RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 758, 5 March 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

HE IS NOT DEAD. . Loud mockers in the roaring street Say: "Christ is crucified again; Twice pierced His gospel-bringing feet, Twice broken His great heart in vain." X hear, and to myself I smile, For Christ talks with me all the while.

'.'No angel now to roll the stone From oft' his unavailing sleep. In vain shall Mary watch alone; In vain the soldiers vigil Keep." Xet while they deem my Lord is dead My eyes are on His shining head.

"No more unto the stubborn heart, ; With gentle knocking shall Ho- plead; No more the mystic pity start, For Christ, twice dead, is dead indeed." So in the street, I hear men say! Yet Christ is with me alt. the day. —Richard Le. Gallienue.,,

ENDEAVOUR AND NEW THEOLOGY. DECLINE AND CAUSE. A theory, as to the connection between recent fluctuations in the success of; the Christian Endeavour movement and the interest aroused in theology by the doings, of the New Theologians is set forth by Mr. Stanley :P. Edwards in "The Christian Endeavour Times." Mr. Edwards is a prominent London. Endeavourer. At the centre of Christian • Endeavour, lie says, lies the root-principle that "we endeavour because we are impelled to self-sacrificing devotion and service by overwhelming love to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Question His, sovereignty,.'.ho continues, make Him somewhat nearer humanity, and you may fill debating societies and guilds with those who .will debate and question anil doubt, but. the self-sacrilicing principle will be losi This is, iu fact, what, has happened. Debating societies have filled with young men: eager to discuss theological problems. They have thought it mor.e "brainy" to ; discuss • "The - Personality of Jesus" than to, jjut into practice .themselves the love of: our Lord, anil Saviour Jesus Christ. , There has been a growing practice 011 the part '.of. the .ministry to pander to these theological questionings. To this activity in theological discussion Mr. Edwards attributes a certain decline in the Christian Endeavour movement during the last. few. years, l but .he is. of' opinion that the decline is now 1 stayed, and a period o£ recovery and progress has already'set in.",... . .

A VALUABLE SUGGESTION. : . A very valuable suggestion has recently been made by the Bishop of Birmingham, to which the Dean of Lincoln, the Eev. Canon Beechiiig, Viscount' Halifax, and others have already given their adhesion respecting'the proposed revision of the Book of Common Prayer (says an English contemporary). It is no secret that one of the primo difficulties confronting those who (lesiro .the enrichment of tho Prayer Boot,,and its' adaptation to twen-tioth-centurv needs, is the unbending attitude displayed by . a considerable section of Church clergy and . laity with regard to tho position of the Athariasian Creed, Various possi bio solutions of what is felt to be a very real difficulty have been suggested at one time and another, only to meet with a blank, refusal., 'Now' comes this further namely, that there could be ho harm in adding to : a kind of appen'dix':of;;the; Prayer Book, as additional »n>l services, the woll-known Offices of Priino: aiid .Compline. In tho. fqrmer .of these tho. Atha'nasian Creed occupies' a prominent position.' If,'.then','it were oniitted from its present place in our' Prayer. Book, it would, none the less, 'still' Remain an iittebral portion thereof. "At. the same time, - by. re.'ison- of the fact that, the office of prime would be very, distinctly of , a voluntary ' anil in all ..proliability l woiUd > attended when recited by clergy and comparatively limited congregations, tho great stumbling block felt by so. maoy persons to exist at the present time in the public -recitation ■ the damnatory clauses, more particularly on the great festivals of tho Church, would be reduced 'to a minimum. There is a great deal to-be said for tho proposal, and it is much to'be-hoped that it will hot be allowed to fall to the ground without most careful and exhaustive discussion.

' JOTTINGS. Very Eev. Henry \V. Clearv, D.D., editor of the "New . Zealand Tablet," .a journal which he has long conducted with marked ability, is/about to "visit" his native land. He is the author of several brilliant volumes' on religious and Irish topics, which have done excellent work for the twin causes of faith and fatherland under the Southern Cross; Before leaving his distant mission in December, lie- was presented by his admirers' 1 with a first-class ticket round the world, and a splendid motor-car awaits him on his return. Dr. Cleary, who.is a'native of Wexford, where he spent the. early 'years of'his priesthood, will meet, with a "Cead mile failthe" from the priests and people of. Ireland, whose ; name and deeds are well known in the land of his birth.—London "Catholic Times."' '.

Bishop- Stuart, who spent 23 strenuous years as a missionary, in India, seventeen years as. Bishop of Waiapu, New Zealand, and fifteen years as a missionary bishop, in Persia, is now,-at the age of eighty-two, compelled through the infirmities of old ago to return to England. The thrco years set apart for centenary thanksgiving by the Primitive Methodists in England will end next June. The movement was designed to promote evangelism, and to secure .£250,000 for the extension of denominational interests. The promise list for the Centenary Fund now exceeds .4200,000. Dr. Len. G.. Broughton, . of' Atlanta 1 , U.S.A., luis been nominated by the officers as minister of Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road, London.. The liev. Mr. Jowett, of-Birmingham, has declined the call to . Fifth Avenue Presbyterian. Cliurch, New, York. . V. When addressing a Free Church demonstration at Cambenvell--Baths recently Dr. Clifford luid a narrow escape from a serious, if not a fatal}' accident, and was only saved by liis own remarkable adroitness. Standing too near the front of tlif platform, he lost his balance, and was nearly precipitated to the floor below. But his presence of mind not forsaking him, lie took a lean forward and landed sal'ely on the reporters'. table, where ,he stood for a few moments until friendly hands assisted him back to the platform. Those in his immediate vicinity, having passed through a few moments of painful suspense, now broke into loud applause. As the chipping, subsided, the doctor exclaimed, "A. remarkable feat for a man of' seventy-four," - and immediately resumed the thread of ..his address as if nothing had happened.

Progress ill tho erf«tion ■ of Liverpool Cathedral has gone on apace, and it is hoped to open the first portion, the Earle and Langton Memorial Chapel, at tho eild of June. Two splendid donations of . 10,000 a picoe have brought no small measure of encouragement in their train. The limit to tho mixture of politics and religion has surely been discovered by the "Church Times." At a meeting in. support of Sir Henry Cotton for tho Eastern Division of Nottingham, a! certain Eov. F. A. Rces, bado the audienco to "vote as faithfully, as. you pray." He then presented them with a little parody of a hymn:— , Take my vote, and let it bo Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. , Tako my hand, and lot it trace Crosses in the proper place. The proper place, of couTse, was the lino in the voting-paper containing Sir Henry Cotton's .name.. Hut this being the case, comments tho "Church Times," and there being no occasion for hesitation, or choice, it was sheer profanity to pray for direction.

The "Salvation Army Year-book for 1910"' contains the following:—"The succession to the position .of the General is not in any shape of form hereditary, nor is. it intended ever to, he so. Everv successive General will be under the most solemn obligation to select ' that officer to racqeed him whom he considers best

adapted to fill so important a position. By a further provision, n high council of the Army is constituted, providing means for removing from his position as General of the Salvation Army any General committing a breach of trust, and also for the selection of a General if, through failure lo appoint or from any other cause, there should at any time'in fact be 110 General."

The Rev. E. Grose , Hodge, of Marylebone, in an address, recently pointed-out what is the position of the curate o£ to-day. The office, ho remarked, is very haudy, as enabling a young man to learn his work in the best possible way. But hoiv did the Church regard the curate? "The curate in 'Punch'-is a very meek, person. His clothes are ill-made, , and of the shiniest broadcloth, and he is being perpetually scored off by his humblest parishioners. The stage, I ara told, present two types—one soapy and simple, the familiar guest at tco.rparties, generally with an eve to the heiress; the other, .muscular and' truculent, ready.to. take 011 the villain in single fight. But 110;" the curate is not any of these." Mr. G'roso Hodge speaks of the curata' as simply a Christian gentleman, who believes, that he has .been inwardly called to Hie sacred office of the ministry. Yet it . was useless to deny, lie added, that there are a' certain number of people in every parish who still regard the curate as an inferior kind of clergyman; one who may be treated with something less of rc.spect than the incumbent, as belonging to a lower grade, and having no.authority. One of Mr. Grose Hodge' 3 suggestions is that no. one should ba instituted to a parish until ho has had seven years in orders. He also declares it to be intolerable that there should be tTOOO curates, and liot '.one of them represented. in' convocation.

The work ,of uniting in strong union the Young Women's Christian • Associa-' tion throughout all lands is largely ilua' to the influence of tho Hon. Emily Kin-, liaird, as one of those Who promoted-tho-formation of Y.W.C.A.- into a great.in-.: ternatioilal movement. Evidence of this union is emphasised by the way American: secretaries are entering into intimate working relationship with the. British staff,; especially in meeting the, need for. qualified workers. Miss Field, one of-the.-American secretaries, whose, death is. recently • reported in ttfe "Association, Monthly," 'was associated.with Miss Lilian Duff in the work of the'British'Trailing Institute in 1900, and the existence"' of the present happy relationship between the British and American work is due in a large measure'to. this union'. Miss' Kinnaird .is spending some mouths ..isIndia. , ...

On the length of sermons, Canon Hens? ley Hensoii, in his new book, embodying his Tale lectures, enters a protest'against' the modern demand for brevity. "Whilo the modern preacher," 'ho- says, "ia driven back on-the sermon'"as almost.hia solo-, instrument of teaching, he has' tause that instrument in circumstances.'ot-. unparalleled difficulty. The time at hia disposal is brief- beyond all Christianprecedent. Conciseness and lucidity areindeed attributes, of tli'o" modern sermon, but let the preacher :bo as; concise as Hoi't and as'lucid as-Dean-Swift, he cannot preach effectively 1 with-.-out sufficient time to .develop'.liis argu-'-mcnt and enforce his moral. - There is a real danger that sufficient time will not'b3 allowed him. His own'indolence may silently., co-operate with the public tastefor short, and ever 'shorter sermons; and tho noblest aspect of his sacred office may, as it'were, by sheer-inadvertence, bo suffered is fall into irremediable discredit.".

The influence of dinner upon religion is at first sight somewhat obscure, though it has been observed that he who has dined well.and .wisely is apt to -be at peace wittf all men. All means of softening- manners make for virtue, though it would. be ungracious to suppose (writes the London "Guardian") that this consideration influenced' a*:teslitor. whose" bei iciest for dinners for " the before Mr. Justice Eve in ■ England r th6 other day. The late Rev.' E. G. worth was a- member of -the Cleveland and South Durham " Clerical \ Society; which meets (juarterly.'to'discuss"mat'tec3 interesting- to. the' clergy,... • .The ' proceed; ings; wind up-or-or midday dinner, for which its members have, hitherto l paid; but it appears to have' occurred to Jlr.' Charlesworth .that if this charge were -rfemoved- the attendance would improve. He, therefore .by his will .provided the means to pay' for a corporate meal, and the question arose whether, in view of. the rule against perpetuities, this was a good bequest. Mi-. Justice Eve has ruled that it is, oil . the ground that the fact of there, being nothing to : pay ' would conduce to increase the attendance, ■ and so, 1 constructively, to. advance religion. The...judgment-(adda tho "Guardian") reads-a little epigram of the elder .Dumas;, but who shall gainsay its . underlying \ cqpimqn sense?' ' " ' {;) .

' The. Archbishop of Torki. speaking to';a Free : Church Council deputation at: Bradford recently, said that the fact that there was so much enthusiasm on' the part of the great body ;of:.the people for the cause !oi social reform 'put upon' the Churches a deeper responsibility of it> mindiii;; the people that the Kingdom of God Was not meat and drink, but was :» far higher thing. It was for lack ,i spiritual vision nowadays, much rnoia than' for lack of social zeal, that tl a people' were likely to* perish, and the special duty put upon the religious forces was to see that the spiritual vision was kept clear and strong.-. -The 'Archbishop, in another address, declared that a ■material "Utopia; was not the Kingdom'. of God. A widespread sense of duty, moral earnestness,, and' persistent capacity for Sacrifice and '.power of-' compassion were endowments which were not evolved from beneath)-but came, from above; t they "we'ra the polities of the Kingdom of God; -On this the "Guardian" says: "Wp believa .'this to'be a real peril. . The ;cr'aving..foE a material Utopia-is natural and inevit-able.'-It has given birth to many,-u noble, ideal; and so long as it is informed by. spirituality only good, can come of- it. But wo have-to beware tliat it shall not degenerate into that frank materialism which so gravely , threatens the .world in our day. The inost spiritual State A is likely to be the': most .Utopian State—us:ing'the word in its best sense, of'.a community in which care' for men's .bodies goes hand in'hand with zeal for their souls." .

Tiv his tour through Australia,-tho H. 'S: Woolkombe recommended the'liiiking of branches, and 'tlic'suggestion : met with a cordial reception, especially in cases where towns in the Dominions possess the same name as one at .• Home. Thus it is suggested that Ipswich- in Queensland should- bo linkedwith. Ipswich in Suffolk, Devouport in New Zealand with Devonport at Home, etc v .The London "Guardian" says that in view of the popularity of this.,stretching-out oJ "hauds across the sea," Mr. Ronald Green, Fairhome, Bourne End,;. Bucks, has undertaken, at the request of the executive, to. act as hon'.secretary for. this department of work, and to link up any branches which are. willing to take special interest ill one another's doings.

The' collection made .in the various places of'worship in Loudon for 1 , the' Hospital Sunday Fund last"year resulted'in tlio receipt of J:39,11S " 35.. 4d., .being decrease of JSIKI- when compared with the sum received in 190 S. Of this amouiil the Church of England collection/ amounted to .£30,928 Bs. Gd„ St. Paul'] Cathedral heading the list, as usual, witj a collection of ,£I32G, and Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, following with • £1001, Next in point'of .amount are the Con* grcgationalists, wlio contributed ..filGSli 10s. 10d.; followed closely by the Jews, with ,£1439 lis. No other denominatior exceeded' the thousand pounds.

The revenue of the Methodist Foreign Missionary Society for 1909 amounts t« !the noble' sum of ,£30,520. This is a .record, 'l'lie expenditure for the year hai been met, and the previous deficiency reduced by about .£2OO. . '

The death is announced of the Rev. Michael Paget Baxter—said to have been .a collateral dcscemlent of the author pi "The Saint's Everlasting Rest"—who died at hiVresidence in Highbury at the-ags of 70. Mr. Baxter was educated ai Trinity College, Cambridgo, and entered deacon's' orders in . 1860, .after which 'he served a curacy in Canada, for a year. This he relinquished very shortly, timf a few years after he founded the "Christian Herald," in which ho promulgated his. peculiar views on prophecy. . Thesr views'were based upon tho suMnssivr identification of the Beast of tho IWJa. tiou with Napoleon 111, the successor to his claims,. I?rinco Napoleon, and otiira exalted personages. Ho uevcr prooccdei'. to ijriest s orders.