RELIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 9

RELIOUS ACTIVITY.

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN THE DOMINIONS. THE SUPPLY or CLEKGV. ~ | !l ; !l0 P Montgomery, secretary of tl>e • • : -l , ■•■>•. ipMkiug rI; the Anglican Church <-onsre« at. t=1.,1,0, s,id : -Tho second great division of my H tl>jret ve i eri (o our own pcople-h white races presumjibly Christian, :nv \ lv ilhin tho Umpire. Tue Church in our great Dominions !>■- J-ond Hie seas is independent of Hoir.o control; each church has autonomv. I •jpe-ik generally; that is the aim; ami we hops that Him vill l,e hilly realised. ii almost every case their pressing probe iu is ,u connection uith the due ripply of clergy. Their aim is to supplr mat need irom their own body Unco ag:un we long to we this ho;-.' realised lor them. I ,] 0 not think (his fact has I'jwcver, even yet been c'.car'.y enough Ijeiore us. I note fi;p ? . for example, in our Church papers which lead hie la same of our leaders desire ;o multiply tininiui colleges in Eii"!ai>d in order (~ supply- th? "whole r.mpiro mors completely with clergy and womenworker. 1 dissent. It if''probable tint in tho rrnr future we ought l>.. nrrals new Iniining ralleec-s for the Chun-h abroad, not. in the Briti-h Isles, but in tho Dominions Hiomsclvcs. Let tho-e churches be really independent. .See that (•very province abroad has a slron,' ihc-logiml Col lew. Supply (hose over (here with your best sons as trainers and tlifolo.dan-. What the daughter Churclms need mo:-t of all is mir aid in i-.-Uiolishing for them on the swt the deep note of the old Church in all p-irts of Church life. J'or the n-M, they desire to bhilf their Church more anil inci-B fully with their own sons, not with those whose homes are not with them. Of enurse, for the present distress there is uothin;: for it but to give them of our ixs| of every $ort —well-trained elcrsy and women workers fniin Home, as will ns money fur their Hies and churches and schools. The Cnnnclinn Pruiric can at this time easily ah'orb nun hundred of our clercry yearly. But 1 bog you to consider whether, as a 'ldinite policy, any more training cnllpgcs to ai<l the Churches in cur Dominions ou»ht to be created iiere: in my opinion (hoy ou<rlit io In , crc.ired ovcv'ihere. For the <lna stalfiii" of the Chun-h's work in iion-Cliris-tiaii liindp, I believe our pre-eni C()l!c;;<'=, wiien slveiiglhe»nl and ik-vek-p----eil, will be sufficient'. At the same lime, J think we need more institutions for Iho Irainin.': cf woni<>n-workfrs for the Church abroad. There is much, at the sn:'.ie time, (r> be slid in favour of usiiik' our universities and training and theologieal pollr-cs in the J!riti>h Irk* for co".iplntins the work of tdiiration beTiui iibr.ad. For the rest, I believe 'the workur? for the Church in our felf-gov-erniiij: Dominions had bolter obtain most of th-jir training in those laiiils. I bclicvc also in !'ree interchange of servicj beiweon at Home and abroad ns on ideal, but )t is not ea*y of accomplishment in bulk. I believe niso in service abroad for young English clergy; l>nt if il i* not for more than five years, then, except in eases of dire distress, as in Western Canada to-day, I think the advantage lies upon the whole up.in the side of the K».g!i*h priest. Let ten years be riven by him to service abroad, then I. tliini; the advo.nf.ise lies in vtry great measure with the Church abroad.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE,

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. At tho autumnal meetings of tho Congregational Union, of Scotland a. discussion on "Children and Church Attendance" was opened by tho Kcv. T. JlacKofcerl, Uroghorii, who said that overy homo should be a church, and cvorv fatlici- a miiiiiter in Ins iamily. Tbo wn'y to make, the msssss clniruhgoors was to make the children churclißecr.S and in filtci'ii years tiny should have no uoncluifchgoiKg lo worry them. They wanted households to be in tho church as well hs persons, lie had not found that (he pvcieuco of. children detracted l'roin the ilccoruir. of tho service. On Die v.'holc, tho children wero not uioro restless than tlu-ir elder;.

y\r. G. K. Smith. Dundee, said there we.ro a lot of ministers who did uot dn their duty, thoro were a lot who did t.lioir duty, and a few who did more than their duly. Mr. Mneßoberr was one of those who did more than hi? duty. 11 their ministers took an example' from him, perhaps tho church attendance would 1)0 bettor than it was. To his mind, there was not much to interest the child of live, or jevsn years in the church service. If ministers would go more to tha homes of those children, and find out more of the work tlu jiarmils had to do, it would bo better. The Church was not only losing hold but had very much lost hold of t.he working men. It'was no wonder to him that working men left the Church, the wonder was that they had come so Ion;;, when they saw Ihe example of their miuist'jrs." What could a working insn think of a man vrho preached on Sunday ,once, and never saw his .'ongri'gatiou? In some churches (here were men who acted like, weeds in the garden.

ihu Ber. Mr. Ritchie, on n point 01 order, said that the discussion was chilj dven and church attendance, but the. speaker war- not keeping to that subject. Mr. Smith said lie was entitled to show that the parents were not altogether to blame, lo his mind, Hio ministers were far more to Maine than the parent", brt it was. the old story, if they began to say anything against: oilier people's view's then th?y wrc iioiiiy wroni;. Professor M'Nair, Kilmurnoek, said it did nrt necessarily follow 'hat because a particular method had served the purpose well hi a particular church <jv community, the plan should, therefore, be generally adepWl. He did not think they could get it put into operation at all in many of their churches. To make children go to live services was a pices of cruelty to animals perpetrated in" the name of religion, .".ml they could imt do it unless they applied some rigour to the seniors. The Rev. .John Mackintosh, MolherwcU, said the children would co to church it the parents went, and tiio problem was how io got the parent*. What they had to face was how to save the children from (hi parents of this generation. Us thought the teachers .should re? that children were brought to the church.

MAYNOOTH COLLEGE

CARDINAL LOGUK OX ITS WORK. Tlio annual distribution of prizes to the students of Si. Patrick's College, .Uaynooth, took place or, October id. His Eimiionre Cardinal Logue presided, am! fovpral of flip Irish Archbishops and BijlniHs^itteiided. The. Cardinal who on rising was euthuMaslically cheered, d'.-livcrrd an mldress, in the course of which he said:— There never was a lime in the Church when it was more necessary for those wi:o havo to direct tin- faithful to bo well made up in every subject than Iho prosent day. The Church is assailed from ';:!! (|uarlers—assailed by politicians, ;is:.;\il*d j V philosophers, so culled; assailed l.y seientific men, so entiled; and assailed Jiy economists, who, I think, nro Hie most dreamy lot of all. All these tilings are corning up at. thn present day. You havo difficulties rau-ed from physiology and from the various branches of science; difficulties raised from I lies discoveries in archaeology; difficulties raised agninst the sacred Scriptures, ami f> on: and I ;vn perfeclly sure that at least the leading students in this college—of course they are not all cqual —v.-JH be ;'l>le lo defend the Faith and defend the Church during the course of their public career afterwards. That is a thing (hat makes u; Bishops very happy. His Eminence went on lo congratulate the college on the fact that of the .sixty-seven students who had presented themselves at the first t'niversity examination only three had failed. IK- rejoiced at the number of tiio students who had i;ot hoi'ours, and high honours, in Irish, and said that a great work for the revival of the language was being done at the college.

BISHOP GORE AND THE BRASSWORKERS.

The following letter has been addressed to Dr. Gore by the National Brassworko.rs and Molnl Mechanics' Association flirnugh 'heir se.-rctiiry:--"TIK' executive of the above socMy instructs me to cniivi-y to you i!.s ilu-p re;T''t I hat you arc resigning the buhopric of Birmingham.

J'l deAre* me to convey to .vtiu \U Iliph appi'tciahyn "I' tin; valuable services v.lnVli y.iii rendvrol io (his society i;i V'v.v, wliPii we had a trade crisis which (it_ 1-tio fii.no jermed to Ip such dial 110ih'.ii.fT 1,-til. ;oi:iu e.-Jraordiuary iniluoucc. ix'uM prevcat a Keiir-ral strike ol brassv.wknvs in the i.'ily and district, hi tho niiil'l of this ci-m< v<, H W pro appealed lo (<i denounce' (ho r-'ve.-itiiuj which then existed, and yon respond'?:! in a w.-y which brausht leather the representatives «f capital and labour and happily culminalcd in (lie rc-citablishmont of 'the Board oi Conciliation. The society felt \\w henoiit uf yum- powerful influence, an influence which was respected by the employer? or our trade, and hod your efforts failed, both employers and workmen would have always remembered the r.ncriiiee of Hie time you mr.de and the eou?picuoi!? ability with which you performed a public duly. The executive trusts in your new spLoro of life tho Bishop of Oxford ynu will continue to exert your marvellous influence to decrease ' the di-inon sweating which esists in our count )■}"."

THE BAPTIST UNION

STATUS 01 , LOCiL PREACHERS. 'I'he Autumn Affembly of tho Baptist L'uion, held at Brighten, recently included ;i conference of loral preachers. Professor \V. ;-. AldLs M.A., who dwelt on tho need for "inspiration culture," obfened -that, in the twentieth century tho local preacher must lw a trained man, but it oiißlit nut to (li.'coiiragD anyone who felt the call to preach to know'that thf standard required was a very high one. The View H. ,T. Dnrrand (Birmingham), spenkins on the subject, "Organisation and Loyally," sir.'srestecl the formation nf a local preachers' association in connec-ti-T.i with every Baptist assirialion. (o bo aliiliaied to the Baptist Union Federation. Keplying (o the complaints levelled by several speakers o-wimt the Baptist niiiiisfry that tliey did not encourage their lay preaciiei-f, the l?tv. J. H. Sliakespare, sperotary of (iia. union, said criticism nf that ciiaracter was. in his opinion, men' waste of time. ]T<; had had as his Church oiKcers, lie Minpcscd. throe of the fi'ii'st lay speakers in EiiTland, includiii',' Sir Georsc AVhite, M.1 , ., but thp.v would no more have Uimisthr of ocoupyini' las pulpit than of (lyiiur to the moon] They had no objection to preaching in other churches in the locality. The question was purely one for local administration. Asked to crive his impressions of the Tiiiiti.-t Union tho secretary, the l!ev. ,T. Shakespeare, (old a r'en?rlor (hat tlie nioM' ljiirninif question lind been with ro-nect to (he messing thn\- were exppcted lo jive in view of the iirilv-ns, past and future. "WV annointfd." <-,v,i Vr. Rhakespeaio. "Ill" siro\i""ii- i'o».ii"ittpp we could nf ■T.imA.]-*. TiieludiiiT Dr. Cliffovd. K«v. P. B. jrever, a"d onif'ovor- of labour amount ourselves. AVe are also (mini fo call in souie Tianti-'i Labour leado'-s. and iv"'wre a n-if.e and proDorlv-eon?id-■?red -l-.ilemrnt. .\s rp'.nnls (]u; peace ouns'iiii. our ln-iiiiul the «epnes in the nnlitiivil vnrU f<M fhat we ennld lv-kc no valuable cMilribv.tion (n the situat.ion sn=st nnw; sii'.l. we can do bv pravor wiiat could 'levpr l;c accomplislied bv pas-sisii; a resolution."

DEATH OF SIR HENRY ROBSON

Ky tho death of Sir Henry EoljEon, very s;if!iioii!y, on f-cpleinfcfi- 25, at tho aye of fixty-tln-L-e, the Presbyterian Church of 'Kiißlantl has lost a leadwr whoso unassuinins; kinillidpss innilo. him bolovcl of all (says tho "Christian AVorlcl"). Fr.ini (he time ho came lo Londnn, iu 1860, ho ha:, been a devoted supporter of KiirliMi rrosbytorianiMii. Tfe spent one ypar us a meinber of Park Church, llil'hbury, and then migrated In 5,1. Paul's AVoAbourno Grove. In IS7J ha became Sunday Srh'ol i-uperin(er.di?nt, an olfice which he filled for a quarter of a century. Tor an almost similar period he was conitrcpilion.il tronsurer, and this year ho completed Iwr-nty-tivp years.' service as session clerk. Sir Henry's great work for the Church has been iu connection with ils home mission enterprise. ]" or . thirty years ho was a member of the Church Extpus'on Committee of the Nnrlh London l-resbylery, and convenor since 1800 of the Rvanirpliffition and Church Aid Coinniitteo. bndoi- his leadei-sliip, and planned cnipfly by him, new methods of hohiins weaker and poorer congregations have been developed in Xnrlh London, and to fume pxie.nt; imilritod in other Vresby-tor-ips. His liberality was prnvcrbial,' and thoro is scarcr-ly a cnnsro?ation which has built a church din-ins recent years which did not roeive a (rift from him. The Lamps Pettlenient in Poplar was founded by him, and a couple 'of years atro he Pfdiinped. in memory of bis' wife, a holiday heme at Southern! for the use, principally, of mission nieriibpM and others who could not afford a holiday.