RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1581, 26 October 1912, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHURCH AND STATE IN PORTUGAL. THE SEPARATION LAW. The Rome correspondent of tho "Tablet" (Loudon), writing on September 1, ttates:— Eight hundred priests in Portugal have neeepied the Stale pension alloted to them tinder the Separation Law. Such is tho announcement communicated to Homo this week through tho Ageuzia Stefanl, and it'has been lollowed by an announcement in the "Mes=aggero" that they have done so with the consent of the Holy See, and it is accompanied by the statement that the eight hundred proless their ilevotion to the Supreme Pontiff. It Is hard to sift the wheat from the chaff of news from Portugal those days, but there is at least one item of the above which is altogether false, for the Holy See has given no such permission as that alleged by the "Messaggero." On the contrarj (he "Osservatoro Romano" has described Hie situation of the eight hundred priests as "untenable and scandalous" from tho ecclesiastical point of view. Again, it is probable that the liguro quoted is very .much exaggerated. No official lists of conforming priests have been published by the Portuguese. Government, and in tho absence of such it is quite impossible to say how many of ■them have accepted the Separation Law. Again, there is reason to believe that many of those who have accented the pension have done so under the impression that the Holy See would at least tolerate their conduct. The retention by the Senate and Parliament ot Portugal ot diplomatic .relations with tho Holy See was designed in part to create the imprcssiou among the clergy and faithful that a tacit understanding existed or was about to be created between Rome and Lisbon, and that any advantages offered by the Separation Low might bo accepted pending further modifications. But alter making all these allowances, and any other excuses that can be devised, it is a very serious fact that a considerable number of Portuguese priests have now implicitly accepted tho state of slavery imposed on them, in spite of tho solemn protest of the Holy Father, of all the Portuguese Bishops, and of tho Episcopate of tho whole world. The most recent of these protests is one signed by Cardinals Gibbons, Farley, and O'Con. noil, in the name of tho Archbishops, Bishops, clergy, and faithful of the United States. Their Eminences declare that the Catholic Church in their country is allowed to fulfil its divine mission with tho most perfect liberty, and that therefore they cannot refrain from protesting aloud against the persecution of Catholicism in Portugal. At present it is impossible to say what action will be takea by the Holy Seo with regard to the conforming priests of Portugal. It is hardlynecessary to say that in none of the Papal documents which concern the situation iti Portugal has there been any contlemua. lion of tho Republican regime as such.

CHURCH AND LABOUR.

BISHOP WELLDON'S STRAIGHT TALK. On Sunday morning, September 1, St. lauls Church, Newport, was well fillet by .trades Union Congress delegates ami local worshippers, when Bishop Wclldon, Dean of Manchester, preached a special Labour sermon. The address was remarknolo (says the special correspondent of tho Westminster Gazette") for its directness and power; and, while its general tenor may have proved acceptable to the majority of his hearers, it certainly provoked a good deal of hostile criticism among the remainder. Taking for his text a portion of the 55th verse of tho 13th chapter of St. Matthew, "Is not this the Carpenter's Son?" Bishop Welldou set out by declaring that ho was addressing his sermon particularly to tho members of the Trade Union Congress. He went on to say that "the meet-ing-point between the Church and Organised Labour was to be found in Jesus Christ." "If you say, brethren," he remarked, in a kind of parenthesis, "that you, as trade unionists, know your business better than I know it, I reply, 'You do, and you would be great fools if vou did not; and 1 should shrink from 'the impertinence of laying down the law upon any industrial question.' But it is equally true that I know my business better than you can kuow it. You are trade unionists; I am a minister of Jesus Christ. Your concern is industrial; mine is religious. The only title which I can possess to offer you any counsel this morning is that neither trade nor trade unionism can last altogether outside the scope of Christian faith."

ilie preacher saw in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard a justification for the present-day demand for a living wage. For the husbandman in tho parable was no sweater; he did not consider kow_ to get his work done as cheaply as possible. Ho sent the men into the vineyard at various hours of the day, and gave to each of them a living wage. Bishop Welldon pleaded for a sympathetic understanding and generous co-op-eratiou between the Church and Labour, and said that if an alliance between these two organisations could be effected there was something which tho •Church might teach Labour, and something which Labour might teach the Church. "You would guard the Church," he said, "against the danger, which is always incident to religious organisations, of getting out of touch with tho popular, mind and heart; and tho Church, for her part, might perhaps remind you of some truths which it is only too easy to forget. My friends, the Church cannot bo your slave! That is an impossibility. She cannot tell you, and she won't, that you aro always right, and that the persons opposed to you are always wrong. She cannot be your slave, but she may bo your friend; and all tho more your friend, if now and ;-.gain she reminds you of certain great truths." This statement was tho prelude to tho suggestion that: tho Church might remind Labour that the word of a workingman, whether pledged individually Or collectively, must be honourably kept; and that liberty of thought, speech, and action, which had been won by many hard fights through long ages, was too priceless a possession to be lightly cast away for any collective benefit.

"And the Church may remind you," Bishop Welldon exclaimed, "that neither civilisation nor Christianity has attained, nor can'attain, its highest'manifestation by a series of internecine conflicts within the realms of industry."

The sermon contained an earnest appeal to the. delegates to keep their tradeunionism clear of policies and creeds which diil not rightly belong to it, and which might well tend to restrain the sympathy- of Christians. "The Church," ho said, "cannot rightly embrace olio political side. She knows, or ought, to know, no politics, and strive for no object except tlio good of the people; and it is a pity that trade-unionism should mis ■itself up with disputable questions which seem In Ho out of lis proper province." Socialism was, in this connection, described as one of the subjects with which trade-unionism had nothing to do. "The Church," declared the speaker, "does not condemn Socialism; but there is an antiChristian as well as a Christian Socialism, and (ho Socialism of to-day is more n matter of (lie heart than of the head. ]t has not thought out ilio.jeconslrucli.nn of society from its basis; and even when its goal is clear, the means to reach it are somewhat dubious." _ ' From many points of view the Newport Labour sermon is likely to stand out as a most remarkable pronouncement from the Anglican Church. Mr. Will Thome's Reply. At a mass meting in Newport the same night, under the auspices of the National Union of Gas and General Workers, Mr. Will Tliorne, M.P.. made a pointed reference to Bishop Wclldon's sermon. Mr. Thorne said-.—"The Dean of Manchester, in an address to (lie delegates this morning, went out of his way to insull some of the delegates by.tolling trade unionists not to have anything to do with Socialism. I want to tell (he Bean of .Manchester llvtit he cannot separate the two lliimrs. It is an economic impossibility.' "The dean does not belong lo our class; he belongs to I lie moneyed class—the idle rich class—and that is why he advises trade unionists (') have nothing lo do with Socialism. He is lighting for-his class that has robbed the workers for ages, and that is robbing the workers to-day. lie preaches (he perpelnation of that system. Wo aro out (o abhlish it. ('Cheers.') He knows nothing at all about Ilia trade union movement; he knows notiling at all about Socialism, because ho has not been brought up in tnat school

of poverty which mates many of us Socialists. "If the Dean of Manchester had been forced to go to work at the tender ago that I did, ho would uot have said what ho did to-day." Press Comments. Mr. Will Thome is not usually devoid of a senso of humour, says the "Westminster Gazette," but we cannot congratulato him on having brought.that faculty to tho consideration of the Dean of Manchester's sermon. Thero might have been happier efforts from the pulpit thou that of Dr. Welldon, but it seems to have been p;bod strong talk with a point' of view, and that we do not always got.from the pulpit on these occasions. Mr. Thonio resents tho suggestion that politics should bo divorced from trade unionism, and retorts that tho Dean.is one of the "idle rich." That is not polite, and is certainly not convincing. Wo imagine that tlie work of a Dean of Manchester does hot differ greatly in character and amount from that which falls to a trade union leader and member of Parliament. If the one is to bo .branded an idler, tho oilier will have a very narrow escape from tho samo fate. The worst service that could bo rendered to the trado union canso would bo tho promulgation of the idea that no man is a worker who does not himself actually take hammer or shovel in hand.

The incident has given riso to a good deal of comment in Manchester, wh?re the Dean is very widely popular with the man in tho street (says a writer in (he "Church Times"). Nothing could bo more unjust than the attack, for, whatever else may bo said of the Dean, no one can deny that he is a man of tho greatest possible simplicity of life, keeping no carriage, spending littlo on himself, and readv at all times to help any case of distress, from that of a decayed gentleman to that of a cabman put out of employment by tho introduction of taxi-cabs.

Tho Dean has generally been regarded as a friend of Labour, and was one of tho first to express emphatic ■dissent from the very severe criticism of certain aspects of modern democracy by the Dean of St. Paul's (Dr. Inge), which evoked a good deal of controversy a few months ago. In reply to an interviewer at Manchester, tho Bishop said:— "It seems to me that nothing which I said at Xewport is in any sense or degreo insulting to Trade Unionism. Certainly I was as far as possible from wishing to insult it, for my sermon was upon the whole a sustained argument in favour of a close and sympathetic an alliance a3 possible between tho Church and tho Labour party."

BOOTH MEMORIAL.

"A. SALVATION ABMY TRAINING INSTITUTE. Tho Solvation Army is a community composed of practical people. General' Bootli is dead, but already bis sou and successor has devised, in response to inquiries from all parts of tho world, a memorial to his father which from its inception to what is believed will be its successful fruition, is to bear evidences of its far-seeing and useful, character.

"Wc might have proposed," said General Bramwell Booth to a representative of the "Westminster Gazette," n scheme that would embrace now headquarters for tho Salvation Army. Rome of our friends have pressed this suggestion upon us. But wo hold these freehold premises in Queen Victoria Street, which are in many respects convenient, and I cousid; cred that the question of headquarters might wait for the present, though b>-aml-by wo shall be glad to possess' buildings less cramped and with opportunities for growth. If some of our friends will make us a present of new headquarters we shall be very thankful. Wo aro not a people, however, who can make much use of marblo halls. Already a rich l'nrseo firm has offered us 6000 guineas for a memorial to tho General for. tho benefit of India and to be erected in that country. Some of our friends in tho United States have also made us a promise of money for a suitable memorial in America. Under tho circumstances, .1 'have therefore thought it desirable that ■ instead of one united tribute to,the mem-; ory of tho dear General each countrfe-ln? which' the Army is represcuted.lsh'onitji, according to: its ality, erect its own memorial for'its" special benefit, but, with unity of purpose in the whole undertaking. Lproppsc in.this country that we shall erect and endow a training institute for officers of tho Salvation Army in extension and in placo of that now being carried on at Clanton." General Bramwell Booth then outlined tho scheme for the building of an institution to provide for a far'more complele training and equipment of the Army's officers than their means 'have hitherto permitted. The scheme could bo carried through if they copld raiso •£150,000. "Tho new training home will be in London," added tho General, "in order to bo-close to our work. The onxiet.v to improve the training of-our candidates was very dear to tho heart of tho General. Ho frequently talked over the matter with me and discussed ways and means. Ho recognised that if we were, to continue arid exteud tho work of tho Army both at Homo and abroad that wo needed living agents who would carry with them the spirit and message of tho Christian evangel. Wo remember that in the.past England has sent nut to our Oversea Dominions, such for instance as India,' a great stream of- men from our universities and public schools, possessing great qualities, who have to a largo extent assisted in 'the civilisation of tho world. That is exactly what tho Salvation Army endeavours to do so far as its means permit. We des'iro to keep up that (low of men and women who shall bo so trained and equipped that they will bo a ?'?, to forward tho great truths of Hie Christian religion."

With an eye on the future General Bramwell Booth Is convinced that tho surest way in which to perpetuate the memory of his father is to provirlo for still greater efficiency and zeal on tho part of tho living agents of tho work. Granted that this is accomplished, ho has no fears for the future, and with Divine assistance in all tho labours of tho Army ho is looking for a still greater extension of its agencies at Homo and abroad.

tTEATH OF REV. G. T. COSTER

A CONGREGATIONAL POET. Tho Rev. George Thomas Coster, the Congregational poet, whoso hvmus appear in almost every hymnal excep't that of his own denomination, died on Au«ust "It at Rotherbam. A native of Chatham, 31 r. Coster was educated at New College, and entered tho ministry at Newport, Ks'ex, \'r }, 559 ; Ho '"""stercd at' Barnstaple, Hull, South Norwood, Whitby, Stroud, and Hessle, retiring ten years ago to Southport, and thenco two 'years ago (o Rothorham. He. founded tlie Guild of Bravo Toor Things. His greatest influence was exercised among voung pcorde, even to the end of his niinistrv. His poetry was of a high order and his hvmns wero widely appreciated. Quite recently permission was sought to includo some of them in an Anglican hymn-hook. Of poems ho wrote many and published many hooks, but: ho threw the strength of his soul into his hymns. To (heso he even turned in his leisure, pruning and perfecting so that they might long live in the service and to tho glory- of Christ. .Ho. had'great joy in .seeing them incorporated ill hymn-books of all denominations. Foremost stands his missionary hym'uV ' From North and South and East aud - ' West', ' ■ ' _ - . When shall the nations long nnblest All find (lioir everlasting rest, 0 Christ,: in.Thee?: Another is: Dost thou bow beneath the burthen Of a crushing care? Bring it to the-fret.of Jesus, Lay it there. Another; Lord God Almighty, in Tliy hand Bolls every world, blooms every flower. 0 Maker of tho sea and land, We praise Thy power. • . And tho Tcmperanco hymn: Loril' of' tlie gracious sunshine, Lord of tlie angry flame, ! .Thou, in the.book'of nations Hast writ our England's name. Blot it not thenco! we pray Thee, , To our eternal shame. , At the-funeral, at 'Masborough CemeIcry, (he liev. .1. S. Drummond said.that those who knew llr. Coster best, claimed for him what he would never have claimed for himself—that ho-belonged to.tho best and lincst type of Christian manhood. He was a minister of the old school, courteous, dignified, gracious in demeanour, kindly in spirit and in speech, rocklike in his certainty of tho great verities of tho Gospel, yet tolerant towards those from whom ho differed and convinced of their loyalty to the one Lordi