Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-03-09
TWO HUNDRED YEARS OLD


Last night the two hundredth
anniversary OF the Society for the
Promotion OF Christian Knowl-
edge WAS observed with religious
exercises in the Sunday school
house of St. Andrews Cathedral.
In front of the platform was a
row of potted plants, constituting
all the decorations of the place.
Doubtless pouring rain kept
many people away, yet, before the
opening hour of 8 o'clock, good
ly assembly occupied the hall. Ad.
miral Miller, u. s. n, and former
Governor Cleghorn were among
those present.
Edmund Stiles was usher. Slips
were handed around, one contain
ing a statement of the history and
work of the society, the other three
special hymns to be sung at the
present celebration.
His Lordship Alfred Willis,
Bishop of Honolulu, presided.
With him on the platform were
the Revs. Vice Dean osborne,
Alex. Macintosh and V. I'll. Kit
cat, also Messrs. Theo. III. Davies
aud Philip III. Dodge.
The Bishop announced as the
opening hymn that beginning,
"Glorious things of Thee are
spoken, Zion, city of our God"
Wray Taylor, organist of the
cathedral, led the singing on the
school cabinet organ.
Mr.. Osborne led the congrega
ton in prayer.
Bishop Willis began the open
ing address by expressing his
satisfaction at the large attend
ance Notwithstanding the in
clemency of the weather. Some
of those present had probably
only known the Society for the
Promotion of Christian knowl-
edge, with it's cabalistic initials,
through the bibles, prayer books
and tracts it distributed. Yet the
society's work was not limited to
its publishing business. Eng
land was in a deplorable state of
morality on the eve of
the formation of this So
ciety. There was a reaction
upon the Restoration from the
rigid rules of the Puritans. Upon
Queen Mary's accession in 1851,
so far lapsed were the morals Of
the people at large, she issued a
proclamation to call the nation to
its senses. 1t was on March 8,
1893, that q meeting was held in a
lawyers office in London, at
which the society whose anniver-
sary that night was honored be
gan its blessed career. His lord
ship told how, later, Rev. MIR. Bray,
who took part in that meeting,
founded the S. p. g., or Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel
in Foreign Parts" which con
tinues to this day in most noble
missionary work. He had visited
the plantations of America and it
was with a view to ministering to
the spiritual needs of the English
plantations and colonies that he
organized the S. p. G. The Bis
hop in closing gave some particu
lars of the present strength and
activity of the society.
Rev. Alex. Macintosh was call
ed upon to present the following
resolution:
RESOLVED: That this meeting
welcomes the opportunity of join
ing in the expression of thankful
ness to Almighty God, that goes
forth on this anniversary from
the whole Anglican Communion
throughout the whole world, fol
the work that the S. p. G. X. has
been permitttad for two centuries
to perform in extending anG
strengthening the Christian faitl
in all parts of the world"
In moving this resolution Mr.
Macintosh spoke in warm term'
of gratitude of the. work of th'
society, laying stress on what j
had done in these Hawaiian Isl
ands. The prayer book it hac
issued in the Hawaiian Language
was the hundred and something
in the series of prayer books is
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