RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CONGREGATIONAL UNION. THE NEW HYMNAL. For the fourth time the members of the Council of the English Congregational Union have met lor their spring meetings in a provincial town. Oxford was chosen this year, and probably a more generally approved choice could not have been made. It gave some ministers the opportunity of revisiting tho haunts of their student days, and others the pleasure of seeing for the first time a city they had long desired to visit, and of becoming acquainted with Congregationalism's own seat of learning at .Mansfield College.

Tho Hymnal Committee, of which Mr. J. D. M'Clure, M.A., LL.D., D.Mus., is chairman, reported that during the year the committee had met on fifteen occasions. They have carefully considered a largo number of hymns in manuscript, or privately printed, but very few of these seemed to them suitable for inclusion in tho new Hymnal. The following hymnals have also been examined, in tho first instance by a sub-com-mittee, afterwards by the full committee, and selections made therefrom: — Present Coi.gregational Hymnal, St. Olave's Hymnal, Hymns of tho Apostolic Church, "Worship Song. Old Congregational Hymnal, Leeds Hymn Book, liook of Common Praise (Canada), Church Hymiiary, Hymns of the Greek Church, Pilgrim Hymnal, Supplement to Old Congregational Hymnal, Mill Hill School Supplementary Hymns, Hunter's Children's Book—Hymns of Faith and Hope, Oxford Hymn Book, Brotherhood Hymn Book, Lyra Americana, Harrow Hymn Book, Hymns Ancient and Modern, Rorison's Hymn Book. St. John's College Hymnal, Old Baptist Hymnal, Baptist Church Hymnal, Wesleyan Methodist Hymnary, Kugby School Book, Fellowship Hymn Book, Union Church, Putney, "Hymns for Occasional Use." As a result of those labours about 700 hymns have been provisionally selected for inclusion in the new Hymnal. There are still a few awaiting further consideration, but what may be termed tho first selection is practically complete. The hymns selected will next lie grouped according to subjects, and theso parts which seem redundant or scanty will form the subject of further consideration.

BISHOP OF LONDON.

LENTEN MISSION. The opening services of the Bishop of London's recent Lenten Mission were attended by an overflowing congregation at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, and at Twickenham Parish Church, showing how deeply the object and the method of this Lenten effort appeals to great masses of men and women year after year. His object, as ho said, is to try and bo what he ought to be—a good shepherd to his flock. The Bishop emphasised tho far-reaching effect of thesomissions by remarking that ho had been reading a most interesting book on the Evangelical revival and tho beginning of Methodism, and expressed his confident belief that if the Bishops of ono hundred and fifty years ago had carried on mission? tliero never would have been millions of Methodists outside tho Church. This year lie was visiting tho, outer rim of the diocese, because he wanted his people living thero to feel that they were as much in his care and lovo as those, in tho central districts where previous missions had been hold. Tho Bishop explained tho method of the mission, which is the same as in former years—belief in the Holy Spirit, united intercession,, questions, and answers, and a message. The answers to prayers through united intercessions at these missions had been, he said, wonderful, as was shown by the thanksgivings wliich were sent in. The Bishop then offered what ho described as just a handful of letters picked up from a largo number on his prayer-desk. They were, as in previous years, of a deeply" affecting character. In two cases—ono of a woman suffering from trembling palsy, and another of a woman who had sustained terrible injuries from burns — the Bishop said ho bad already sent messages of sympathy, and ho hoped to visit the sufferers. Then tliero were the very sad cases of domestic misery, such as those where the happiness of tho homo had been wrecked by misconduct, and two petitions were for clergymen in danger of falling into sin. Intercessions were offered for Cambridgo undergraduates, and a thanksgiving had been received from two whoso lives had been changed.

THE JUBILEE OF "SPURGEON'S."

SERMOX BY REV. CHARLES BROWN. The jubilee celebrations at the Metropolitan Tabernacle closed on Sunday evening, March 10. with a service conducted by the chairman of tho Free Church Council, Rev. Charles Brown. The previous week will bo ever memorable in tho history of tho congregation. Besides two successful public gatherings there was the members' meeting on Tuesday evening, at which a cordial invitation to the pastorate was sent to Dr. Dixon. On Sunday evening there was hardly a vacant pew in area or galleries; oven tho topmost rows showed only here and there an empty space. The love and admiration which London Baptists feel for the Rev. Charles Brown was very apparent. Mr. Brown is now at the zenith of his pulpit power, and those who had the privilege of hearing him that Sunday evening must have realised that lie ranks with the foremost preachers of Britain. Though he spoke for nearly three-quarters of an hour, there was not a moment at which a feeling of weariness or impatience touched tho audience. The quietness and refinement of his literary style, the perfect taste wih which his illustrations are selected, tho human tenderness with which ho touches the secrets of individual lives, arc all potent weapons in his armoury. Mr. Brown's discourse was full of allusions drawn from the best literature. Twice ho read passages from Charles Lamb. Once ho quoted from the biography of Dr. Dale. His use of hymns was wonderfully appropriate. Best of all were tho illustrations drawn from the life of people ho has known, such as that railway worker in a lonely signal box near Sheffield, who wrote: "When I am alone here at the post of duty, on many a wild and stormy night, I feel that Christ is as real to mo as my wife is in tho daytime." After telling of tho happy death of an aged labourer, lIY. Brown asked solemnly, "Don't you think there arc more than mists in dying eyes?"

A CREAT BOLLANDIST'S DEATH

Father Charles do f-nicdt, the head of (l>o Bollandists, has just died (says the "Catholic Times'-' of March 24). lie has had during the last twenty-nino years ..i largo share in the immense work which the Jesuit Fathers have accomplished in the publication of the "Acta Sanctorum" or Lives of the Saints. The scheme was originally mooted not I)} , the Jesuit whoso naino the enterprise hears, hut by Father Koscwoid, u Flemish member of the Order, who died iu 1G29. It was taken up by Father John Holland, who was a native of the Netherlands, niui was developed by Ino abiliy and energy. Ho aroused the interest of learned men throughout Europe in it, and was thus enabled to procure valuable documents suited to his purpose. Other Jesuits co-operated, .-.ml the work was continued after Father Holland's death. But when the fiftythird'volume had been issued the French Revolution interrupted the labours of

these, learned men. The revolutionary" Iroops entered tho Netherlands; the Fathers wore dispersed; and their papers iverp cast to tho winds or transferred to public libraries. It was only in 1837— lour years after Father do Smedt's birth nt Ghent—that the undertaking was returned. Since 1832 it has been conducted under his guidance in a manner worthy of its best traditions and of the reputation of tho Order of which he was a member for sixty years.

THE REV. DR. BUSCARLET,

A WELL-MERITED HONOUR. The senatus of the University of Montreal, Canada, has conferred the degree of D.D. on the Rev. A. F. Buscarlet who was, until lately, pastor of -tho Lausamio station of the United Free Church of Scotland. Mr. Buscarlet, whoso father was :i French Protestant pastor at Pau, and whoso mother was of ■\Velsh origin, was'educated partly in Franco and partly in Scotland. Having cast in his lot with the Free Church of Scotland, ho began ministerial work as assistant to Dr. Stewart, of Leghorn, well-known as tho friend of the W'aldeusiaii Church. After a year of two, during which he acquired a competent knowledge of Italian, ho began a lengthened period.of service at Naples, where •ho gathered and consolidated a congregation and built tho Scotch Church there. The second half of his , ministry was prosecuted-at Lausanne, where ho has loft his memorial in-tho beautiful Scotch church, and where he alsj built up a congregation. His new honour, which has como late, is well merited. Mr. Buscarlet has recently retired from the Lausanne pastorate, but ho still continues to do active work at Pan during the winter months. At Lausanne he has been ably succeeded by the Rev. A. M. Sutherland, formerly of Leith.

WESLEYANS IN EAST LONDON

A MEMORABLE INCIDENT. Tho London Wesleyan Mission East has published its report fo; , 1010. The superintendent, Rev. Henry Buckley, pays a high tribute to the Rev. T. E. Westerdalo for his services in extinguishing the debt. "Sinco the clay he came into residence at Stepney Central Hall the industry, courage, enterprise, and faith which he manifested won the admiration of all who were associated with him in this historic effort. The writer will never forget the. morning on which Mr. Wcsterdale left us. Standing in front of the hall, and looking up at these magnificent premises with tears of joy in his eyes, he exclaimed to his son and myself: 'I have redeemed them from debt!' Methodism in general, and the East-enders in particular, owe a debt of gratitude to him, a debt which we shall never be able to pay." Mr. Westerdalo contributes a very interesting article giving an account of his debt-raising scheme. Under Mr. IJucklcy's charge the Mission continues to prosper. It has within the sphere of its operations a population nearly equal to that of Sheffield or Bradford, and. it stands as the only Wesleyan Methodist witness in this vast area.

ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, ROME.

DECLARATION AND OPENING. The "Catholic Times" of .March 24, states: The report which our Roman correspondent gives in our present issue of the dedication and opening of St. Patrick's Church and of Father David Fleming's sermon will," we feel sure, afford no slight pleasure to readers of tho "Catholic Times" in many lands. Wherever tho children of St. Patrick aro to be found- —and where is the region in which'...they,'are'not-to be met with? —they will take a special interest in the records of this event. It will not of courso alter for the better the relations between Irish ' Catholics and the Holy See, for happily these relations aro so good that they aro incapable of improvement. But, as Father Fleming naid in a sermon wbich so well interprets tho sentiments of the Irish race, tho new church in tho Eternal City dedicated to the Apostle of Ireland is an endearing symbol of the unswerving, fidelity, loyalty, and love with which Irish Catholics regard the Vicar of Christ. At all times the Popes have shown their appreciation of this filial devotion, and the priests who conceived, promoted, and carried through tho project for the erection of St. Patrick's Church had no moro earnest sympathisers and supporters than the late and the present Pontiff. 'With the approval and generous financial aid of Leo XIII the work was begun, and with the hearty encouragement of Pius X it was resumed and has been successfully completed.

DEMOCRACY AND CHRISTOCRACY

I THE CONVERSION OF THE VOTER. Rev. J. D. Jones, M.A., 8.D.. speaking at the anniversary of East Cliff Congregational Church, Hourncmouth, said that Congregationalism was not a democracy and novor would be; it was a Christo'cracy. Their Church meeting was, properly speaking, not a placo where one came to say what he thought or to push his way and struggle for his own cud; ■ it was a place where only Christ was heard to speak and where Jesus reigned alone. Power, he said, 'rested in the hands of the working men of the land if they only knew it, and they would ultimately realise it. Ho believed in the good sense of the average man, and he was quite as well prepared to trust the wisdom of the working man as he was prepared to trust the wisdom of the Peer. At the same time he was not one of those who wont into raptures ovt.• what was said to bo triumphant democracy. Ho did not bclicvo in the theory that if everyone got a vote everything would be right. It was just as possible for a mob to go wrong as α-monarch, and just as three centuries ago our Independent forefathers had'to take the sword and fight against the pernicious right of a king to rule badly, sn they in the present day would have to fight against the sunposition that there was a Divine right of universal suffrage, and they would hare to resist the tyranny of the mob. What they sorely wanted in England in these days of popular and almost universal suffrage was to see to it that, the people, themselves were Christianised. The vote itself might be a peril unlcs» it was in the hands of a good man, and if a voter was to be converted into a builder of the Church of God, they had to see that the voter was converted. In this direction Congregationalism had a special duty to do.

A PREACHER OF 8000 SERMONS,

Tlio "Father" of the .Baptist Church in England is the Rev. Evan Edwards, of Torquay, who has just arrived at the venerable ago of ninety-six. ISorn in Wales in ISIS, ho can recall the great days of John Klias ami Christinas Evans. "He caught, indeed, a measure of their spirit," says the "Methodist Recorder," "and in the course of a ministry covering altogether about eighty years, he never swerved from the old paths. The venerable herald of the Cross has_ kept a record of his public iabnurs, showing that lie lias preached 7950 sermons—over 1200 of these since his retirement from the active pastorate. Now, on the threshold of his ninetyseventh year, ho is still in touch with all the great movements of the day. Ho writes sermons arid preaches them', and only a'few weeks ago ho was heard in his'.old pulpit) at Torquay. We praynow that he has reached such a great age—that the shadows of evening may fall kindly upon him, until tlio day dawns, when, as a good and faithful servant, lie shall enter into the joy of tho Lord."-