RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

MISSIONS OF THE WORLD. THE EDINBURGH CONFERENCE. Preparations for the World Missionary Conference, to be held in Edinburgh from Juno 14 to 23, aro rapidly proceeding, and it is believed that at the deliberations at Edinburgh a beginning will bo made pf a. science of missions. -The cosmopolitan character of this gathering pf over a thousand experts appeals -- to: the imagination. America will sendhiorc> delegates than England, and .will, be present froni'Germany, Franco, Switzerland, Holland, Norway, Sweden," Denmark, Finland, South Africa, Australia, New-Zealand, Japan, Korea, China, and India. The, contra I, subject will be the.eVangelisation;.of...the..world.. For two years past eight commissions have bwii; engaged in gathering together data .for a series of reports upon various phases of missionary work, and on each day of the conference one of the commissions will present'its report for discussion. . It is claimed that these reports will ■provide something to which there is no parallel in .the whole range of missionary literature,'because never before have;, so many. leading. authorities on. missionary subjects in Great Untam, North- America,' and-Europe, together with "distinguished' statesmen"; educationists, theologians';: arid scholars, co-operated. in a- study of ..missionary work. :. ■■.',- ~ ■

Fifty-four.' American ' societies -are sending 480 .delegates^.including 'some very distinguished laymen, such as Mr. \\. J. Bryan, the Democratic candidate tor the American Presidency;- ex-Vice-President Fairbanks... thn' Boh. 'Seth Low and Admiral Mahan. Edrty-fonr Anglish societies will have 394 selected delegates, and four colonial societies 14 more ; ahe Continental of ldb includes representatives of 37 societies. Of these 18 are Moravian Brethren, while 17 German societies will be represented by 73 delegates--6 Dutch societies by.,l3.delegates;. the Pans Society, and the Mission.Romanade by 5 delegates; 2 Danish societies uy : 7 delegates, and a Finnish' society by 4 delegates; three' Norwegian societies by 10 delegates; and-five. Swedish societies by 16 delegates. ■ * conscientious delegate "to : this World Missionary Conference must fortify ( himself in "preparation for a laborious ten days' work. Almost every hour of every day is mortgaged in advance. The morning sessions will be strenuous conferences addressed, by members of" the various- commissions. In the afternoon meetings two conferences ■ will proceed simultaneously, while each': evening there will be great public "meetings addressed by leading delegates. These will be of a more popular nature and will be open to the public. , ' ■ : CHURCH AND STATE. CONDITIONS OF .COMMUNION. '■' In the: Lower. House: of the Convocation of York.aii interesting discussion took place arising out of the recent judgment in the Court of Appeal in the suit of Banister v. Thompson, generally spoken of as the Norwich case. .'The/Rev. A. Symonds (Macclesfield)" presented the following gravamen:— "That whereas our Lord Jesus Christ comniittedi to. His ; Church a legislative arid disciplinary .authority over- its nlemhei-s,: and whereas, with regard to tho' ; conditions of. .Communion, that authority ._has; been universally, recognised since the-earliest times, and, whereas, 'there is a widespread Belief .that by a; 'recent judgment of- the Court of Appeal the conditions of Communion in the Church of England have been altered by an Act,of Parliament, without the' consent and approval of the Convocation of the Church, and, whereas this "belief causes serious alarm and uneasiness in the Church, the President and the members. of the, Upper House be requested 'to take such steps as shall seem to them advisable to reassure the faithful, and to show that Such a claim on the part of the State to alter,-, proprio inotu, the conditions of Communion in.the Church of Ehgland, cannot bo- recognised by the Church, and is ' entirely beyond the powers of the State." ."-..■■'•■:'■ .: .

"One can no more admit," said Mr Symonds, "the right of Parliament to alter the terms than the /right of Pontius Pilate to state the terms, upon which Christians-are to be admitted to Communion." (Hear; hear;) ;- • ■•■'•■ . Canon Walshani How seconded. .'

Archdeacon Foxley, Norris said it. was neither an unreasonable nor impracticable' thing to ask of the Upper House that it sho'v'd relieve the anxiety of people in the Northern Province on the subject. The Bishop of London said recently that the Church of England had always been-too-late.- "I hope,"-he added, "we shall prove this time we are not late,' but that it shall be said directly we,,were impressed we'struck,• and we struck hard." (Applause.) Canon La'mbbrt said it was quite certain that, frhilo the Court of. Appeal might hold , ;that indirect consequences might follow'from an Act of Parliament,- that Act contained no limitation jf the conditions'of Communion in the 3hurch of England. .. '■''' .: ': Canon Lister said they did not want :o wait until there was a direct in'asion of the rights of the-. Church, be-' lause indirect invasion .was far moreiniidious and far more: dangerous. , '■ The Dean of Carlisle said.that the ibject of the'aravamen was to allay ho anxiety which they -were told by he mover existed.. He;' had, never ieard there was any anxiety, ■ and if there were any anxiety how any letters from the archbishops coiild allay it' he flid iiot know. . Dr. Ingo had,written to the Archbishop of Canterbury ( and he thought the archbishop's letter hy ply a very statesmanlike document. (Hear,-hear, and laughter.) "Our friends," he proceeded, "seem to ridicule the Archbishop of' Canterbury and the courts of law. It is V wonderful atmosphere in which we get here,- I must confess." He.regarded the sravamen as provocativo and .uncalled for. It was crying out.before they were hurt. After further discussion, the motion was put to the vote, and carried by a largo majority, several members not voting. ......', :.... ■ THE OPEN BIBLE. PROTESTANTS' POSITION. ■ '■■: Two opinions on the present'position of Protestantism were offered.at a meeting of the Brighton auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, held in the Brighton Town Hall, Victoria, last week. ; The Rev. tr. Rcntoul, in referring to the work of tha society, said that all the glowing reeords «f Babylenia, Assyria, Egypt, Rome, ant! Greece had nothing to eomparo with the groat work done by the pro-consuls wh» had gone tmt from Great Britain to do a Christ- , like work in the service of justice and equity He heard all around him today empty talk about Protestantism that was in danger from somo political influences. It was in danger, but from no political influences. They could iiot touch it. • It was in danger in tho churches from the sons and daughters of Protestants. ' It was'in danger—-if they would pardon him from saying it ia tlioir'teeth—from themselves.' They

talked about sending the Biblo to Ttn« Christian lands, but they did not read it them selves; they, did not stndy it; they did not make it their, vade mccnin,! as they did some- medical book, front day to day. That was the dangei 1 Protestantism was in now and all the/ time. It should be read instead ofi wishy-washy novels on GojL's Day, and] parents, instead of making their minda sentimental, .■ neurasthenic, , and- vapid* should set an example to their families' by reading God's word. Then, wonh? there be no danger to (Applause.) Mr. Snowball, M.L.A., said that the Bible was a national book, and a nation* building book. He'hoped that the greai work of the society would make thei people of Victoria realise what an es-1 sential thing it was for them to main tain the- Bible open and free in theiri nudst. .It was theic all in all, and wasj better than armies and, Dreadnoughts.Hβ hoped that the Book would againi occupy, the position which they knew it] should, and must, occupy if they ( were! ■to be a great and progressive people. Protestantism," Mr. Snowball coin tmued,'"is in danger because the Bible is getting out of the lives and homes !of .the. people of our land. The Bible!, is not--in* pur schools as it used to be,j and it is slipping out of our homes'J because many of the children who have passed through .the schools : since the Bfole was there are now, fathers and? mothers.. No wonder that they and the children of to-day, are forgetting the/ Bible. • We see at our political! meetings a very serious state of affairs.* Freedom- of .speech is denied to ouri politicians' and our , public men; ■ (Applause.l) :;What is the'reason for fnat?. Wo hear Sir John Madden pleading, with the- people to look to their homcsl and the moral-condition of their chil-i dreii. Wo should be sincere, and believe all that we say about the Bible. I have asked Labour men where they; obtained the planks of their platform from — was it from the Bible?—and. they said 'Yes.' While we are willing' tp send the Bible to people in the Pacific..' Islands, let us see that our children aro not denied it." (Hear, hear.) JOTTINGS. For some years past Dr. J. M. Whi* ton, of New :Y<jrk, has been the guiding spirit of a movement known as the New r ork State Conference of Religion, to promote unity among the different; denominations. It has' succeeded - ii>miugling:: Baptists, , Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians with! Jews,- Unitarians, and ,, Universalists,, and-they have spoken-from each other's: pulpits. Over 200. representative men; and women have enrolled themselves* A pai'd secretary is now to be appointed. . Dr. Whiten is said , to 'have-written 500 letters a 'year on' behalf of tho movement which is! now spreading intoCanada—a. federation being in process? of formation' in Montreal. . ■..' .

Since the union, of the Free' and United Presbyterian' Churches in 1900,-, number of instances havo occurred in which two individual con-C gregations representing each of these bodies have amalgamated. An instance of amalgamation ' is now reported'itt: which, three churches are participating.. The congregations in question are those, hitherto known as the John Knox, the Moray and the Canongate, all situatedi ■ in the Ganorigate district of Edinburgh. The union, which has been agreed upon! with-perfect unanimity, and the Joho;' Enox church .will be. the home of the united.'congregation. ' '.. •

Evan•■ Roberts,-'the Welsh contemplates 'returning:, to-, the' Prin--cipality shortly. to resume work. The other: day a correspondent who .wasioffi a visit to Leicester spent sometime'ini' his company in that town,■ where;Mr/: Roberts has -been ijti'a.ying (Since -inis:' breakdown four years ago.- Hβ is at present busily engaged in.reading and study,: and js full of' the reviyg; . : He has no intention,'of '."making arrange-.' ments .beforehand' for. holding, services,; but proposes to visit, places chiefly in;' South Wales associated with the Tiyal, and there . ascertain' where and': in what way his services can be of.helpj This inonth he attains his 31st birthday. ' .-., ..,

The subject, of revivals is being eager* ly discussed in America in connection with the Chapman-Alexander missions, and Dr.„ Samuel W. Dike,, feeling thati the. subject has too-of ten beeii treated! by : rule of. thumb, has, attempted a : scientific investigation:; into' the acceW sible facts with a view to ascertaining; the degree of exhaustion that follows' revivals. He condenses the general results of his investigations into the fourgreat New England revivals of the lasii' century into an article in the Boston - Congregationalist." His main conclusion, based on elaborate data, ia(says the London "Christian World") 1 that a period of exhaustion averaging about five, years invariably follows a revival. During that period of exhaus. tion the average annual additions ti> the churches that- fully share in the revival is not over 10 per cent.' of those made' m the one year of revival. Dr. Dike's! verdict is;that: ''While -undoubtedly a , , revival brings forward many who would not otherwise hara : united with : the l " Church until some later year, and thus secures a few more years of religious life and growth to them, the prospect of coming into the church at the nextrevival has probably 'delayed the ste> ou the'part '.of many others."' : Dr. ; Dike adds, but not at'all confidently,that revivals- probably 'do increase Church membership in the long run.

An appeal has been; issiicd by Archbishop Bourne to; the Roman '> Catholio clergy -of England and 'Wales to enable him vto ■undertake without delay, the completion of the "Chapel of St.' Thomas of Canterbury, so that the work may. bo well in Land before the consecration of' the cathedral on June 28. In making; this appeal I am 'uttering a' prayer-entirely in accordance with the hopes and wishes of. my predecessor writes the Archbishop, v "But there is now a new motive for our efforts. St. Tliomas's Chapel is not only the:shrine of tho: Blessed Martyr, but it has become the principal memorial in thr cathedral of the Cardinal himself, without whoso stupendous courage and perseverance tho present--'generation''at' least would ;iiever. have gazed upon the walls of a metropolitan cathedral. By* his express desire he rests among those ■J?. l }J-;f?, lns 01Tn spiritual childfeu at Mill Hill, But the cenotaph; ever recalling, his features to us, lies before the altar of St. Thomas."

The New South Wales provincial council of tho Church of England Men's bociety report excellent progress with tho work of- organisation. Fifty-two branches have been formed, or are in process of formation in the State, and keen interest is being shown in the movement. The first annual conference of the society will be held in Sydney in May, at whiebthe Rev. H. S. Wooltcombe will probably b,e present.

The Methodist Conference of Western Australia carried a resolution last week deprecating the growing disregard of Sunemy as a day of worship and rest and urging upon- the Government the necessity for the , , suppression of public sports and the better-regulation of public entertainments on that dav

; The exact site, of the Garden of -Eden is supposed by Sir William Willcocks, British adviser to the Turkish Ministry of Public Works, to be at Hairlah, a flourishing oasis in the centre of a desolate plain about 150 miles northwest of Baghdad. Through the oasia runs thb ; nver Euphrates, divided into lour arms, which, according to Sir William, are. the four rivers of Eden- ■

The general committee of the New South. Wales Christian ' Endeavour Union has fixed on September 10. to 15 as, the dates of the annual Convention, for 1910.