the .Saviour, and indicated the Sunday school, as the b;->t means of inculcating true Christian principles. He was quite pleaded w ith the demeanour of the children attending the Cambridge Sunday schools, which he contrasted favourably with some of the youth in Auckland, who, through the neglect of their parents were not so amenable to the kindly efforts of their tea f hers. He spoke of the statue of Robert Raikes whicn had been erected on tho Thames Kmbankmont as rv lncmoual of that good man, and trusted th.it they too would erect a memorial, equally tit and endurable by thoroughly taking to heart the precepts ot love anil obedience, a more extended teaching of which, had been commenced a hundied year* ago. — The Rev. Chairman, in a few closing remarks, said that like many other valuable institutions, Sunday schools had been regarded at fir*t with suspicion but he was pleased to think, that their great utihtj had at length received full iceogiution. He gave notice there would bj a convention of Sunday school teicheis on Monday evening, at w Inch the Rev. Mr Willis w ill preside. The service, which was ot a intii'u i/rcatly appreciated by the large assemblage, was mtcrsppi sed with a nuinbjr ot hymn*, chiefly fiom Mr Sankcy's collection, winch were joined in by all the children pio^uit, with nio>t pleading effect. The meeting was brought to a clo>e by the benediction pronounced by tlu 1 Rev. Chairman.