The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-09


Resolved, That the assistance rem
dered to Missions in Hawaii by the S.
p. G. X, constitutes a claim for sup
port from these Islands which should
not be overlooked
The foregoing resolutions We're adopt
ed last evening at public meeting
held in the Sunday school room Of ST.
Andrews Cathedral. The gathering
was an observance of the ending of the
second century of the life of the so
ciety for Promoting Christian Knowl-
edge The Rt Rev. Alfred Willis,
Bishop of Honolulu presided. The 9TH
er speakers of the evening were Rev.
Alex. Macintosh, Theo. H. Davies,
Rev. V. H. Kitcat and Phillip Dodge.
The prayer for the occasions were
read by Rev. J. osborne. Three hymns
were sung during the evening Wray
Taylor playing the organ. There was
quite a heavy rainfall between and 8
O'Clock which made the attendance up
on the meeting much lighter than it
otherwise would have been.
Bishop Willis said that it was almost
impossible to at this day realize the
conditions that existed in Great Brit
ain at the time the S. P. G. K. was
formed. In the previous century the
monastries had been destroyed. There
was no religion and morality was sad
ly lacking. There had been practically
a relapse into infidelity. The poor
lived in ignorance and brutality. So
ciety was in terror of the criminal
classes. 1t was not uncommon for 20
young thieves to be hanged of morn
ing before Newgate. The new rulers
coming into power promulgated an
edict against irreligion and lawlessness
and evil was somewhat abated. The
meeting at which the S. P. G. K. was
founded was held in the Office of law
yer in the historical Trays Inn. One
clergyman and four laymen were pres
ent There were two lawyers, noble,
soldier and this parish minister. This
| DIR. Bray was conscrated to action and
| went to the American colonies. Re
| turning in 1701 he started another
great movement by organizing the So
ciety for the Propagation of the Cos
pei in Foreign parts. The wisdom OF
the five men who founded the S. P. G.
K. is shown strongly in one way in
the very name itself The title gives
an indication of purpose that allowed
much latitude in operation. The So
ciety is left free to adopt many and
diverse methods for the accomplish
ment of it's purposes. Bishop Willis
gave few items concerning the or
ganization and then introduced Rev.
Alex. Macintosh as the mover of the
resolution.
The pastor of the Second Congrega-
| ton of ST. Andrews Cathedral said
| that the work of S. P. G.. K. was uni
versal in it's scope and that it stood
for everything, for the advancement
and welfare of others as desired by
every enlightened and civilized being.
It had been a marvellous factor in the
| interest of education and the spread
of the Gospel At the time the Society
was established it seemed that there
was scarcely Cody person in all
| England. The people were sin mad.
| All know of the great changes wrought
chiefly through the instrumentality OF
| the Society. The name of DR.. Bray is
we'll known here. He is the father OF
the idea of the circulating library and
some of his books have been here for
| 80 years. The Society has founded
schools and built churches everywhere
and has relieved distress in all parts
of the world. Here in Hawaii one
evidence of the debt of the people to
the Society is the. book of Common
Prayer translated into the native Ha-
waiian and the Chinese languages
Rev. Mr. Macintosh closed his pleas
ing and earnest address with an ap-
peal to all to lead the lives and per-
form the acts in the spirit evidenced
by those who had founded this Society
and carried forward it's work through
all the years.
Theo. H. Davies made the opening
remark that a Society with 200 year:
of a halo of antiquity about it mus
amount to something. It had done {
stupendous and glorious work and i
had stood the test of time and trial
Owing to the circumstances of it's brit
and early labors and development will
relation to the colonies of the NORTH
American continent, none could den!
that all English speaking people would
readily and gladly and joyously joi1
in celebration of this anniversary o
the S. P. G. K. This had been the frs
Society to pay any attention to TIL
deplorable condition of the poor, II
send missionaries to India, to furnisl
church literature in foreign tongues
For it's many undertakings carried OH