RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

, THE WESLEYAN PASTORAL. FAMILY EELIGION AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS.: The Pastoral Address of the British loyan Conference to the Methodist. societies, which has j.ust Ikcji opens->vith a reference to tfro' continued -decreosc.j'iri -membership, of which it says that "we. are pacing through a. season of strain , and • ' r iho havbingers of day, are w.ith us-yet. VThe address goes on to urge that Methodists should revise their interpretation of religion aiid test, afresh their standards of Christian life, taking for guides not the .vague opinions >nf an age of enfeebled faith, but the life of the Apostolic Church and the. leaching of the • New Testament.. • The pastoral points out-that'-it., was tho mission of Methodism to restore .'the Apostolic Church in its conscious communion with Gpd, experience of a nfcw life, utter selfsurrender to..Christ and'a, senfo'of filjal relationship and filial love. . One of the chief manifestations of this spirit;'it i« shown,'was.the fellowship of Christians, p.ml Methodists 'ard specially. urged .to cultivate the class-mceting. They are bidden not to misunderstand the hesitation of conference to . come to a decision'on the i relationship of the '.class-meeting "to church membership, but' to ( realise that,,o.n the 'essential basis of membership there-is.no'divi-sion of thought—personal: fellowship-.with God ' in Christ,-and a hearty, recognition of the one--1 ness of alHwlievers showing itself in a desire j for fellowship with the, people of God. The • ntimhers; of. people - who. join .in i the public, .worship ..of.. Methodist churches.' but do . not. > unite themselves in ,the membership, are asked' ,to their responsibility' and identify themselves with; the Church.

.The pastoral goes on to'impress* upon all members' tho duty r of cultivating family prayer, the Tegular reading 'of. the. Bible -in private and in family, • the frainiug of .children in habits'of worship and piety, and points out that Christian.parents should-be-wave of encouraging slackness in religious du-. ties, plea.tc.re-seekirig, -and the claiming of per.sOnal liberty that borders on license in th>ir, ,^ approval is giveii ■ to tlio efforts • that are .being mad-o to improve the .methods and conditions of work-in tne;Sund-iy school, and l\feth6dists.ore asked toVsliow symnathy with the movement, to hold the work of Sunday school, iu.-hdnonr, and to bear jn mind its . reauiTements in the building, and enlarging of church premises. In relation to the evangelistic work of the Church thc ; pastoral .appoalfi for-the cultivation in every church of •an atmosphere in which. conversions aro 'ex- : rj ct « d ; tho'Church to embody the ideals of the Kingdom of' God in the national social conditions of the conntry by inculcating a more generous interpretation of tho, brotherhood of man. Modern ■sodety must iiot be allowed ,'to : reconstruct itself_m desnair ofthe chnrches, and in neglect.of tho Kingdoin of God.'

. CHRISTIANITY -IN'ENGLAND, IS IT VANISHING? ' •.TfHij.? ?s t t«xt a iecei# . remark«pfv Dr. Akedr that- Christianity' m England was-rapidly ap« vamping point," ; the, >ptemher Umver pnnt^soine-interesting.views on the subject. Pile -Bishop of Durham, admits the ebmpg of the power'of' Christian belief., and attributes it ; to the development of loco* motion, love-of pleasure; and-the irreverent JljWS* of 'Scripture..Defection•• anion*•. the* clunking|and progressive",is, however, niuch. less than among the. unthinking and unprogressiye. Prebendary KardleyAVilmot shares the iiisnop s. b;iu opinion of ■ inotor-cars, bicycles,_ and , tbe iVcek-cml habit, lvhich are emptying the churches and reducing the number.' of Sundayl school, teao.hers.-' The scfen oJier contributors' to the. symposjunvtalce an optimistic view. "General Christianity is by no means declining in •; England," says Prebendary Carlisle. "I have, 110. evidence that it is declining generally," writes Canon M Cormick, who believes that tho : Church never could be "in touch" with some people who are at present criticising it. Dr. Archibald Fleming disagrees'with Dr. Aked when he-blames tho niggard rich for; the decline in church attendance, :'arid says;'it is, hot .on out'-' pouring of money but;.of vtli'e .Jsfnl jr : Spirit that is/wanled. Tho. Rev,' T.: Yonng says' that, there are full' chutches 1 wherever there' is a living Gospel.; ■ Tho Rev.'Bernard <Snell admits that there is a lessening of public ini i s: i n tl,e churches, largely due to the fact that the vocabulary of the churches lias become "sounding brass,"i..,Tho.i.principles of Christ, however. are 4 more:regnant.-tlian ever, Dr. _ Campbell Morgah. "dd® not'■ Vet'? into' a' panic oyer a phase," while Dr. Clifford iheeffully admits change,.but.not decline. .

GENERAL BOOTH'S,ILLNESS,

V HOW IT,AFFECTS; THE ARMY. ; . The dark, cloud of sorrow, which has dropped S) suddenly ■ over the whole, of the Salvation Army, .owing to the serious nature of the General s oyc-trouble, will not be •. allowed to' hatt* per. the everyday work .of. the' Army in any way (says the "Christian World"). • The.or 1 gaiusation of the- movement, is : ;§o thorough that,, invito of its fuitocratic constitution, tta work will go -on just r .ns ,j-CB«)arly,,;.oiid,.tlio ' roughly as though-tho,aged- warrior < ivns- daily at. his .post, v . v ,.- : On eveiy.-haqd his'representativoi-Mr: Bram'well Booth, is;,receiving messages,of sympathy, and. assurances, of loyally. ; For many years npw.tho burden of'the Army's administration has fallen upon ' the Chief's", shoulders, but it is doubly unfortunate that, the present trouble should, have come at a time when ho was only just recovering,from,.his. own serious', breakdown. ' Ho is, however,'surrounded in- London by men of proved loyalty nnd abilitv, besides having' trusted' representatives in ov'eYy country. where; tho Army, is at'work.'. .' At Queen Victoria Street. .Mr. Bramwcll Booth t has as aides-de-camp and counsellors Commissioners T. Henry Howard, of tho Foreign Office, and Carletoii, of the Life Assurance' Society; _ Both have for nearly thirty years been in tho iimcr circle:of Army administration, and combine business acumen with kecii caution. Commissioner Howard" is, ■ indeed, sometimes: counted as the third man in tho Army. He'has had a ' world-wide experionce, as well as having, controlled thoßritish field and tho training .home; work.. ■ ■ It might be supposed, that. General Booth's .frequent absences from' London • implied a loosening of his hold on (he control, of the Army, but those who have beefr in-close touch with him can bear witness to the, fact that even when on his round-tllc-world tours he kept a firm hold on tho direction :of ■ affairs at tho centre—and moro than once reversed decisions which had received tho tentative sanction of even Mr. • Bramwell Booth himself- : '

■ MONEY FOR CHURCH OBJECTS. The Anglican Bishop of Auckland {Dr. had something' to say in his charge to Ills diocese, delivered at the opening of ,the Auckland Diocesan Synod yesterday; regarding tho raising of money for Church objects. He said:—We cannot bo too careful in . the way whereby, money for\Church objects' is ' raised; There are.things iii a,parish-or-.diocese in aid of which it may bo perfectly..legitimate to have entertainments of various sorts;'-indeed, '.hero are occasions when such/gatherings do good .for' tho social' life of a . parish or diocese. : But the form of' entertainment" •'requires watching. In themselves raffles, .guessing- competitions, progressive euchre, parties,' basket-auctions, and the-like.niay;tie,'arid possibly l are, quito harmless;. -The, point ,for us, •'however, -is:not tho htirmlessness of-, such things •in themselves, but the probability •of their; bar mfulne;s in connection, with directly- spiritual ..work. : .We have to.'use 'every. endeavour ;tb '"abstain from all 'appe.aranco-of-evil." Probably, wo shnll all agree on this principle:-'Tho-erection and furnishing of the .House' of' God ought'to he,.as the general rule-in our-Church life, accomplished through 1 the freewill* olTcfiiigs of-:tho people. I know that tlio, clergy: aro ■sonibtimes placed in somewhat'dißicult positions 'in those matters, owing to" the quite' well-iutontioncdVdesires of sonic of their'parishioners. .If, Synod could in ■ sompway. further tho growth of, the-soundest Chnrch' public opinion in this matter; I think that-not a few, both of the clergy and laity, in different parts of the - diocese,, would bo encouraged. ■>

. THE REVISED VERSION. "There is ono. great reSult'of tho nower learning for English-speaking, people," writes "Tho Times," which is doing'much, and,may yet do more, to minimiso the opposition between faith and criticism'. -The licvised Version of tho English Biblo, embodying the.labours of generations of competent.. scholars,' and' representing for Englishmen' tho, best attainable, certainty .as to what tlio Bible really, says, is gradually winning its I .way: - and its-acceptance by faitV, implies iicquiftsconco invcriticism. -On its first appearance it-was violently and recklessly assailed (especially in tho' 'Quarterly, lleyiew?) by men who should, havo known better, and who for a timo got • tlyj ear of 0. 1 public; linablo to test t.heir "assertionshot" was 'it',.commended to general approval by. tho fact.', tlmt and . there' tho; Kovisers overstepped,- tho i divi,ding lino 'between accuracy lind . podantrv by : . unnecessary .alteration of words, and rhythms'that had become familiar; as household words upon the: lips of English Churchmen, But, fot all 'that, it'is'.a great work,. and" makes for-'pro-.gross'and;liberality:in-religious- thought;;: • Its 1 mere existence is a plea' for free inquiry into

tho text of;tbt>. Pcripturcs, and into doctrinei / founded upbUrmporfect Kiio'wledgo of that. text. , It signifies theMftath, of .those,ldoas of verbal inspiration - current-for so ■ ninny generations, which 1 , jheld the fiold wil.liiir tlio memory of . men. living. .It justifies the idea for which '. ; criticism long .contended ill vain, and which scarcely ; s9 years ngo ; was sijll scouted as.rank * heresy,- llttil tlio --..Honks'-of tho'Bible, on (.licit literniy side, may be treated \Jike any''other literature and by thb Rimo'principles of critical inquiry.;. It forms',for lllo'ploiii".man, unversed . in,xqtk^l.. i speculatio!i;:.but. desirous- to, Itjiow ;' (lie Iriith; rikl unwilling iD'accepl'llio inereiiV . - wi'tion of authority. in. matters where ho can ' '.V judge . for. himself,'.a "basis' to - ~ the best of his ability and opportunity tlio rcli. , gious problems of th'o'dny. It is a visible arguwent' for that '-fwe imov'oment- ot,' thought- and, inquiry without. which theology,'qiice.tlie 'queen '-. of sciences,' may. bo relegated to,a sterile aud • unprogrcssive . tixi ly." J./.V.' ; ANGLICAN GENERAL MISSION. ; STATEMENT HY THK tUSIIOP OF ' lUTCKLAXI): •'• The; Atifelieniv General Mission*was ■ referred ; 7 tobv.thb-' Bishop of Auckland: r (Dr. -Neliganj in hi's-address to 'his »Dioccsan Synod yestcrdayr as\ follows:—I inordinary local' 1 missions tho ( ex< perises aro, as> 'rule, more. tU*a)VJcovcvcd : by ihi : • thaukoft'eriiigs'of the.people.- AYlicn ft'inissionj . ■ such s as"' that -'to South * Afriba- iA '1903; or that ', v.'KiclVv.we 'hopo -for throughout' New, Zealand,ui . 1010,"is undertaken^-the iinancial' arrangements to-a very largccxtenly have'*- tOjibe settled'l)«; v ■ forehand.O'The. position' now'-ntul licre- lo ■ be ■ *. •.riiot'is:'Tho Diocese "of ..Auckland is ..asked to ,' contribute : are.: Dioceses' of, Cliristchurcli • aiud its: share: ot * the'general-;fuud for. the tMssion.' So far thil •, diocose .has; contributed about' ".£250.; AVo aY< . asked balanco by December 31/ , '

1009. ...Very earnestly do I beg of the clergy ana '. laity steps "in, their districts ai will enable tlie Standing Cninmittee to complt with tho'request'made by the'oxecutivo of the . •General Mission, ■ Wo are; as n diocese,', tous'if : ■ to baclt- \tp ilie executive: in 1900 wo approved :of. tho ; idoa of a'General,Mission, and so'-dhf; every ; other, diocoso in', tho' province. In ltt97: General' Syiiod-'toolc tlie steps- asked of it' bj the various diocesan isynodsl-.-.Mt-.will be,-1. hope, our ■ privilege- to welco'mo tho . : "foro< ■ runners" of tho .mission eiirly next year. Bless# ' ,ing from their visit and 'of the Bam( ' .of Missioncrs,. later, in tho year,, can bo ivoa ,: .if we. un\to in tlio faithful practice, of. two ■ rules r i hard prayer, and hard' work. -- ,■ • , PRESByTERIAN NOTES. ' The. appointment 'of -a , professbr '' forthj ' Theological College at Donedin will bo a burning 'question at.' tho meeting, of the ; General.. Assembly, of .the Presbyterian Church of K«*Zealand, which .begihs in: ;Christchiirchv. otf ;; October 26. 1 'There is a-strong Reeling on" tho . part of, the New Zealand men in favour >of appointing: a New ZcaliindeV,: and tho candi-.' dattiro :l)r; ■ Dunlop (InvcTcargill) will w; eeive,strong support.' The claim'of the'Uev'. I ;,' A. . Whyte tCHavelock North) will also bo favoured by :considerable' section. It is: prob-"' able,,. however, in view of the eminence in • nnthorship of the British candidates, Dr. .Law and. Dr. Smith, that tlie', deciding votes'will go to them. -Dr. Smith is -favourably...known.,, to more tliiin theological readers, and his book, "In tlie Days of ; His Flesh'," ;Vfns proclaimed by Dr. Eobertson Nicoll to.'bos'tho finest* biography of/ Jesus that had . ever been' pro- : dliced.. Dr. \ Law -has * only'. rece'n,tly enlerged intb <thc field, of .'authorship,., but. his. book, "Tho Test of Life,"., has heqii eulogised hyjeoma-., of the finest theological experts .in Scotland.'

Dr., Law is understood -to; be : about .10 years : of age. Dr., Smith/is. considerably younger.; ., 1 ; A'verr considerable increase ,in-'t!>e number.': of. Sunday Schools, scholars,, and :WachcYsJof'/ : the Presbyterian Church of •. New Zealand >.lsv shown- by the. returns for the/:past year/:> Pro-; 1 gi-ess on, the part •of /; Bible^ 1 classes is ' also f ; shown., : ;

.Tho Rev.. /P.'- B.' Fraser (I,ovell's Flat) : is publishing' ft booklet, cu'lilled. "A Brie! . /' ; ■statement.'of ,'n form: of faith as held; by.,tho .. Fresbyterian Church' of New .'Zealand.' Advauco.'; /// copies/of ;the', booklet have, been sent' to. the ' . ministers of. the Church, wl\o seem to be unanimous, in. their' commendation; of-tho work as 8 •' ; ' nisei .'progressive, and yet/safe: presentation.' flf;*-; ,' T tS*. faith: > .Thoi probability.; i&'Jtuat'. ilibofc.V, let Will- be -regarded as scttiiig/fqrth ;,thb Mitt V.. . as held' by the living Church;''while bein^-ii,'? •.V: essential .harmony with. thoS/doctrinal tstnii s". ilards. ■ :.-V ■ v .V. The health of . Dr. Nisbct, of, Dmicdin,' ii | still not so satisfactory; as ..his'., friends. Woulc . like to see it. ..< ■' % .vrv-vt: V ! The: question, of' church.'icste.nfion/ iliirtivlM v ' North'lsland is'likely to'receivoia;, largo 'men. sure of attention at the forthcoming . meeting of tho Presbyterian' Gepra^Assembly;/.:' Coiv sidernble progress. has been made ili this divec- : iioh 'during the pafct year/ 'and ; .:tivelvo': new I. mission stations: have-been .brought into exist. . ence. :• The- field,'' however, -is not only' not covy , ered, but thoSC who are best, acquainted with „ the position'say that tho■ Cliurcl;. i_s only as yet touching the iring'o 'of, thi!/question, and- tho probability: is. that ;tho assembly resolve upon a strenuous forward, movement in this ra i-gord.' ; ' ■■■ -

JOTTINGS , ' At the last 'meeting ,'of the 'fcecutivo -Jdoriii' niitleo cf tlio Baptist World; Alliance, uUdcl tho,presidency of Dr. .Gliiford,- considerable progress,:was reported in- tho;propiirations i for .< the second Pan-Baptist-Congress,' to .bo held in: Philadelphia''from July' 1 to 9,; 1911. l'ur- ;, ther -applications for:mcmbership:woro received , and accepted from Baptist "Union's and Conven-tions-in diftorcnt parts of .tho sworld. ' Anions ~ these ' wero the 'Baptist "Uniojis,- . of, Sv cden, Norway, Victoria, . New Wales,;.'Western 'Australia, South Australia, Tasmatuo, Bvitislv - Honduras, aiid,..tlie Coiifcrence of German Baptist Churches iii Queensland. It;was-,-| deemed advisable to jnako spcciai.'. arrange*..,, monts for tho cttrolmcnt;of:.tho ,manj;. convey. tions-and associations iu r thc,United States. fcQ . far, outside tho Tnitedi\§tntcs, twenty-foUJ,; Baptist Unions ,in; Kurojie,' Asia, Africa, and , America and Canada - have': been actually, enrolled. -.Probably all these willbn represented-., at tho approaching ' World Congress.- By tho, by-laws proposed; for, adoption at a previous. ( meeting, "the General Assembly ; : of,,tho Alliance (| is 'to-'bo "constituted of; ablegates Voflidiallj appointed', tiy.. the "different cony'ci>t)oiis on, K t,|io,, basis of oni) representative .for' every IMO. nicm ; .,, Ijers.' In' addition,- the congress,; Will doubtless,_ bo attended, as wasrtho London .Congress ill mo.iv bv large' numbers of, Bapj;ißt8 1 .-lwm; R11..i parts of.'tub world,' present:either as individual,.' members-or'as representatives, of, their respfcetivo" Churches...-The should,.;; have'been "held lifcxt year in' accordance; with tho arrangements inadu at the first in l"0i), m\t . it has been fourid necessary- to nbstpono it t}U 1911, so as not to-jclash with .the World :>lis-■ sicnary Conference iri Kdiiiburgh next' Joftc.. .',

The Bev. C. Ste'deford,, Foreign "Missionary : Secretary to tlio Uuiteil Methodist Chnvcli, . leaves llngland-this nionth for a tour .of :Uie China .Mission.'stations:'.; The'.thrco ChurchW • forming. the. union each havo laigo, lnteiests,,. in China; and,: when''properly, co-ordinated, , they' will form one' ot- llio most.: powerful . tufe sionary bodies in the Eninire. ; ; J!.r, Medoford-> . who«e success- as .Bible :Christian- .Missionary,,',.;. Secretary (narked hiiii out for ; .t!io.. control ..otih". will be,, accompanied,.-bjlii-i-, 'Mi-iV.'.W-i'. H. ,Butler,'.the ■;.Conn«xipno-l a -'».-,: Treasurer.- Thciv will:have .a. journey of SWKHi!.miles.fVom 'ShangUai to" Yunnan,-.where the S. .'Pollard's rcinarkable-..work, amang thov#,b-, original Miao : and. Nosu is carried on.. ~Alto?-.; ' ■gcthcr the:to.ur,'wiU'.last.quU.o,-.,nnio months.',(,'\ ' From -'point, of i'mnnibership ;:i the' ;.Adelaida"-;, •Yovihg Women's 'Christian ' Association takes tho: dead-'for'- Australasia., -With .ft.'population of. i51;285,,.0fi ; «h6m'.P5,128 l arc'fcma,lcs, 1000 are'' ; meiiibers-ot .thfc 1.W.0.A. In-SjMney, whero , the total 'is 592,100, :with. a fairly equal proportion of. men and/women, it, is not' too .sahguiiie, th 6 committ^c'.-thinks,', for, th 4 to' airii' at,.looo';inoinberf. ;;• , ' : i . A:'circular:letter, signed ! leading b'eeiv dressed to,every,Nonconformist'nxihister'iii th'o I'liUed Kingdom, announcing :,tho; initiation of ic -a' definito.forward movement aniongst Noncon-' foriiiists Sgainst tho .revival of' SaccrdotaliisnV. ;ThJ .Australasian Catholio Coiigress, iii-. Syd-,.;-' .- ney, hns heen, most'successful,(ste.tcs the ."Jclp-,..'' graph'.'), .'looked- at' l'rohi., every'point .of- view.:,Both', .hierarchy and laitj.- aro' coniidbnc : that quite an impetus, has been given to the work of-the church.' , :■ y 1 Thoso who. nre - interested ■ in-■'furthering, a better kuowledgo •of tho ,:Apocryphn,-aiid its ./ inore'trcquwit use—at-lcast so far'as the "Wis-, doin" books aro :'oon'cerncd—in- public services, aro referred by tho "Christian World'' !o an article -in"tho current: "International Journal ■ •if-tho Apocrypha." The Principal of Ranmoor . College, Shofiiold (Rev.- J. S. Clemens),' compares and: contrasts'.Eccle'siastious. and .tlio; Book' of Proverbs, aiul has no difficulty iirshowilig that, ' while 1 :, to a large' extent, they ni-e closely aitiu " and'bclong to tho same; age, '- an, independent.value of.its own;-a'nd that $oino ■ of its sliest features find 110 eonhterpart 'what-' : ■ ever; ill''-Proverbs.■ Ho ,claims..that l ' tile ctlljdnl" 1 sections - of. Ecclosiasticlis JiaveV tho; advantage ■''' iii point, of stylo and melliod of-, - aro 111 ore "readable,, and. pointj 'ouf' that tliW' I '- are 'lightened glints -of genial '"hulnour of "r< which..we find scarcely: a trace'ih A Provorbs; A.'"" ioßj" monotheistic view is presented of God 'i<t Creator,:..piovidOnt:al.'U-ulcr . atul : Jliilge' -•' Clemens;-;'maintains. 'that, ' EbelwiaSticiis & worthy-iof'-covial regard with-Proverbs; nnd' ia '•» equally; capable of - furnish ag help m ethicuJ and:religious teaching,,. - ~ \.