RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

- A CALL TO LEADERS. : METHODIST PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. In his addross to the second Conference of TJnitod Methodists at Plymouth last month, tlio "hew president, the Rev. . William B. Lark, «iid that what tho Church needed to--day was loaders with clear vision who had power both to sc-o and interpret tho signs of tho times. •It was not enough to havo a clear apprehension of the times and problems of tho prophets or tho reformers or tho period of tho evangelistic revival, but of our own day and of the'forces that wcro making the times in which wo live. Social conditions wero changing, and our present social order was doomed. - "The common people" were feeling their power, and would speedily take their place as tho dominant element in the future of society. Economic conditions more , just to ' the toilers were coming to the front. The privileges of the few would give place to the rights of tho many, and whether it would bo for. good or ovil wo should find that "the people" would put aside party politics and rulo themselves. In relation to the Church a winnowing was going on which, whilst driving away tho chaff, was not without danger to tho grain. Old beliefs were being repudiated, and louder and louder grew the demand for a restatement of Christian doctrine, whilst the temper in which it was sometimes; advocated suggested that something more radical than a restatement was sought for.. They, needed, however, to guard against belittling the present position of the Church. This was .not a time for overwhelming optimism, .but it was not a time for croaking doubt and pes-' simistic hopelessness. The Church must search out its deficiencies and failufes, but must, not let the present upheaval shake its confidence in its Divine Master. To find confidence in an assertion that the Church was holding its own was treason to tho Master. They must keep pace with the growing population. ■ . . ~ •

Individual members of the Church must work for the moral, social, spiritual upliftr ing of their follows. When tliey came into Church fellowship they surely did not join the ranks 'of the . unemployed. Service •is the common heritage of every soul'; John Bunyan's Pilgrim seemed bent solely on his own salvation. There was no trace 'of concern for others, no strong cries and tears over tho wreck, and ruin around him. He never once made a serious effort to save' his fellows. But we must be more eager to save the-world than to get out of it. The Church of, the future must stand for loftier purposes'and holier principles. ; She had a doctrinal standard, but tho time had now come for a standard .of character. Tho .Church must influence tho political life of the nation. The greatest curses had the law on their side, and they might preach against them, but if they did no more what would those who fattened on, tho wrong care for them? There wore no evils, however politically defended, that tho Church, if she were in earnest, could not sweep away.

ANCLICANS AMIS MORAVIANS. v

AN ENTENTE CORDIALE. 'The Moravian: Synod at Herrnhut. Saxony, has fonaally passed a proposal advocating closer 'relations with the Church ot'England. on tho ground of common faith, and on the lines ot intpr-odmmunion and" mutual helpfulness. The following, resolutions indicate tho salient"ecclesiastical, . as' distinct from the doctrinal, features • i l. Tliat we welcome the resolutions''.of the Lambeth . Couference (1908).; on intercommunion with our Church,-as expressing a true Christian desire for 'unity, and ■wliil'o we do not hold that any visible succession in the ministry is wessontial to the continuity of the Catholic Body, of Christ,.'we acoopt mutual participation in the consecration' of 'bishops. .1110 rt.Mw ;.''Ycvvr.' i'r-y- i' 111- -That wehold that' 'intercommunion with ..the Anglican Church/must rest ori tho; Bamefmutual-, recognition and 1 freedom to co'operate as iio.# exists ;"botween',lis and several Churches,- Episcopal- , and ' , other, >:iii Europe and America; and, corporate , union not being in question, w.e regard out position as .that-of-an- independent branch of the Church Catholic. • IV. That wo cordially agrco. in principle to tho mutual recognition of the authorities of tho respective Churches in. their several functions; and in regaid.to the future position of our. bishops wo consider that the ..interests of tho '.'effort. towards ; intercommunion will bo best served,«; and possible misunderstandings, bo niost readily. avoided,, if the principle of absolute independence within the separate jurisdictions of both Churohos is observed and maintained on tho basis of mutual ecclesiastical equality.' . !.. . The connection between tho Anglican Church and the Moravians is 6f very old' standing. Some 600 years ago Richard II married Ann© of Bohemia. . There was intercourse. between tho two Courts, and the teachings of Wiclif spread to the University of, Prague. Jerome and Huss absorbed the doctrines of the English Reformer and preached them boldly. The result was two martyrdoms and tho Church of the Breth-: ren's Unity, \known now, in. England and America at least, as the Moravian Church. .By -tho middle of tho seventeenth century this Church had almost perished out -of Bohemia and Moravia. The'last bishop, tho great Comenius, appealed to England. The appeal was welcomed by Cromwell, and tho Church -was helped by English Christians with gifts of money.

GENERAL MISSION IN NEW ZEALAND. The following letters of sympathy in connection with the coming General' Mission in New Zealand are! published in the "Guardian";— .', ' i '" ' Y v , The Archbishop of Canterbury writes -to the secretary of the proposed mission:—"Very willingly do I assure you of my cordial approval of project now, tion that we should in the homo Church cooperate so far as is reasonably practicable. wi_th_ tlio .airaoigemeiits for holding a goneral mission in New ■ Zealand; in the autumn of next year,'l9lo. It is, ofcourse, impossible to speak definitely as to'the duty in sucli a matter of. individual clergy belonging to tho homo Church who may be invited to take part in the' mission. But I can say without'hesitation that in my judgment any one who •receives such an invitation ought .to consider it'very, carefully before declining. to take part. I regard such missions one of the most effective ways, in whieh. the Church at home can support and aid tho Church.in the colonies during that Church's earlier years. The day may well come hereafter when England may deceive from the Antipodes similar aid-to that, which the Antipodes now ask from us. '«I earnestly pray that the blessing of God ma£ attend this endeavour." . . <, ,

; The Archbishop of York' .writes"The proposed General Mission in New Zealand iii the autumn of 1910. has my warmest sympathy. It is a great regret to mo that I cannot do something, as I had hoped, by a porsonal visit, to New Zealand t6 help it forward. If any clergyman who is'invited to take part in 1 the mission feels : that Be is able; with duo to tho claims of- his .own work, to accept it, he may, inniy opinion, bo assured that lie will;be doing a work of real service to the Church and making a re-, ■spouse to what I feel to ty, especially after all the events of 190S, a very real ijiovement of the Spirit of God in tho Church." The Archbishops of Dublin and Armagh and the Soottish Primus havo written 111 similar terms of sympathy.

THE REAL SALVATIONIST. The Salvation Army, officer hais often been described, and has hosts, of steady admirors. lii a; moving little booklet entitled' "Soldiors : of Salvation," by Commissioner George S. ltailton, there is given a picture of the ranVl and file of'tho Army. Thero are, no doubt, lukewarm Salvationists, as there are- lukewarm church and chapel people, hut Commissioner R-ailton's heroes aro the, real Salvationists, tho men who make the Army possible. He again impresses the fact that the Array's converts are. nearly all from tho lower ranks of society, and are living their new life amid the most 'wretched surroundings, "More than one, to our cortaiaknoo-.

ledge,'has been slowly killed by brutal vio-, loncc, neglect or cruelty inside tho hellisli 1 homos tlioy were > battling to; bring Jesus into, after they Had got to [ know Him. . i . Ever and anon the bitter mourning of some convert over what he did to; 'So-and-So before,' lets out tho sorrowful secret of ■ illnesses and weaknesses wo never bofo'ro understood." ! ~ < . Many a grim but inspiring story of heroism in the slum,, workshop, or factory; does the Commissioner -tell. Equally interesting are tho accounts of tho ways in which, tho , soldiers fight. ; "May n» inod; iclaim.to Iravo fought and swept-out'rtff rairrVaj'tho silly 'public opinion' •. •-:„ fßOTpSCting; our forma of announcement? there wcro when 0110 of our simple, oCiicors announced, ill porfect accord "with God's; promise, that there would bo a 'descent of tho Holy Ghost' at an hour and placc where w» wcro. going unitedly to pray for .itl Tho people who protested would; never think of objecting to tho football announcement some ' of us see often onough: 'Trinity versus St. John's.'" . Simplo convictions (attributed by the Army to their robust and' well-defined Artides''of.' Faith) and gonuine enthusiasm are tha secret' 1 of tho success with which these''captured, guns' have been turned on the-enemy. .An amusing example is quoted t—la Japan's, capital it has become necessary to forbid-' cadets from, kneeling , in /the trains: to pray for fellow-passengers because this habit.,mado,

it difficult for anybody to get in or outquiokly enough.

JOTTINGS. Tho missioner,- - Mr. James Mooroj- gaye an' interesting.account of tho week's w-ork of tho s Missions'to Seamen at the anniversary meet-* ing on Wednesday night. , On Sunday tho hall is thrown open at 10 a.m., ahd men are. able to -write their letters, smoke' a jjipo;" ) and read a wide' variety of literature provided) for them. At eleven o'clock scrvioo is h'cldj in tho, church, after which tho institute ro. mains open, for reading and : wriiihg .until 5s p.m.,' when another sen-ice is held. After 4 that, the nicri.coino down to tho sailors! sing.| ing circki, where they choose their owa{ hymns, the circle lasting until 10.15 , p^m.J Monday night is games night, onTuesdayi night popular competitions aro held j. and ara' followed by, a half-nour's service, .after which billiards/ draughts, chess, and' other games' aro indulged in. Wednesday-night is dcs-j' voted to'i concerts, on Thureday tho homo'.' circle' is, held, Friday is ambulaticpr evening, with music,, on; Saturday, aftornooal cricket; or, football rules, and a bright eveii«i' ing foIIOWS. ' ' • .Z' --.j

: Mr.* A. J. Balfout" .the • ConserroHvi 1, leader; recently 1 asked' a ' Welsh member of , ; Parliament; "What ip ; become of ■ Evan Roberts?" "Are youVinterostod; in him?'' f replied the Wels]f member. . "Interested!", was Mr., Balfourjß , reply. "Why; when tho' revival was raging I read OFei-yiliing I couklr lay my hands -on, so/interested was ,1' in ita 1 , progress;" J'Tell m<y.V asked the'!; Welsh • member, "what opinion*'did- ybu;foiW. o£ Evan "Roberts?" Immediately', camo Mr. "I regard him as a religious genius; jwhoso work is. beyond/criticism.",.' To which may bo ; added thai Mr* 1 '- Robert's is. still resting,; though ho is being; frequently asked to resume - 7 mission work.; ) -Tho anniversary of tiro opening of tho firsti' Ghurch;of England church in Australia baa; - just been celebrated. The first minister. oE .tliis earliest church' was. the Rev. Richard' Johnson, who was born in 1760, and'gradu- - ated B.A. as.senior optimo■ from-Sti.Mary,i Magdalen College, Cambridge. Ho wasappointed, on tho 'recommendation of Wilbcr- , foroo- to William Pitt,: as chaplain to tho.. first fleet which arrived-in Port Jiickson' onV Saturday, January 26, 1288. No more able - appointment could have been . made.! Johnson' was a man in every way. qintfiiicd' 1 to discharge his arduous and often painfull duties in ministering to tho spiritual'needs'' of such a mixed, community, as that entrusted, to his Another name of, note, appears in connection with appointment, for the well-known' Rev'..John.' {. Nowton addressed some farewell lines. io ' liinl. Johnson was possessed of a trtdy missionary spirit, 'and was issdy to go to tho ends of the earth to do •For six years ho hafl to celebrate dfrino sorvico in the open air, subject to all the disadvantages and interruptions, consequent ' upon such an arrangement in a changeable climate. Tho original; church, built at & cost of £40, was constructed of strong posts, wattle,. and plaster, and was .thatched-

In the course of an address at tho Cathedral Church at Ballarat on public wor-. ship, Bishop Green said that people largely governed 'by the hymns used. Sucli' hymns as "O Happy Band of Pilgrims" ahd\ "Christians Seek Not Yet Repose" werej homilies put into verse, and not songs on praise, at all. In the modern . Church _ of' England hymtfiooks tho pooplo were caring less and. less for mere sentimentality. That! was a healthy sign. Such hymns as "TlarkJ Hark my Soal,-Angelic Songs are Swelling, \ had gone from'tho books, because peoplo feltl they were of tho' "sugar-candy , style."—' "Argus," August 9. • |

A two years' tour of Oriontal mission, fitelds has just been made .by Dr. Edward AY. Capon; son of President Capen, of _tha American Board of Congregational WwsimwJ and the. results of his investigations aro to, , bo given next session to tlio students at i Hartford Theological Seminary. Dr. Capon' confesses to a little sense of disappointment at first over what has been done compared; with the work yet to bff done. But. tW longer he stayed at mission stations V tba more ho realised that forces 1 were opcratjnffl which would in time, impress the wwt out-J lying populations not included now among/ the converts. Ho is convinccd tliat tha thought-forms of tho Christianity! .of ~thoj future will bear the imprest of the Ekom, philosophical systems in which -the. people, of tho- Orient liave been roared, ? just . arf . Anglo-Saxon Christianity r shows tho.* influ-v enco of Greek and Roman philosophy. Ht' doei not lock'to tho Orient for tlio perpotua-i, tion of • a 'simon puro' _ Congregationa<lism,j but thinks'that tho principle of independence-' will everywhere bo modified, by the principles of fellowship and'/supervision. ' ! :

Au'old browoty in Marylebone.Road (Lon<( don); ..which; for ii years has' born« tho name of;'the "Yorkshiro Stingo," ha* been purchased by tlio Church Army and iai to -be converted into a; new Central LabouO Homo and relief. depots for married mei . and work'depots for single men.': In addw tion to the labour hbnie, a homo for "star :. class"; prisoners (first. offenders),; and a* office','- for providing work; fod ; unomploycd will; |)o located/in .thi new building. Onls of the most interesting \ "conversions" of j'tho" brcwory buildings k tho largo iroom,; tin which formerly 'stood-.' two huge mash tuns,* ot vats, capable oR - browng 6000 gallons of beer. • This room ■.<" to bo entirely cleared and altered„ into 'a chapel- for tho uso of the inmates' of thai ' two homes. The entire cost of tho purchase and; alterations will amount to over £17,000<

"No church ever, failed through-poverty,'*, said Eev. J. Scott Lidgoll, presidimt, of the English, AVesloyrm Conference,;' recently,, ."but it had through the iltaffcct'of wealth? They did not need more buildings ; they, dicj not fill what they had, while people ■withia the .shadow, of those buildings - were doing Without v God. One: distinctive element.. &■ the present' day was the drawing, of tb<* churches nearer: together; but he hoped theij distinctive marks .were not getting blurred. One influential member of a WeSleyan Con-i grogation with' whom> ho had conversed adc mitted that there was much in Metliodisn< lie did not endorse, hut ho attended tho Services because'ho got somothiug for his soul, It was' only under very exceptional circumstances that money could lib accepted \ag> an equivalent for personal service."

The Lower .Houso of the Canterbury Con. vocation is severely rated by the "Church - Times" on • account'.of its decision ,on th<» Athanasian Creed, It is said that this Cou« ; vocation "will bo known to future getiera*' tions as tho' Convocation which"abolished on? ' x of the' Church's ancient creeds." In spite. 7 however, of tho assurance that "our-words' - arov carefully chosen,"v wo do • not : think ' (writes the "Record") there aro many' who * will support the "Churcli Times" in this ' view of what was done by the Lower Houso last week. Tho creed is maintained unini- .-■• paired;, all that the house decided was that tho existing riibrtc should bo'omitted, and that provision should be made for tlio liturgical use of a form of the "Quicunquo vult" .witliout.thc warning clauses. . This solution ; of a difficult problem may not bo ideal, hut most assuredly it, docs,- not "abolish" tlia' creed.,