RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 12 July 1913, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHURCH UNION IN SCOTLAND. ENTHUSIASTIC APPROVAL, RELATIONS OF CHURCH AND STATE. Amid scenes of enthusiasm the reports' of the committee of the Church of Scotland and tho United Free C'hurch-.on the question of Church union wero, adopted au the General Assemblies.. •« In the Church of Scotland, DrJ-Wallaco-Williamson, the Moderator, presented tho deliverance which; approved the-report, acknowledged-the care and patience of tho United Free Church Committee, and tho frank and friendly nature of tho conferences ; mingled with' satisfaction that : 110 divergence of views constituting an insuperable obstacle to union had emerged, and instructed tho committeo to contiiiuo tho conference, and to framo tho draft of a constitution to bo reported to next" ■ General Assembly, and, if approved, transmitted to the Assembly of tho United Free Church as a basis of union. In moving tho adoption of the report ; of representatives to confer with tho United Free Church, tho Moderator said they had come to a very important point ; in their conference work. Hitherto their | discussions had been on high general principles. What they wished, to attempt now was to put the results of theso discussions into concrete shape. Tho inquiries and discussions in which they had been engaged had brought them faco to face with a very definite issue. Three points were outstanding: Tho question of tho spiritual freedom of tho ■ Church' within its own proper domain ■ was the fast and most important matter. . Second, and hardly less important,, was tho question of the national recognition : of religion and tho maintenance of tho : national character of the Church; and tile ■ third point was tho question of tho ancient endowments of the Church. Ho 1 wished to say that' ho had always held, and ! still held, tho view that if they could j cbmo to a right understanding on tho two principles first mentioned, 011 tho maintenance of tho spiritual freedoin of , the Church and its national character, the question of endowments would never [ endanger its final settlement. '' Tho Assembly, as such, he continued, 1 had never given sufficiently its imprimatur on tho.memorauduin they wero discussing. It was'not yet committed to its principles, but had only approved of its transmission. Tho committee, however, had found 'in their conference with tho brethren, of the U.F. Church that thero was no insuperable obstacle to union. Passing to the report itself, ho explained that'they were not going to build up a new, Church.' They only wished so to modify tho existing relations of tho Church that her spiritual freedom ivould remain absolutely unaffected. Thero were three, ways in which tho Church and State could lie related. The Church might put her foot on the neck - of the State, or tho State might put her foot on the neck of the Church. The third way was seen each day in tho opening and closing of tho . Assembly, where the Church and State each stood 011 its own platform. 111 conclusion, Dr. Wallace Williamson appealed to the call of tho future, and asked the Assembly to leave to those who came after them a legacy of pcace and unity. Loud cheers greeted tho close of tho Moderator's remarks. Mr. D. Jl. M. Milligan, Aberdeen, seconded, and Lord Balfour of Burleigh, K.T., was among the other sputters. Another motion was,submitted by the Rev. Malcolm MacCallum, but it was with drawn, and tho deliveranco was adopted with enthusiasm. United Free Church, In the United Free Church. Assembly, Dr. Henderson submitted the report of tho Committee on Conference with tho Church of Scotland. The deliverance provides for the appointment of the committee, and for the approval of tho course suggested in the report by which tho extent and reality of agreement could be further ascertained,' made clear, and satisfactorily expressed 1 in tarmst.'Twhich. might bo embodied in tho Constitution to be adopted by the Church of Scotland. In submitting tho report, Dr. Hendcr- ' son said that tho Church of Scotland ' Committee recognised it was.rinipossible "' for tho United Freo Church; - ' with tHeir ■ principles and views: of duty',, to -join ; them and co-operate with, them on the | existing lines, therefore. th&y said 'that for , the sake of union, and'in View of the ,• ecclesiastical situation throughout the land, they were prepared to (have a iicw [ Constitution, which would fully-, satisfy 5 tho conception of-the United Free Church . as regarded spiritual freedom. He sent thfni a* memorandum not. ns an : ultimatum, but inviting them to consider , it with them,' to-see if, 011. theTlino, it . -suggested, it vwould. not be- possible < to ■ .comedo a plan tu;work together.. Tlieir ; present business' amist' bo. to make it - quite clear what would be the relation of ! tho Church to -the' State. They looked . oh this with great anxiety. , Tho Constitution obtained by Act of | Parliament might'bo so fit and bound ; upon tho Church,'- if ' they-. joined the [ Church of Scotland, that they would find i themselves bound up by statute. This was a very natural fear on tho part of ■ many in their Church,, and every precau- , tion should be taken-to mako clear that there would bo nothing of the kind. Ho held that only where a body could' alter 1' a constitution of its own freo will was - it. independent. ■ I He declined to thrust the . offensive position of sitting in judgment . on the Constitution after it was drawn 1 up. If tho Church of Scotland would ■ proceed definitely to sot down what would , bo embodied in the Constitution, they would givo tho Church of Scotland every- | assistance desired. They were not going to be dictators in a matter which concerned tho Church of , Scotland itself, because tho Constitution ] belonged to that Church. Concluding, , Dr. Henderson asked if -there was any man in their Church, house, or land, who would not rejoice if the Stato Church and the United Free Church wero to bo ' made one. ' Dr. Henderson received an ovation at the conclusion of his address. A discussion followed, and ultimately 1 tho committee's deliverance, slightly amended, was adopted unanimously amid enthusiasm.

was a service, a witness-bearing. ~ Tlio public worship of the Church was not tho real business of Christianity, but a means —an indispensable means of our equipment for that business. Tho Christian religion,, if truly apprehended, could not bo lccpt to oneself. It must be passed on. It must find expression in altruistic servicc, as well as m religious speech. 111. A third unsatisfactory feature iu tlio lifo of l|iio Church of our lituo was tho comparalivo neglect of tlio child. There wo tlio Sunday schools,' with (lieii devoted .band of teachcrs; but the Church l'ails to impress parents with a sense of their responsibility to their offspring. It was stated on Rood authority that four ' out of every five children in tho Nonconformist Sunday schools of England wcro lost to tho Church. Probably tlio caso was not greatly different in 'New Zealand, Salvation by conversion after the age oi . childhood was past was a splendid possibility; but to salvation by conversion wo must add salvation by education. The children ought never to bo jiermittcd tc stray beyond tho palo. IV. The Church liad lost the noto of assuranco and authority. To meet tlio at-tacks-of unbelief ind criticism thoy had recourso to learned apologetics, which strovo to Tcconcilo religion and science, and laboriously attempted to prove that the messago of redemption in tho Bible was unimpaired by the demands of' criticism. That was well, no doubt. But much of tho bewilderment and hesitancy in dealing with unbelief would never liavo beeu experienced, if they had only lcopt themselves in what was, after all, the one invi.olablo stronghold—Christian experience, The impregnable rock is not the Bible, as Gladstone termed it; though tho Bible was beyond all tolling precious. Tho impregnable rock is the soul 6 knowledge of God in Christ—tho soul's experience of thoso same communications of the Divine grace which enabled tho men who wrote tho books of tho Biblo to. .give us these holy oracles There were on tho horizon signs - of the dawning of a letter day, and to these, Dr. Gibb said, it would be his task to call tjieir attention in sefhion. Philosophy was emphasising the spiritual interpretation of the universe and human life as the only valid and intelligible method. But it was not to the philosophoi tho man in the street would look for tin evangel that would change his life. -It was to the Christian Church. It was to tho Church they had a. rifht to look. But tho Church must cast aside its commercialism; its members must abandon- the conception of religion as a more or less languid culture of their own souls. Modifications in doctrine and methods would 110 doubt l>3 needful, Irnt tho supremely necessary tiling was that the peoplo of tlio Church .should come to s« that tho end of existence was not go'tting and spending, but the service of - Christ through tho eervico of their fellows. That was tho solution of tho .problem how to win the world for God. And cvory man who to the utmost of his power is striving thus to servo Christ is helping in his degree to hasten tho great consummation. Were they among the number? JOTTING. Tlip following is a copy of a resolution passed unanimously at the annual congregational meeting, of. the Khandallah Presbyterian Church- on Thursday evening:—"That the congregation of Khandallah Presbyterian Church desires to place on record its very hearty appreciation of the able, zealous, and devoted services of the Rev. Robt. Inglis, M.A., during the six years of Ms ministry here. His pulpit'ministrations have been characterised .by great- power and ability, and, as a pastor, ho hyis been very faithful in visitation and attcntivo to tho sick and needy. Tho young people, too, have been greatly attracted and influenced for good by his teaching. Mr_ Inglis has been well supported in his work by Mrs. Inglis and tlio Misses Inglis, who. have rendered invaluable service in the various activities of tho church, including: tho ladies' Guilds, tho choir, and the Sunday School. While keenly regretting tlio departure of Mr. Inglis and family, tho congregation is grateful for tliedr good work and influence, reflected in the marked progress of tlio charge, and prays that tho blessing of Almighty God may abundantly Test upon them in the larger sphere in Auckland, ,to winch He ,has been pleased to call them." v ' '' •