The New Zealand Evangelist

Evangelical Alliance

Evangelical Alliance.

The Evangelical Alliance pursues the calm tenor of its pure, peaceful, and love-promoting course. The third Annual Conference of the British Organization was to be held in Glasgow on the second week of last month (October). The investigation of Infidelity, Popery, the desecration of the Lord's Day, and the state of religion where the French and Italian languages are spoken, &c., had been committed to different divisions of the British Organization. The committee of the Southern or London Division have determined to offer two prizes of £20 each for the best Essay, and £15 for the second-best Essay, being the production of working men, on “the principles and operations of Infidelity among the working classes:”—And a prize of £100 (the competition being open to persons of all classes) for the best Essay on the general subject of “Infidelity (whether British or Foreign), its various aspects, and modes of operation.”

The astonishing success of Mr. Henderson's working men's prizes for Essays on the Sabbath, brought out most fully one feature of the age—the intelligence to be found among the people; a feature that ought never to be overlooked in any great religious or philanthropic movement. Half a century ago, when Dr. Claudius Buchanan wished to arouse the British Churches to the claims of India, he offered a series of munificent prizes to all the Universities and several of the public schools, for the best Essays on subjects bearing on the Christianizing of the East. But monopoly among prizes is passing away. Since that time the Schoolmaster and the Bible have been abroad, and the effects of their presence are fast beginning to appear.

We call the attention of our readers to the following announcement—

The following letter, which has just been received, will be read with interest:

Evangelical Alliance.

British Organization.

7, Adam Street, Adelphi, Strand. London, April 10, 1849.

My dear Sir,—

An opportunity occurs of sending direct to your quarter of the globe, of which I have been informed by our chairman, Sir Culling E. Eardley. I gladly embrace it to convey to you, as chairman of the meeting, at which an organization in furtherance of the objects of the Alliance in New Zealand was originated, the cordial christian salutations of the brethren of this land. We were rejoiced to learn that our principles and objects had met with so prompt and hearty a response on the part of Christian friends around you.

The demand of our Lord in the present age, is not only for the maintenance of pure truth, but brotherly love. These are essential to our usefulness and His honor in the church. The Council of this Organization, therefore, hailed with the more delight and thankfulness the good news from your far off, adopted country, which we were privileged to receive.

May I request you to convey to your brethren the assurance of their Christian sympathy. Pray for us, that the causes of distraction may be removed from the midst of the churches here. We will pray for you, that the united works and labours of love to which you have put your hands for spreading the truth of Christ, may be so succeeded by the grace that cometh from above, that you may be enabled, in every path of usefulness, and in all your Christian communities, to extend the blessed influence of pure and undefiled religion, of winning and persuasive charity.

It will at all times gladden our hearts to hear of your prosperity; and we bid you “good speed in the name of the Lord.”

I send you some documents, which may interest your friends.