RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

< - FREE CHURCH CONFERENCE. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. AND OTHER INTERESTING UTTERANCES. The National Frco Church Council commenced its sittings at Newcastle on March 11. Tho following is ■ taken from tho reports in tho London "Daily News and Leader":— An audienco numbering about 2000 delegates gathered in tho Hippodrome for the opening settings.. Tho, outstanding ieature of the day was tho Eev. Alexander Council's presidential address. Under tho title of "The Nation and Its God," ho applied himself to a firm and searching analysis of tho success or failuro of tho Church in ministering to the needs of tho times. Wasting none of his energy in attacking symptoms— these havo been discussed and rcdiscussed till tho disease itself is forgotten altogether—he went to tho root of the matter with tho simple diagnosis: "We havo somehow lost our grip of God.", That verdict was justified by citations of examples of tho Church's loss of power or inadequacy for her task. ]Io again and again drew subdued endorsements from tho audience.

(( "The churches," said Mr. Council, "seem to have lost the old impressiveness ■of their appeal. Vital religion has suffered depression and declino in visible strength. Tho Christian testimony on great issues of morals and religion seems to lack something in breadth of gravity and authority, and wo do not teem able to command the energy, or the means, or tho men, for tho shouldering of urgent duties which yet, in honour, wo dare not refuse."

It was not an adequate explanation to say that tho cause was to be found in an altered attitudo to tho Scriptures, in tho necessary readjustment of mind belonging to a transition age. Spiritual tastes had changed. Even tho literature oil which men nourished their inner life a generation ago—Baxter's "Saints' Best," Bunyan's "Graco Abounding','—no longer made appeal. And was there, asked tho speaker, gravely, anything'to replace it? 1 "The fact seems to be," Mr. Connell declared, "that wo have been caught in the undertow of ft civilisation which, witli all tho material excellences' it may rightly claim, is tho product of forces that are largely non-Christian, and, in somo cases, definitely anti-Christian. There is not a country in Europe to-day which does not, in its approved international policies, frankly lean its confidence on the arm of the flesh, on human genius, and tho assiduity of human enterprise. Civilisation lias novcr yet acknowledged that' it should serve tho need for reverence and submission to the will of God."

"Can it bo." said Mr. Oonnell. "that our age has v lost tho consciousness of God and that tho primary disaster of tho loss has been within the Church itself?"' To realise what was lost was tho first step on the road towards regaining it. One thing essential was a statesmanlike attempt at unity. ' "We must close our ranks. Brotherhood may bo tho magic word of our era, but in tho last resort tho return to strength and' conviction must bo personal, individual, and definite-tho only kind of Christian personality which is over likely to bring civilisation to its knees," declared the president in his .closing passage. "Wo never can create save as wo steep ourselves in tho lifegiving essences of New Testament revelation."

Dr. Mitchell's sermon, delivered before the induction of his successor to tho chair, dealt with the subject of Christian citizenship. "

Tho Bishop of Newcastle, in welcoming tho oouricil to his diocese, in a speech to which Mr. Connell mado a singularly graceful response, urged tho need of lay. iug insistence on tho fundamental agreement of the different Churches on ques. tions of morals and faith. Personal Visitation. Mr. Gillie, in a thoughtful and epigrammatic address, pointed to prayer and service as tho two supreme methods of increasing personal force, and gained emphatic assent to his declaration that neglect of personal visitation was materially responsible for tho decrease in Cilurcil membership. Dr. Brown was conscious of other dangers of an evaugelical orthodoxy grown superficial, narrow, cold, und dead, of emphasis of moral character without spiritual influence, and tlio exaltation of organisation over personality. "Wo want moro' culture in the ministry," Dr. Brown declared. "How often have wo been ofTended by vulgarity and ignorance in tho pulpit! But," he added emphatically, "wo must see to it that we pay, our ministers a living wage."

Mr. Morgan, striking out a new lino, urged on the Churches tho duty of giving their spiritual power expression in tho fields of art and literature, of government and administration.

Mr. George Morgan's striking address on tlie work of the Women's Auxiliary, particularly in connection with the Girls' Guild, the Women's Guild, and rescue work, had a practical outeomo in an instruction moved by Dr. Scott Lidgctt to the incoming committee to _ initiate an inquiry into methods of dealing with tho evils of impurity on , the lines of education and prevention. "The Uncertain Note," Principal Sclbio read a paper on "The Uncertain Note," and tho kernel of hi 3 address was contained in two or three sentences: "The preacher is not there to speculate on things in general, but to proclaim tho word of God. "Anyouo can sit in the philosopher's chaiir and argue and surmise, but whafc : the world wants and tho Church needs to-day is witnesses—men who have been there and faced facts, and have a tale to tell."

Turning, to thp constructive side, Dr. Solbie pointed to three paths of recovery: Tho preacher must gain and keop hold of a' personal knowledge of divine things. Tho Church must sacrifice itself without stint to its tasks—caro for tlio unovnngelised world, care for the children in its own schools, care for tho souls of the men around tlieiu. A ml, finally, worship and devotional life must bo restorod to tho central place in the Church. Tlio. sequence of thought between 'the President's address and tho Principal of Mansfield's was very marked. Tho burden of each message was cu uncompromising reassertion of.the Evangelical Gospel; and if anything was needod to drive tho truth homo it was supplied by the I stirring testimony of the splendid veteran of tho Froo Churches, Dr. Clifford, as he declared, in tho closing address of tho morning: "Nearly fifty-fivo years ago I began my ministry with the message, 'God was in Christ reconciling the world uuto Himself.' I have been preaching it ever since. I must preach it, for I lmow 110 other truth that can satisfy the eternal need of man." To this confession was appended a stirring appeal for consecration to the task of social regeneration. A Dofenco of the Council. Most of the papers this year have tended to luovo the aiulicnco to reflection rather than enthusiasm, but it was tho latter that was stirred dnto.vociferous expression by the Rev. E. Aldor. French tins afternoon. Mr. French is a minister with' a steadily-growing reputation in tho Woslcyan Methodist 'hurch, and his address, which followed m Dr. Scott Lidgett'6 exposition of tho central evangelical idea of (ho Freo Church Federation movement, consisted of n vigorous defence of the Free Church Council' as an organisation essential for tho acceptance of tlio mission of tlio Churches to-day, for tho maintenance of the ideal of Churchmansiiip, and for tho accomplishment of tho work of evangelisation.

The whole way Mr. French carried tho conference with liini, but it was wlieir ho broko away from his manuscript mid plunged into extempore speech that hiis words really roused tho audicnce.

! "We are (old the Council is dead," said the speaker. "All! but I have noticed that obituary notices only appear' once, inul when I see an article in n, newspaper every day for fix days declaring that the I'reo Church Council ii dead, I know it is ii' lie."

"All tho same," Mr. French proceeded, "thouirh I have 110 fear about tlio vitality

of the Council, I think it may lb suffering from the- effects of ago. It is too much a gathering ef distinguished,men. There must ho more direct and mora complete authority from our Churches. Wo must not bo afraid of shocking people. Great social questions, great moral 'questions, must always bo our direct and iuimediaU concern." ' Last camo a challenge. What vraa the conference ready for? "In.Mr. Meyer,"' . tho speaker declared, amid loud applause,' "wo have the finest leader God could havo given us. His troublo is that ho is not i quite sure how far you are ready to follow. Referring to the closing of' publichouses 011 Sunday, ho added: "In that and 1 half-a-dozen other fights, if we stand together, wo can sweep tho'world. Thoracis our leader. What about you? Will you back him?" The response was, tumultuous. It could hardly havo been otherwise, but it did not ring liko an empty demonstration. ■Iho conference seemed, to havo l>een stirred to a consciousness of its own possibilities. A learned and impressive address wa« givon by Professor F. B. Jevons, whoso notable paper on "Scienco and Religion" was tho moro welcome as coming from ft prominent member of tho Church of : Lngland. s Appeal to Rev. F. D, Meyer. Tho election of officers was notablo foJ a strong appeal made by Sir Joseph Coimi-ton-Bickctt to Dr. V. J3. Meyer to relin-' quish his work at Regent's I'ark and de•voto the whole of his time to tho eer\iic9 of the h'reo Church Council. Dr.F. Luke Wiseman was nominated President of the Council for 11)14, and Sir. K. Murray Hyslop appointed to tako the plnco of Sir J. Compton-Rickett as colleague to Mr. George Cudbury and Mr. I. Jv. l'orcns, M.l 3 ., in tho treasurer- * 6hip ot tho Federation. Tho real conclusion of tho Ncwcastla meeting was the demonstration held nli the Town Hall, with Sir Joseph Ccmpton- ■ ltickett in the chair. The speakers wor© Jir. William Ward, secretary of„ tho Brotherhood movement, and the Iter. C.' Silvester Horne, M.P.