RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1013, 31 December 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

LONDON CONCREQATIONAL UNION. DR. HORTO.VS SOCIAL GOSPEL. With the dying out of what Hugh Price Hughes called "bastard- Independency," tho Independency which ignores its responsibility for others, tho London Congregational Union (says tho "Christian World") has taken a great st-rido : forward in usefulness '■ and influonco. Thero aro no moro "livo" gatherings in tho year than the half-yearly meetings _of the Union. Tho autumnal meetings took placo at tho Memorial Hall, where full audiences and, practical speeches wero the order of tho day. Rev. ■ T. Enyon Davies ' (chairman of tho Union) presided over tho business meeting. Ho extended'an official welcome to new London ministers, who wero warmly cheered as they < stepped •on the • platform. A ■ seises of "reports" iollowcd from' departmental secretaries. Mr. Harry Barber (chairman of tho. council) reported a good but not quite good enough subscription list. Ho made the practical suggestion that each church should have a kind of clockwork arrangement for raising subscriptions to tho Union; tho Union, in its turn, to leave such churches blissfully free from "special appeals. 3 Hew H. Storer Toms,' reporting on . the Congregational colleges and schools, .was indignant at tho "disgraceful" inadequacy of tho churches' gifts towards ail educated .ministry. Mr. ,E. Graver Watkins 'spoke''on- the ■brotherhood movement. ■Ho hinted' that tho Brotherhood uien, while welcoming. a manly, cheerful ' religion, wero not too fond of ministers. Mr Vino vigorously .protested. Ho ' had. round .that men liked a manly man, and never cared _if he were a parson or a layman. Mr. Vino also hammered homo his conviction, that Brotherhoods should bo a recognised part of tho church work; tho churches would get from, this movement as much -as thev ppc into it. ~

Though Mr. Home's absence through illness was a great disappointment., the larqo congregation at the City Temple in the evening felt that Dr. Horton had maanificeutly , filled tlio gap. Ho hold that tile true basis for ' tho social gospel was not. that they desired any ulterior motive, not even that they wished to save men's souls, but simply that, as they followed Christ's'example in tho spiritual realm, so'they were constrained to follow -it in the bodily 'rnnlm. They were..bound to do what Christ did on earth, and ' what He would do now if He were once more a Man amongst-mon. Dr. Horton resolutely avoided politics.. His sole idea was to Crystallise tho Church's aspirations with regard to social welfare, and. to urce the Union,' the churches, and individual Christians to .keep the importance of : such a 'social gospel to tho forefront., The.sermon was a most inspiring and strengthening deliverance, and created a deep impression.

PRESBYTERIAN UNION

THE POSITION IN SCOTLAND. . "Only a. United Church of Scotland," declares tho. "Scotsman," "can stop tho waste of moneys involved iu ■ building new churches in places-where the population is rapidly dwindling, ; can bring tho power of Christianity to", bear on tho congested masses; 'of population now in a measure unprovided, for, and can so readjust the agencies that no longer shall ono man's tnslc be done by three or four. Only, the-concerted power of a united Church can make unnecessary these ever-recurring -'special appeals' which weary -.and exhaust congregations.'- Only' such "a Cliu'rcii can adequately grapple with tho social problems of to-day. There are not wanting signs that this policy is.winning an ever-increasing support among tho people of. Scotland. From them will rise a demand which' will forco the policy of union on tho churches, even, though they wero reluctant to adopt it. For' it is incredible that two churches whoate one in devotion, in faith, in policy, which agree in their . demand, for 'spiritual independence' and in their principle of 'national recognition' of religion,' and which are separated only by a matt.er'of definitions regarding affairs of'little moment, should, continue to stand,apart.", - .. '~. -" '■

BAPTISTS IN THE NEAR EAST.

GREAT REVIVAL. • Statistics of the' Baptist churches in> Eastern Europo show startling progress. Tho German-speaking Baptists, including Letts, Lithuanians, and Esthonians, liave their.own Union, and,.according to tho latest statistics, this comprises 147' churches and 468 stations, with a membership of 26,126. Tho baptisms last year numbered 1609. Tho Russian Baptist Union, formed at tho St. Petersburg Congress, comprises 149; churches, with a total membership of 10,935. Last year they reported . 1839 baptisms. No'statistics aro as yet available for tho Free Baptists, of whom Ivan ProkhanofE is tho leader, but they far. outnumber tho other Unions, especially in St. • Petersburg and in tho south of Russia, where their churches arc.springing up by,scores. The grant-of religious toleration has had a similar effect in Poland. Since 1905, tho dato of the Tsar's Edict, fiftynine churches have boon formed, with an aggregate membership of 3430. These again are nuito apart from , the' Free Baptists, for wliqm no' statistics are available. Sonic of the Polish Baptist churches are very largo. That at Lodz, for example/ has 1559 members, and that at Lucinow 84S. Tho, two churches report 199 baptisms between them for last. year. _ 1 Those well qualified to Judgo think that when complete, statistics arc available Russia will prove to be second only t-o the United States in .the .number'of Baptists, enrolled' as members of, churches... . Meanwhile, the l statistics* from Hungarj', . being - more" complete, seem to show that it is there that the ■Baptists are ranking the greatest headway, both in'numbers'and'in proportion to tho population. The Handbook shows a net increase for tho year of. 12 churches, 100 stations, and', 4000 members. .The growth of some of theso churchos has been amazing. Olio iiir Bckessaba, formed in 1907, has already 250 members; that at Homorod, founded in August last year, has 160 members and 20 preaching stations.' Andreas Udvarnoki's church at Budapest, with its '27 stations, reports a membership of 539 and a net increase for the year of 218. • ; .

In Rumania also the Baptist movement' shows astonishing' vitality. Iu August this year- ono evangelist-, Komya, baptised 2SO converts. In a ministry of twentv years ho has baptised no fewer than GIOD converts. Tho church at Kurties, with'' a membership of 950, records 124 baptisms last year : and that at Taloas reports a membership of 840, and 78 baptisms during tho year.

CARDINAL VANNUTELLI AND MR. TAFT.

AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION. Since Cardinal Yanimtelli returned to Rome after his mission to-Canada, and his various journeys in the United States, ho has managed pretty well to escape interviewers (says the "Catholic Times"). A Milanese journal,.'however, has succeeded in obtaining an interview, with his Eminence, who. after speaking with enthusiasm of the Eucharistic Con° gross of Montreal, referred to his visit to Mr. Taft. - On informed that a certain newspaper declared his visit bad been arranged with tho Vatican to destroy tho imnression made by the omission of Mr. Roosevelt to visit the Holy Father,' the Cardinal replied with

energy:- "Certainly not. I can assure you that in my long conversation with Air. Taffc there was not a word spoken of Mr. Roosevelt or the visit ho failed to make to'tlie Vatican. On the contrary, Mr. . Taffc spoke at considerable length of, his journey to Itonio in 1902, when ho was employed to treat with the Holy See-on the question of the monasteries of the Philippine Islands. Mr. Taffc expressed tho deep impression .which he-still preserves of that journey, jit was then only,' Mr. Taft; declared, 'that I really understood tho greatness of the Catholic Church, and I assuro your Eminence that. the mission constitutes one of tlio dearest memories of my life."' When asked-if he had treated with Mr. Taft of any special questions, the Cardinalreplied :■ "No, my visit was ono of simple courtesy. But I may add that tho President of the -United States warmly eulogised the Catholic population of that . country. 'The Catholics of ; America,' he said, 'aro not. only sincerely devoted to. the Papacy and tho Church, .hut they are also excellent patriots,, and : give . good example to.all,'" . ;'

CHURCH OF ENGLAND MEN'S ,SOCIETY.

V CENTRAL' COUNCIL • MEETING. • The annual; , conference at Bristol .elected twenty-five of its: members ■ to represent it on a Central Council'• of t-h© -society, and these, together with ■the fifty members who have served: for tho . past two years, . joined for their first council meeting recently. The Archbishop , of: York presided. Mr. Douglas. Eyre; was again- , elected vice-president for tho ensuing year, alnd •it was stated that 110. had given moro freely, of hia.. timo. to'"the .service of the society. Tho! council then •; proceeded to elect twenty-five ■of its number wdib' ivoUld-act as its; executive 'committee for the ensuing twelvo I months. Under its constitution 'the council' has ithe right.of co-bptation, and three members of the society were coopted—Captain Povah, a former member, Mr.-F.G. Mackarot-h,' and Ser-geant-Major Williamson. A report was. presented by Mr. Roland Green on ..behalf of -the sub-committee, which had to consider tho question 'of"pernicious literature. "Tho report contained much useful and-practical information. ■' Aiter certain amendments jn the by-laws, attention was given- to the-position of diocesan secretaries,; and the council ■ folt>that as each diocesan union -came into being, its . secretaries should be invited •to attend-meetings, of the councils, without having the right, however] to speak or vote. ; It is felt that" this will enable diocesan. secretaries to keep closer, touch with, tho . movement and help the diocesan'phase of the work to develop upon, somewhat .uniform .lines. Commander Madan -gave a most -interitesting report of tl»> -labours.of tho various committees; iy connection with'the. annual conference'at Bristol, and stated with much satisfaction that the f.unds raised ; by private subscription and by collections was. almost enough to meet the liabilities entailed by : the gatherings. . - As the conference :had met in. tlie provinces forvthe;.last- two -rears vi .was decided .that* next year the..meetings should take place, in London. October 26 . was fixed as t-liq aptual date of the conference. - .' -

SECTARIAN DISTINCTIONS,

Silt It; AV. FfiRKS'S ADVOCACTS. Speaking at 'a-Wesley Guild rally at Birmingham,' Sir R. W. Perks pointed out that sectarian separation sometimes at least made for progress., -. We have amongst us, lie said, some inou to-day —generally 'professors of , a superfine' Christianity—who, keeping their ey?s.' upon the L star/3 . and forgetting the.,flucK dies at .their''feet, nro tolling, us'that' it is a phase of inferior Christianity to preservosectarian names. Thev thought, in '. the solitude of .. their studies,, wlionco such : dogmas and nostrums generally . emanated, that wo were on tlio eve of the millennium, that , all sectarian distinctions wero- about to disappear, and that the regiments of tlio Great King's army wero all to be one shapo and typo and colour, and that those old standards under which their fathers fought wero 'to- be furled and hung up .as trophies, or rather danger-signals ■of a.; rather, inferior- - age when men and "women grouped' themselves ill tlio'.churches, under different names, standards,."and -;nects;V Let those good men plod along their way. Doctrine.? and: dogmas had , their; force and object, and, for. the timo 'being, he believed it was the wislr of the young men and women of Wcsleyan ism to preserve the tradition, to main-, tain the name, to strengthen the organliation, and to graft upon it all those new agencies which-, would make it more effective for the uplifting of the community. So he put in an ordinary layman's word for the preservation -or sectarianism. r Thev were not rcrenared ™t to wipe off tlio name Wesleyan Methodists.

FATHER BERNARD VAUCHAN IN NEW YORK.

The "Tablet" (London), of .November 12, -states; —As 'an indication of tlio interest excited ' iii the United States by Father . Bernard yaughan's visit quito a number of our American readers have sent us- cuttings from the papers containing reports and descriptive accounts- of his addresses.. "Wo quote one from a "New York Freeman's Journal" as typical of many: an account of a sermon _pren_chcd at'»SC Ignatius's Church,-New York,' on October 3: — ; '. The congregation is described as crowding, the pews of the great church, thronging -the aisles from sanctuary to doors, and overflowing into tho streets in one mighty fiood-tido of Catholic, and non-Catholic "■ humanity. Accustomed as Father Vaughan is to the tribute of immense audiences, .he. was deeply touched by tho magnificent', manifestation of religious interest and personal appreciation surprising ' him in,;our American metropolis,. and his sympathy with the' numbers vainly striving ,to press within sound of his voice shimmered in his eyes and trembled in his tones which ?an bo tender as well as terrible, as ho sent forth his heartfelt expression of regret'for tho disappointed, and of his yearning to reach even unto tho last and least • soul disposed to listen to his spiritual message.' '

A CHURCH WITHOUT CREED

A conflict between now and old theologians, in Hallgato ' Congregational Church,. Doneaster,' lias led to an 'unexpected development. By " agreement , Rev. Percy \V. Jones and his followers liavo .Yielded possession of Hallgato Chapc'i, and started a new church in tho Guild Hall. Tho Unitarian Church, which has been without a pastor.for some weeks, decidcd to throw in its lot with tho aeceders ■ from Hallgato Church, and as tho outcome of this amalgamation a Freo Church, without' creed and without any denominational allegiance, is to bo founded. "The Doncas.ter Gazette"" states that, the Yorkshire Unitarian Union, at Leeds, took the'view that although there wer? differences in uamo and in some, details of theology between Mr. Jones and liis followers and the Unitarian congregation, they were at one in their Progressive tendency, and-ill their tlciire for a free pulpit. Representatives of both parties met before a committee of tho Unitarian Union, and soma of the preliminary ground lias been cleared. And so favourable, liavo the ..auguries appeared for the amalgamation that representatives of Mr. Jones's congregation have actually taken advantage of another '.'providential" . opportunity, and acquired for £1150 the property adjoining tho. Unitarian Chapel and-par-sonage—with a view to_ the erection of a new church.—"Christian World.''