RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 978, 19 November 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

METHODIST MISSION MOVEMENT. NEW HALIi AND INSTITUTE IN MANCHESTER, Tlio Key. S F. Collier, of Manches- • i xGV * Luke Wiseman, of Birmingham, are prominent leaders or tho Methodist Mission Movement in England. Mr. Collier has just celebrated the twenty-firth anniversary of Ills connection with tho Manchester Mission, and part of the celebrations was the opening of a new mission hall. anys the "Methodist Times" :— - "The new Albert Hall and Aston Institute has been ereotcd to provide a church homo for the "workers and members attached to the congregation, .which for twenty-one years lias gathered on Sunday . nights in the famous Free Trade Hall. These. services have been the phenomenon of tho Manchester Mission, for, though Mr. Collier is not in the first flight of preachers, ho has for .years had the largest congregation in England. The now building is a substantial edifice of polished red granite and brown terra cotta, fronting on to Poter Street and almost opposite tho Free Trado Hall itself. This is the heart of Manchester theatfedom. TJpon the Albert Hall £55,000 has been spent, llio site alone cost £25,000, but 1 this was covered by tho generosity of tho late Mr. Edward Aston, whoso name is given to the Institute, and whoso widow opened the building. The premises consist of one largo hall and'twenty-eiglit halls and rooms of varying sizes designed for multitudinous uses. Tho building is modern from the top of the tower to tho basement, and from "its perfect ventilation system to tho metallic filaments of the electric lamps. In elegance tho main hall rivals Dr. Jowctt's .Digbcth Hall of ■ Birmingham. There is.a touch of almost barbaric magnificence' about the beautiful auditorium with its arched roof, coloured windows, dazzlingly white walls, caived walnut woodwork, silver electric-ligTit pendants and stately organ. It goes without saying that pews have given place to 10G0 tip-up opera seats with' hat-racks. The first impression the building makes is of brightness, and this is the abiding impression."

OBITUARY,

THE AUTHOR OF "NOTES ON INGERSOLL." With sincere regret wo learn that the Rev. Louis A. Lambert has passed away (says the "Catholic Times"). ' Tho rev. gentleman had been v seriously ill for a few weeks, and his death was not unexpected. : The news that it lias occurred will causo much regret not only amongst Catholics, but also amongst' Protestants throughout the Englishspeaking world. Father Lambert, who was born in Pennsylvania'in 1835, and ordained priest in 185'J, rendered inestimable services to the Church. He held the office of a chaplain during the American Civil War, and afterwards devoted himself to tho production of Catholic literature as well as to parochial work. . When the late Colonel Ingersoll was usmg tho press to mako attacks on • Christianity. Father Lambert replied with "Notes oil Ingersoll." The work had at once an immense success. His stylo was clear, to the point, and telling. Ho also published "Thesaurus Biblicus, or Handbook of Scripture. Reference," and other volumes. For journalism lie hail a great aptitude, and the two Catholic papers with which lie was connected are amongst, tho brightest and most progressive in tho United States. Ho founded tho "Catho-, lie Times"—now the ."Catholic Standard and Times" —of Philadelphia, and edited it for six years, and in 1594 ho became the editor of the "New York Freeman's Jolirnal," • a position which lio held up to his death. jHis articles were full of vigour, and ho was over ready to take up tho defenco of Catholic and American national interests and tho Irish cause, of which lie was an ardent advocate. Ho held tho honorary degree of LL.D., and was a member of tho Victoria Institute of Great Britain.

THE BIBLE. AND MODERN SCHOLARSHIP.

In a new edition of the "Encyclopaedia Britanniea," now in the press, the important .article, "Bible,", forty-four pages in length—i.e.; nearly 70,000 words is the work of seven eminent critics, each of whom deals with a separate section. They are: F. C.- Burkitt, Nornsan Professor of Divinity, Cambridge ; Canon S. R. Driver, Regius Professor of Hebrew, Oxford; Rev. George Buchanan Gray, Professor of Hebrew and O.T. Exegesis in Mansfield College; Rev. Kirsopp Lake, Professor of Early Christian Literature and N.T. Exegesis, University of Leiden; Can'oii W. Sandfly, Lady Margaret Professor .£?■ Divinity, Oxford;, J. F. Stennin'g, University Lecturer in Aramaic, Oxford ; C. H. Turner, Speaker's Lecturer in Biblical Studies in the University of Oxford. There is also a special ' article on the English versions of the Bible by Miss A. C. Panes:

G.M.S.

The annual report of the Church Missionary Society states that the income actually received during the year was £374,233. Tho total amount available oc>- year s expenditure was £390,33 a. That expenditure amounted to £385.613, leaving an apparent surplus of £4722. The society has now 543' stations and 1360 European and' colonial missionaries. /Die native communicants now. number 100, 574, compared with 99,579 in . tho previous year, iihd the total number of, native Christian adherents is 36.1,389,* against 355,833 in 190S-09. . Tho society is maintaining 275S seniinari'es and schools, and its natives' teachers and scholars number 165,303. Tho mission hospitals contain 3GG9 beds, and during the year 29,767 ill-patients and 1,196,306 'outpatients were treated at theso hospitals.- ■

MENCO CATHEDRAL,

The Cathedral of Meiigo. in Uganda, which has been destroyed by lightning was consecrated by Bishop Tucker, oil JllllO 21, J 904, in tho presence of a congregation numbering 4500 insido and somo COOO outside. Tlic King was present with tho Katikiro and tho great chiefs. "It was a thrilling moment," writes Bishop Tucker, "when, ill tho presence of that vast throng, ono stood up to pronounce the solemn words of consecration with tbeso evident tokens of God's blessing or every hand—tho beautiful cathedral in which we met; tho vast congregation which filled it and its precincts; the body of clergy, native and European; tlioso evangelists and teachers gathered from every part of I the diocese." Tho oldest motlierclnirch at Meiigo was blown down in 1894, in the midst of a great storm. This misfortune became a. means of blessing, owing to tho erection of many small places of worship while the central structure was rebuilding. There can be little doubt that Mengo Cathe-' dral will soon bo re-erected on a larger scale.

The Rev. D. Maclean, deputy from tho Free Church of Scotland to the Free Church of Eastern Australia, has been preaching and lecturing on the northern rivers to large, congregations on Sabbaths and week-days during the last few weeks. The Free Church at Maclean, Clarence .River, was more than crowded on a recent Sabbath. The aisle, vestry, and porch wore full, and a number outside that could not cam entrance*

BRITISH BAPTIST UNION,

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD. _ Thft autumnal assembly of the Baptist Union opened at Glasgow in Adelaide Place Church on October 4. The subject of Sir Georgo W. Macalpine's presidential address was "The Ministry of the Church to the World." He said tho Church had of late years concentrated too much on social problems, • and tho person of Jesus Christ had been dragged into tho controversy. .1 he Head of tho Church had been called a ' demagogue," and "The greatest xtadical that ever lived." -Men asserted that Ho was against tho rich and. for tho poor, or, • rather, for the poor against the rich; But that was not the picture which tlie Gospels gave of Jesus Christ. They represented Him as moving about among men, not without a keen sense of the wrong wrought between man and man, with a'profound sympathy for human suffering, ever solicitous that- man's natural wants should bo supplied, but with a supreme indifference to his social or political ambitions. His message was ever to tho individual soul, and was framed on the assumption, that sin was at tho root of all misery; and, therefore, Ho was solicitous not so mncli about human inter-relations as about the relation of men to God."

The Church'had departed too,much from the example of her Divino Master. Jluch of her machinery had , been based on the principle of securing for men tho lesser goou. Boys' brigades, P.S.A.'s for men, Wednesday afternoons for women, concerts and picnics —what did they frequently accomplish beyond this? The Church should not treat men as a mother treats a naughty boy, for whom she is glad to find any occupation that will keep him out of mischief. The ministry of, tho Church to the world, far above all .else, was a ministry of reconciliation. Sir George concluded with an appeal. The wealth of the Baptist Church, he said, had increased in a greater ratio than its. contributions to foreign missions; it had withheld moro than'was meet, and this had tended to moral and spiritual poverty. He • appealed for greater generosity, more wliole-hearted devotion, and a spirit of fervent and continuous prayer. Tho secretary (Rev. J. H.' Shakespeare) reported that a sustenation scheme had been submitted. It was accepted by 194 churches and rejected by 39 churches. The signs indicated that they would have a majority sufficiently largo to warrant the. launching of a sustenation fund at the next spring assembly.' (Cheers.)

THE WCRLD'S CONGREGATIONALISM.

Mr. John Minshull, of the Memorial Hall, has prepared his annual statistical summary of the world's Congregationalism. The figures, which, compared with last year, show, an increase in Church membership of 12,858, but a decrease in Sunday School scholars of 4357, are as follow.: Churches, Chapels, Sunday- ' and Church School St't'ns. JU'iub'rs. SchTrs. Great Britain ... J,932 195,170 709,910 London Missionary Society ... 1,708 86,491 80,453 Canada and Newfoundland 18S 10,741 8,659 British Guiana and . .. Jamaica ICO 7,869 . ;5.955 Australia and jVew , ■ Zealand ■ 419 .. 18,708 33,235 South Africa,. Na- - tal, and Sierra • . Leone GSB ■ 19,152 - 9,474 American _ Zulu ' Mission 49 2,406 2,225 China, India,'.' Japan, and Syria .115 14,068 11,581 United States of America 5,889 ; 731,172 710,057 American Board of - Commissioners for Foreign Missions 2,080 73,671 70,979 15,874 1,460,051 1,678,558

Y.M.C.A. NOTES.

(Br H.N.H.) The young men o£ Hastings are 1 enthusiastically taking 'up tho matter' of establishing a Y.M.C.A. in that town. It has been decided to canvass, the town to see how many men would bo ■willing to join beforo proceeding farther -with the organisation. So far 251; men have » .'writing signified their intention of joining an association if 0110 is commenced in Hastings. A great meeting is being organised for November 29 in the Opera 'House, Wanganui, to inaugurate a Y.M.C.A. in that town. The' speakers will bo Dr. Henry and Mr. C. A. Potts, and Mr. H., N. Holmes, of 'Wellington. The. Birmingham Association has just lost its general secretary by death. Mr.. Pierce J. Preston was regarded ,by the leaders of the movement on both-sides of the Atlantic as one of the' strongest "men of the British movement. He was only about 35 years of age, and died after a very short illness. . The National Committee of tho Y.M.C.A., ..besides arranging for. the visit of Mr. Fred. S. Goodman, of tho International Committeo next year, is negotiating for a lecturo tour of Australasia by Mr. W. J. Bryan, on three occasions the ■ • democratic candidate for tho United States Presidency. The new building of the Manchester Y.M.C.A. is ne'aring completion, and will ihavo cost, when opened, about £44,000.

SALVATION ARMY

Speaking of the intentions of tho Salvation Army in tho very near future. Commissioner Hay • says"At, the moment my hands are full, and my devoted staff aro. equally busy with the many, many pressing demands of tho work. Almost immediately we open a new shelter for women in Melbourne, a cheap popular home for respectable women in Sydney, a men's home in Auckland, enlarged inebriates' homo for men at Roto-Roa Island, and a home for women inebriates at l'akatoa, New Zealand. In addition to tlio projects referred to thcro will be the launching of an extensive campaign which my heart has been set upon."

JOTTINGS.

General Booth, of tlio Salvation, Army, has cabled out 1 Ills .congratulations oil the success of this year's selfdenial effort. The sum raised works out (says the "War Cry") at a littlo under 2d. per head for every man, woman, and child ill Australia. Commissioner and Mrs. Hay conducted large meetings in Melbourno oil. Cup Day. The Commissioner's announcement that the self-denial total had reached nearly £40,000, was received with a volley of cheers.

The most gratifying circumstances in connection with the holding of the Montreal Congress, says the Canadian Postmaster-General, Mr. Rndolphe Lcnieux, was the spirit in which it was regarded by Canadian Protestants. Thanks to the friendly co-operation of t'no lion-Catholic citizens, lie said, Montreal had been able to offer a welcome free from any outward sign of religious division to the greatest ecclesiastical gathering ever held in the New World.

Tlio Pope's gifts to Cardinal Moran in connection with his Jubilee, consist of a magnificent monstrance for use in the Benediction of' the Blessed Sacrament, and which is intended for St. Mary's Cathedral, and of a verv fine cross in- gold filigree work. This is to be a prize in the movement for the raising of funds to assist in clearing s>war the Cathedral debt. , -