RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1485, 6 July 1912, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ENGLAND. DECLARATION OF FA mi: THE NEW FORMULA. At the recent meeting of the Presbyterian Church of England held in London the Special Committee on tho overtures from Presbyteries regarding the Ordination Formula which camo before tho synod at its meeting in Manchester last year, submitted its report, recommending certain changes: (1) That before the questions which are put at tho ordination or induction of a minister thero should be placed a "preamble," to bo read at the service, stating that the supreme standard of the Church is tho Word of God in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, its subordinate standards being the Westminster Confession and tho Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Tho proposed preamble further mentions tho Declaratory Statement approved by tho synod in 1888, the Articles of Faith drawn up in and tho Statement of Polity two years later, known as the Appendix to tlio Articles, staling (hat tlie.su are summaries for practical use, but not standards of the Church. Four years ago the synod unanimously declared that tho subordinate standards are by their very nature subject to revision, and therefore claimed anew for tho Church the right, ns duty may require, to interpret or modify its subordinate standards and formulas.' (2) In view of tho fact that largo numbers of people, both within and without the Church, put upon tho phrase, "Word of God," an interpretation which is not that of many who sincerely and lovingly use it, and that it is malic a matter of reproach to tho Church that its ministers adhere to a formula which has changed its meaning, the com'initteo recommended a form for the first question suggested by the first sentence of, the Basis of l.nion in 1870, when the two branches of tl\» Church camo together. The uew form of the question recommended is: "Do you believe the Word of God in the Scriptures of tho Old and New Testaments to bo the Supremo Guide in faith and duty:'" (3) Instead of question 2, which was tlio chief subject of the overtures at last synod, the committee recommended that there should bo two questions, one having reference to the Gospel which is "the centre of all good faithful preaching, and tho ground of all our hope'; the other defining-the relation of tho ordinand to the subordinate, standards and to the Church which asks his acceptance of them. Question 2, as proposed, will therefore read:

,"J)o you sincerely believe, and will you faithfully proclaim, the Gospel of the lovo and grace of God wherein He freely offers to all men forgiveness and eternal life, calling them into the fellowship and service-of His Kingdom, through Jesus Christ His only Son, Who became man, died for our sins, roso again from tho dead, and liveth evermore, our Saviour and Lord?"

This form of question gets rid of tho perplexity surrounding the preciso meaning of the words "body of Christian (loctrino set forth in the Westminster Confession," etc.,_eontained in tho existing question. In answer to the new question ,1, the ordinand accepts the Subordinate Standards, and consents that bv theso standards coiistitntionalh- interpreted by the Courts of tho Church his ielution to the Church shall be determined. J. rinoipal Skinner had a most cordial reception on rising to second the resolution. He was of opinion that the Church must make tho Confession moro explicit. An ordination sen-ice ..was n public service, and showed what the Church was, what it believed in, nnd what its ministers were to teach. ]•'««' ministers in tho Church accepted the' Westminster Confession verbatim el literatim, and tho outside religious world had a feeling that such ministers were guilty of a consciencedisturbing act when thev assented to tho formula as it stood now. Ho pointed out that the language of theology is largely symbolical, and it. was not possiblo now to ncccpt all tho words of a confession, drawn up 230' years ago. The formula, as "redrafted was not negative, but positive—a declaration of positive belief. II was not nc.'cssiry that a minister should have a theory; but it. was os.-ontial (hat ho should have a messago— the Gospel of the love of God and of redemption through .Jesus Christ from the "burden and impediment, on the souL" which they called sin. It was through personal contact with Jesus Christ that they entered into life eternal.

]Jr. Carnegie Simpson supported an amendment; to tho effect that tho recommendations should bo sent down to presbyteries without tho Synod having first "generally approved" of (hem. The committee had sought, he said, to preserve a perfect balance between things that wero human, and all documents wero human, and a loyalty, a tightened loyalty, towards tho things which God had given, namely, the facts Jesus Christ. These were tho very beginning and tho basis of their faith, prior to roligion and theology. What Jesus Christ was and did, was the first thing, and tho titles Lord nnd Saviour derived their solo meaning from it.

Professor Oman, who followed, did not agree with tho inclusion of tho crcdal sentences in' question 2. Tho words suggested would become the minimum creed of tho Church, and there, wero many errors which a man might hold along with that minimum creed.

The discussion ended with a lesolution proposed; by the clerk and accepted by all, that tho Synod, without expressing its opinion of the recommendation of tho committee, should send them, with tiro whole report, to presbyteries and mission councils for their consideration. DR. JOWETT ON PREACHING. , THE BEECHER LECTURES AT YALE. Dr. J. H. Jowett has been delivering the Beecher Lectures at Yalo Divinity School. Tho subject was "Preaching," and the Boston "Congrogationalist" says that "he conducted his hearers to such a spiritual elevation that they felt (he nearness and yet the majesty of the canopy of Hie Lord hovering over them." Ho remarked that since coming to New York lie had observed as never before the temptation of the minister to be. always on the run—not merely on the go. This brought with it .the admonition to avoid that restless scattering of energies which leaves no timo or strength .for receptive communion with God. The perils oi tho ministry are the deadening familiarity with tliiiigs divine that makes us guideposts rather than guides, men dwelling in mountain-country without beholding nny more significance than in n. plain; tho deadening familiarity with the commonplaces, including that perilous familiarity with death that numbs his sympathy; the perilous gravitation of tho world—illicit spirit of compromise under guise of expediency fliul tactfulness; the luro of tho glittering, causing loss of spirituality and impressive power. Dr. .Towot said that, though he would occasionally speak in tho pulpit on policies of stale, he would as a rule follow the example of Dale, a great iiolitician, whoso pulpit themes were inner fhoso of the platform. He would visit with Amos or Tsainh, but. live with Jesus and Paul; be apostle, rather than prophet, lest he Iwconio so absorbed as a sociologist as to low power as an evangelist. Tho temptation to be sensational is "the destruction that wasteth at noonday." With . Parker, Maelaren, and Dale he recognises comfort of tho broken-hearted as the greatest, end of preaching. Some very practical suggestions were to be always engaged in the careful study of some book of the Bible; to let sermons ri|>en for months or years; to remember that an illustration which requires explanation is worthless. With simple, sweet humility he admitted that his was not the only method of successful preaching; but all agreed with him that the value of the course would depend on fidelity to his own experience and vision, which did reveal a style often sorely needed in our present-day American pulpits. Tf criticism' could Ik> offered, adds tho "Congregationnlist," it was that in spite of his confession as to his own method of always having a. dozen particular persons of varying types in mind in the preparation of the senium many left in his (Dr. .Towolt's) words a certain remoteness from the sorinl activities of (he presold world. WHAT IS A LAYMAN? The "Church Chronicle" of South Africa a.-ks (he question. In the common use of tho w-urd, a layman is merely a nonprofessional person. But this is a degradation of Hie term. "Layman," says Bishop Ootl, "is an inspired word, rlatisic far bock in the Bible, end meaning onl? this, oil tbie—a member of the

Church, called not only to receive and enjoy, but to do nil ho can to increase and perfect tho Church of God." A layman is 'one of tho "laos"—tho chosen people of God. Ho is a "saint," dedicated to God; ho is ono of the "elect," chosen to receive privileges and gilts which empower him to perform his duty of service; ho is one of "a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peoplo for God's own possession"; ho is ono of tho members of tho Body of Christ, in which, though "every member has not tho same office." yet ovory member has somo office, some part in the ministry, different only in degree, not in kind, from the ministry of tho priesthood. To quote Canon Liddon, "If Christian men would believe with aill their hearts that they aro Tcally priests, it would l>e seen that in tho Christian Church between clergy and laity there is only a difference of tho degree in which certain spiritual powers nro conferred, that is not a difference- in kind." TESTS OF CHRISTIANITY. THE DANGER OF RELIGIOUS • REACTION. Dr. Inge, Dean of St. Paul's, addressing tho annual meeting of the Christian iivklcnco Society ut Sion College on "Tho Present Position of Christianity," raid tho materialism of natural philosophy no longer neemed a, dangerous rival to Christiauitv. It existed, no doubt, in tho lower "intellectual strata, hut among educated people it was no longer a serious foe. Natural science had been obliged to abate her claims, with tho result that tho seli'-coulidenco of rationalism had been reduced. One result of current thought, had been to relieve tho blockade of supcniaturalism at n timu when it seemed that that fortress would very soon hiivo to capitulate Tho real enemy of a true religion was a falko religion, au.l religious progress was threatened, not by science or philosophy, but by religious reaction and degeneration, and ho was more afraid of those insidious dangers which threatened to drag back Christianity to a lower religious level tha.il he was of any open attack. Tho Dean referred to J. 11. Robertson s "Pagan Christs," Drew's "The Christ Myth," and other works which denied tho historicity of Jesus as "ingenious and plausible books, to a scholar very amusing, and not in tho least convincing; but the ordinary reader was quite helpless when he got such a book in his hand." The Christian Evedinco Society should Rot hold of somo first-rate scholar like Dr. Sanday or Professor 'Julichcr—an open-minded critic who had made a special study of Christian origins, who would give convincing and crushing answers to those books. Ono of tho chief dangers that threatened, Christianity was tho neglect of tho eternal background-r what was invidiously called tho unworldly or other-worldly teaching of the Gospels—and turning it into mere humanitarianism. "By all means let us eomo forward on tho side of justice and righteousness, let us press our Lord's teaching about* the worship of Mammon and tho duty of charity and so on, but do not let us allow our generation to forget that whole circle of doctrine which prompted the words, 'If in this lifo only wo have hopo in Christ, wo are of- all men most miserable." No presentation on Christianity could bo either true or successful which did not teach the immortality of the south. Tho most valuable of all evidential work was that which disengaged New Testament Christianity from its accretions and presented'it puro and undefilcd to each generation in turn; 'It is as a religion that Christianity must stand or fall, and religion is mainly an interpretation, of life as a whole. ' 111 tho course of n brief discussion, tho secretary, Rev. C. L. Drawbridge, spoke of the .necessity of ascertaining the point of view of "the nmu'in the park," and said that problems which agitated tho upper strata of thought fifty years ago were precisely'those, which' now agitated tho lower strata.

Lord Justice' Kennedy,' who presided, said in a closing address that Hio> materialism which was a great power thirty years ago was, so far ns it was antiChristian, pnssing away. He doubted whether what might in. a sense bo called "separate, religious.movements",.worrr.,TAitngpiiisti'c to Christianity. "iKrcctl.V Von got a persou earmist about things not of this world, you have done a great deal to make him ultimately a Christian believer." In Christian. Science, for instance, there was a. spiritual basis, and "directly you get that yen have n friend, not a foe." Ho held that the .three, essentials of Christianity were—belief in the Fatherhood of God, the divinity of Christ, and the immortality of tho spirit. One ought, to welcome any creed which implied belief in immortality, and have hopo in those who were earnest enough to desire to further the good nf tho spirit, they believed to be immortal. From his experienc of working men ho believed (hero wore two methods of preaching which would appeal to them—first tho teacher must bo competent to enforce the historical reality of Christ, and second, to apnea! to that inner witness to God and Christ which everyone had in his own soul. CANONISATION OF JOAN OF ARC. THE POPE'S REPLY TO THE FRENCH BISHOPS. The French Bishops who met at Orleans to assist at tho traditional feasts in honour of the Blessed Joan of Arc, havo sent to tho Holy Father (he following telegram :—"Tho Cardinals of Rheims and Paris, tho Archbishops of Rouen and Bourgcs, the Bishops of St. l)ie, Amiens, Boauvnis, Blois, (juimper, Meaux, Severs, Verdun, Moulhis, assembled at Orleans to celebrate tho fifth centenary of the Beata, effer the Pope their unfailing devotion and their gratitudo to him for having raised tho ofiic© of Joan of Arc to a double of tho second class; they beg liim to put tho Liboratrix among the saints, in justice to her virtues, for Did spiritual welfare of France, for the honour of tho Church, and as another triumph of his glorious PontificatesStanislaus, Bishop of Orleans." To this dispatch his Holiness has replied by another through the Cardinal Secretary of State:—"Tho Holy Father Pius X, moved by tho noble sentiments expressed by your* lordship in the name aUo of the Cardinals of Rheims and Paris and of tho many archbishops and bishops assembled at Orleans for the fifth, centenary of tho Blessed Joan of> Arc, returns thanks for this fresh proof of filial devotion, and imploring the protection of tho. immortal heroine on your diocese and on all France, he sends his blessing to their lordships and to all who took part in the feasts." His Holiness has always taken the deepest interest in tho process of tho Maid of Orleans, and sometimes refers to tho scenes which accompanied hor lieatificntion in St. Peter's four years ago, when tho Basilica was thronged by over forty thousand French pilgrims, as among tho most memorable sights of his Pontificate. If tho Holy Father makes no direct reply now to' the petition for the speedy canonisation of tho Blessed Joan of Arc, the reason is that the Sacred Congregation of Rites is charged with the process. But the various phases of the investigation are going on most satisfactorily, and (here is every reason to believe that tho final and triumphant verdict will lie given liefore tho close of the year 1913.— "The Tablet." C.E.M.S. INTERVIEW WITH THE REV. J. WATTS-DITCH FIELD. In a recent interview (he Rev. J. WallsDitchfield, M.A., the Church of England Men's missioner, who is at present in Australia referred to the decay of party spirit in the Church in England—a fact that will be interesting to members of (he denomination in Australia, where party differences arc sometimes rather hitler. Mr. Watls-Ditehneld said that both extremes—high churchmen and evangelicals —had had their day, and there had been a lovolling process. Men who had great influence years ago, because they were staong party men, preaching (ho party shibboleths, had now been left in a backwater. Tho tendency was growing to leave the discussion of theological questions, on which divergent views wero held, and to combine, in activities of religions and social service, in which all churchmen can unite. Tho extremists on both sides wore being left in the cold, and there was a strong contvipelal movement—a crystallisation of churchuinnsliip, a movement toward tho centre, drawing men of all schools into unify. Tho missioner stated that tho Church of England Men's Society, which he represented, wns not n parly organisation. U was a. spiritual movement, and would be a. great aggressive movement, ajid would be a great nggreisive fore* of ths ohurth. to ovangelite tin world,