JOTTINGS.

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

JOTTINGS.

. The Rev. Dr. Henderson, of Crieff, has been appointed Moderator-Elect of. the United Free Church of Scotland. . .. Dr. Hodgkin, a well-known Enghsh Friend and :histomi,: signified at a recent Meeting for Sufferings," his_' longfelt : ' desire 'to .. pay a social and' religious' visit to! Friends in' Australasia', Jespecially, New- Zealand. :j'Ho arid his '-wifc, son; and daughter propose-; to' ex- : i change for a /year, the; solitude. of ■ Barmoor pP?SP. Jlfi. which ' the nearest ;;Friends' ;• meetings are Newcastle' and'Edihb'urgh) ' for'' !the' i..little companies of Friends at 1 the Antipodes. Such a . proposal' from , such a gifted. quartet mot with .'warmest, sympathy' from the .meeting,' and : "steps-'will'be' taken (state's r tlib "Christian World") to mike" their "visit as effective as possible. J : J> : ' ' Tho gloomy. report. ' published in The Dominion,;.!)? Mr. Wilfrid Rowland on tho conditions' of.-Frei;Church''life in Liverpool,; has'; been considered,) in conference, by tho ii' Tor J? o °l Congregational Church Council. The mscussion was.opened.by the Rov. G.E,, Cheeseman, of Huytori; 1 'whd admitted that' no one had so far successfully challenged the damaging . facts arrayed by .Mr.- Rowland. Mr; Checseiiian faced tho ..revelation'of tho. failure of. the Liverpool: churches with candour and courage, -and ■ -> in'. the' materialistic spirit of the; age.' -:,That, spirit -had: been allowed to'creep ..into the churches. They, ;its .signs' in the'commercial standards (applied,-, in the.. v deadening.„of spiritualimpulses, arid in tho of.tli©. prayer!' meeting..:. Mr. Cheescman urged the need for.' .of Free Church; life by'tho renewal of the spiritual life of the .churches,' andi sug-l gosted .tnat.'the freodora of tlie Freei Churches' presented a sjilendid in. l thei present crisis of faith. . They;'could;" ho! > sa ?.4; . exerciso ,a. mediating and, reconciling! ministry,', in. ; .harmony ',with; their'best tradi- 1 tions, c6nservihg'all,tha,t was true in .thb Old Theology, and assimilating- and incorporating' what/..was r .truV,in^^ ottering men a rational and credible, Christian faith.. Mr.' Cheeseman. (says the ''-Christian. iWflrid! "wps ..scarcely, fair .'to. Mr.'! Rowland' m describing tho'' repprjj as. i maictment;hy!a.p6n:6teeped.-in : the,'p'os'iim/f(ni ( pf : the}Frce : ;.oliurches'."i If. tho. facts; are as Mr. Rowland, represeiits--and:Mr; : Cheeseman , and:; no-' onCj else challenges; theni-r-an optini-, .-isticlreport-'would haW'bcenVboth''fallacious! and perilous.-- . ■' . '• •. : 'rbv. ; :<.! i f; ,-V . The Rev. W. D. WaltcTs's retirement'from ; tho general secretaryship of the London .Wesloyan > Missioti . will, involve, an .important l change .of offices. A. reorganisation is pro-i ■jected not only of .the missions grouped, under' the title of the London Mission) but of the' weaker churches in' the inner ring of suburbs.: A heavy responsibility'will .therefore devolved upon the successor to Mr. Walters.; No ono has. yet been' with' any« authority."'for' the succession,; but .the Rev;', S..F; 1 Collior and Rev. Simpson Johnson are possible' menjtß. 'i..Mr.;,Walters himself' Has served as' general secretary, of the -Mission Committed; with j untiring energy since 1889,- in the davs of Hugh., Price Hughes's pioneer work. He will be. seventy.years: old'next October,,and his appirdaChkigKresignation is' .due to- age. He has'' been extraordinarily - successful m raising some £4000 annually-for the mission by, means of meetings in .the provinces..; '■ i: : '< : What was . probably the greatest ''parade of a religions .character''in .the history.' of New! England brought to-a. close' the centenary .celebration^-"oii the: founding;pf' the': Catholicdiocese offßostoii; , It'is'estimated that fully: forty, thousand men representing the Holy Name "societies'of the, Catholio churches in the fivo counties . '.which constitute the ■ diocese, with over ono.hundred 1 aiid fifty priests, par-'--ticipated, marcHing'to the. music; of one nun-; drod bands.. - The parade was reviewed by Cardinal .Gibbons' and; Archbishop O'Conttell, with a number of visiting prelates. ;,.

I: From the diocese.of Southwell one of 'its best-known' and] ablest parish .'priests, haS'ire- 1 signed his • pleasant country rectory, 1 and ;of-;fered-himself for the ..-mission-.'field, iii conneotion with-the' Pan-Anglican', Cote' ference, Canon G. E. Mason' (a brother of Dr.: Mason, Master'of;Pembroke/ Cambridge); who has been rector' of Whitwell,- Derbyshire,' for -thirty-four years, - has left England "for mission, work iu :Kaifraria., Canon Mason has always hod a strong leaning 1 to mission ■work, Vand i has; on -several i occasions, /been engaged in . long mission tours, in New Zealand and:South.:Africa.', . At Home he wad well known as a conductor $>f missions and retreats, and was one of the ; missioners of the diocese.