RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 12

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

AN IMPORTANT UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENT. Tho appointment to tho Chair of and Biblical Criticism in Glasgow' University, vacant through the retirement of Professor Stewart, has fallen, to: Dr. Georgo Milligan, of Caputh. The name is a familiar one in Scottish University circles, as Dr. Milligan's father occupied the corresponding chair in Aberdeen University for a long series of .years. Tho. new professor had himself a distinguished career in that University, and graduted in 1879 with first-class honours in classics and honours in mental philosophy. He took his B.D. degree with honours in 1S83; and subsequently . studied in. Germany. After a short ministry in-Ayrshire .he was called to St. Matthew's,' .Edinburgh, which lib raised -to one of the, most important charges in the city during his ten years' occupancy. .In 1894 ho succeeded the late Dr. Theodore Marshall at Caputh. During his career.ho has been not only, an excellent preacher, but a laborious scholar, and he has made notable contributions to: religious and theological literature. In his "Theology of■: the ■ Epistle to the' Hebrews," more especially, ho breaks ground in a field never before cultivated :by an English scholar.

HOME OF WESLEYANISM. h

j. The dazzling white walls of the new Methodist Church House at Westminster are beginning to. lift themselves slowly above the surrounding hoardings .on tho site of the old Royal Aquarium. Itis three years since the work was begun,: and a: detailed inspection of the building reveals the- gigantic character of the task,' 'The great-outer walls, 4ft. 6in. in thickness, the: massive piers in. the basement between which; stretch low vaults 19f ,45ft. span,: .the huge, steel stanchions . soaring, upwards to carry 1 the dome, tellj-' in the 1 language of the' architect, of the.. Wesleyan .Methodists' faith in their future.: . The entrance hall and grand siaircaso aro'in polished marblo, giving a very rich effect, but. apart from thisthe 'interior decoration of: the'building will be simple almost to- austerity. -The..whole length .of-'the basement, 200 ft., is given.up to, 'the i tea-room, which,'. it;: is .calculated, will: : accommodate; -1000 people.' 'The-.total.-'ipost of. tlib building will not fall far.Short' of a,quarter pf ; a million sterl- ;-■>

REV. THOMAS SPURCEON.

Tho - ex-pastor . of. the Metrppolitan: Tabernacle .(the Rev. Thomas Spur-; gepii;i,who is well known in New Zealand) jias returned .to England- after : a five weeks' -'absence in Switzerland. One of the/.objects'of .this: excursion ' was. to find , hew- subjects' for., his: pencil.: . Unfortunately). this sketching tour was greatly- hindered '.by exceptipnally,: heavy rain, or i'soini-wintry; :weatier, and :by severe:.pain;:;V-,Nevertheless,' -by. seizing favourable, opportunities,'. Mr'. Spurgeon .secured about,:foi l ty -sketches; which will ;-afford' -him material -for congenial, 'winter.. work.'.,: At .or about Michaelmas.: he . has arranged to return to his favourite South ■ Devon: retreat at. Paignton, : and 1 -to'!'occupy . tho pulpit; of' the Baptist bhapel' there on Sunday. mornings .during six . -months. His'; medical adviser warns : him. against fatigue and excitemeiit, .so 'sthat bautipn and partial rest arc still necessary..

ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

; :.In. his address, at-tho-recent meeting: 'of '/the i Anglican.' ;Dibc.esan- Synod on September 6 tho ' Archbishop . (Dr. ■ Wright) said ': that . ambngst tho outstanding features ; of success ; in - diocesan, life^were:,tho biithusiastic-annual: meeting v. of . tho. Church Sooietyi : at. ,whioh. the was crowded to, ■overflowing, the generally. healthy con- -i dition of adyah'oe;sben- ! in. funds, ! tho'.' hundreds ' of;• confirmatioii. candidates, tho wonderful meetings of earnest Church people rin - centre: that he.:had visited, the,crowded cbngregations in.tlio Cathedral, the splendid circulation of tho Church!s. new paper, tho .inception;.of :,many:; now. schemes for xhurch; : ;buildins;.: and, cliiircli- .exfen'sm, : an'd- tho .completion,of /:several old- efforts, which had failed of achievement ;for years;;.tlie, large .contributions :- to missionary efforts, .larger thaji tho-ss of 'any.;bther ; diocese;of. Australia.- Sydney' Churchmen had: good, cauM-to'-bo'proud of their diocese. . ■ :■!} ■'.. --■

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.

'■r-'.-.Tlie; Jriorida -of. three ■counties held their, annual gathering: on Sunday, August.,?,'. at Arinseott, /'Worcestershire, .the;., : village-, associated with, the.' preach-. > ihg of.-.Goorgo Fox, . and ' from'which he was .taken t-ohis last ; imprisonment at .Wdroesfer. . . ''The : Primitive' Methodists have use of ■'Armscott. Ch; all'the year. round save on the first ;Sunday in August, when Friends meet. • -There was a large /.attendance',people coming from '.Birniingham|\yGoyentry ) '■ ■ Stratford-on-■AvonV' and ■ the* near :■Cotsw«l& district.' The: local-Salvationists also- came , into (Service ,with f Refreshments were .' served; in': a .'tent ■in .the disused be-ing/a-.pious. pilgrimage, 'gives .Friends' .overj.a:.wide:'Q9iintry.the.:opportunity of. brief timo.:. .; r ■ *; : :. ■

CARDINAL MORAN.

' EIGHTH YEARS OLD. " 'Cardinal Moran, a striking figure in' the Roman. Catholic life,-'of Australia, was 80 years old on Septembor 15. • On St. Patrick's Day, 1884; the late Bishop, Quinn, of Bathurst, cabled to Bishop ' Murray in Australia-"The ,Holy See. has' appointed Patrick Francis:'Moran'.to,.the- See of Sydney, Deo Gra-tia-s."; ■ j Archbishop Moran had. scarcely . settled . down to work in Australia wheal he . was summoned to Rome to receive a new. honour from the Holy See.: Tho summons camo in 'May, .1885, and was promptly obeyed. "In the person of ■Archbishop Moran the Sovereign Pontiff, desired to invest the. youngest daughter of the Universal Church, with a. high and noble dignity. Kneeling at tho. feet of. the Holy Father, who had blessed- him but' a few month® before when setting out" for Australia, the Archbishop of Sydney received tho Red Hat." Thus Archbishop Ho ran became 'Cardinal, and ho landed again in, Sydney, with the. added dignity on September 4, 1885, a- great ■ Roman. Catholic welcome being accorded him. . ' The Cardinal has 1 accomplished a great deal forj-his Church.: Twenty-eight Roman Catholic institutions of charity dato from liis arrival. He is tho founder of St. Patrick's Ecclesiastical College, at Manly, and this is regarded by his ,people as his greatest work. The Cardinal; without any appeal to the Roman Catholic community, paid for the erection and furnishing of St. Patrick's,, which, it is said, could not. have cost him. less than £80,000. ■ Great personal influenco is exerci-sed by the Cardinal over his community. If be contemplates any big Church work ho has only to ask and the appeal is readily responded to. At present ,ho has undertaken to raiso £100,000 'for the completion of St. Mary's Cathedral. A rough estimate shows that nearly £•10,00(1 is already in hand towards 'the project. In fifteen, years he has spent. £100,000 in making the Cathedral what it is to-day. Tho completed structure, will represent an expenditure of over £200,000. Cardinal Moran started his 81st year in the best of health. •