RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 13

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

the christian ministry. INFLUENCE OF'THE SCOTTISH HOME. ThoVice-Chancellor of Oxford University . • . .presided' at' an address which Mr. J. R. . v : Mott, founder of ' the World's Christiak ~ Students' federation,:delivered in Queen's Collego Hall on the need of inducing men of .: y ' outstanding merit to enter the' Church. 1 Mr. Molt considered ■ indirect influences,: and as -tho first of these homentionedtho object les- ■ son of those men who inoarnated the highest ,idoals, of Christianity. In this way -men ;, -learni of tho .work of tho ministry and of its vast possibilities.. ,Suoh : object lessons were - by .tho Bishops, of London and of v, .Stepney.; For. example, tho brief visit of the Bishop of London ,to America had influenced ■ .many, striking personalities .in '.the-American , universities, lho strongest undergraduates •were always ready to respond t-o .reality, to . : -aggressive, courago, and to; open-mindedness • -and:broadth of view in others. Christian ac- ■ ,v'.-: tivity in the colloges, again, was an important factor, and in-this connection Mr. Motrt •emphasised tho influence of school missions and. university settlements, asan ■ attractive ■ force induoing men to enter -the ministry. Passing to the-influence ;of the. Christianhomoj ho ,quoted.instances, to prove: that the 3'.: ; g.:iv;Jarge; majority nien ; attributed. .. ;their).ehtry into tho ministry, to, homo infiu-: •: .: ences..^Thus ( inquines'made of 400.-: leading ministers showed that four-fifths of thdir • - i number- regarded--the-homo influence as the ■ :i. . one that had decided: thoir choice of a pro- . fession.v i-Ho- had read the biographies of 108: leading ministers, -and all but nino were , ■ -: ..- ishown; to: ; haVo.-ontored the; ministry under l .''.:."'^:-:'.:>this'-infln6nc6.-':-!rhe\Scottiiih'-:liomei-he con-' - tinued, Was-remarkable in producing this ef- - -! feet, and ■ ha; believed that the: causo of this- - v . peouliar.character which it possessed was .that • . .-m Scottish homes religion was given'the'first place. . .It was, therefore, exceedingly neces- ; Bary._that<mimsters and others /should"... em- ■ .i -r phusise the importance, of i home .influences. -.' . As the; last , ana .tho most important of in- -. direct influences, Mr.' Mott placed prayer of intercession. Intercessory .pfayor was neiJes- .. - eary to make other influences truly efficient. ■ The Oxford examination-schools on another ... evening were crowded to 1 their full capacity when Mr,-Mott discussed thorelation between . thought and action. It,was inconceivable, ho - contended, that any \ man; could , fall. into >. temptation. if;his brain-were kept full of Jesus . '••. Christ.' It. seemed to ..him'that: the battles , cf ; college.!mcn\alone.wonld:have-necessitated: tho visit of .Jesus Christ to this, world. It . . iwas : essential that.- men should mako their ■-'i first.stand in the. realm by ,the.-.thought life— the most-strategic battle ground.- Tho danv - <' - - ger of-leisure was.omphnsised on the ground • - 'that ; the .Devil soon tired, of knocking aTyay at >tlie'door of -the mam whose- oocupied with good, things; ■-. It was limpossinlo: that the idle man would bo tho holy man. The wreckage' of college men was not-duo: to ac-.-tunl; vicious intentions, but;.was due much Wro to a neglect of aiming in the right direction.' " \