THE UNITY OF RELIGION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 9

THE UNITY OF RELIGION.

ADDRESS BY DR. CALDECOTT.. , . It is a eign of-tlio ; fraternal fooling b<H tween Anglican • and l'Veo Church professors on tho Theological Faculty of London' .University that Professor Alfred CaldcV cott, I). Lit., l).D.,~Doan of Kiug's Col-" lego, should give tho address to tho studi onts at tho cloisng meeting of tho NewCollege session on June 20. Ho had tha most cordial reception, and took for hia subject "Tho Unity of Mankind <vnd tlio Unity of Religion." Ho prefaced his lecture with an allusion to the harmonioua working of tho Theological Faculty, and to tho interest in its jvark shown by in/■jjuia'ies from all parts of tho Empire. Then followed a referenco to Dr. Bennett's removal to Manchester. Thoy wcro both, said Dr. Caldecott, of the tamo collego at Cambridge, and as a colleague who had worked much with Dr. Bennett, and would feel his loss, in tho namo o.f both: tho Anglican colleges in London University ho wished him all success in- his new. sphere. Turning to tho subject to his address, Professor Caldecott showed tho strono tendencies to-day towards tho unity of mankind—in commcrco, in technical inventions, in medicine and surgery, in social reforms. Even in tho moro complex affair of nationalities and governments there was a similar unifying movw ment, and there wcro now practically, only ten groups in Europe and two in Asia. .Then across tho patli of progress I*o3o the spectral f6'riri of differentiation in raco and oolour. Much had been said of lato against inter-mixture of races as no good. Against this Dr. Caldecott sot) tho ovidonco of psychologists and nnthro. pologists for tho unity of tho human raco, The scrutiny of tho various raocs reJ presented tut British and American UnU I versities—lndians,' Japancso, Chinese; Maoris, etc.—revealed that non-Caucas-i • ians held their own against Caucasians in intcllcctual capacity. Wo lind boon too much impressed by colour, and it was now being shown that it was duo to geographical conditions. Taking up tho problem of unity in religion. Dr. Caldeoott showed that in roligious psychology it' was coming to bo understood that tlm. fundamentals of religion—fear, rovcrenco.awe, faith, etc.—were widosprcad in 'tlw , human race. Wo had been led to ex, aggerated ideas of difference, becouso dift v . ferences'of customs and rites and svnf bols had obscured common instincts. Now, wheA tho' various religions wero ooniinn out into tho open, face to face, tho inevitable conclusion was that tho leading part must bo taken by tho strongest religion. That religion with tlio greatest amount of positive truth for man's soul, which satisfied his deepest needs, must prevail sooner or. later. Tho'. mind ."of. man was slowly turning to seek tho unity underlying tlio various religions. Eaoli single religion was being asked how ifc stood as a religion for nil mankind, leading to closer relations. with God and to a truer human fellowship, Did not tho fact of this testing of religions call on tlie Churches of Christendom to take closo order among themselves, and consider liow their differoncos affccted inquirers of other religions? Must wo not concentrate, on essential things and lot unessential things go?.

HARRY LAUDER IN A BRISTOU PULPIT, Mr. Harry Laudor, tho famous musichall artist, uddressNl an afternoon leathering 'at Cnstlo Grecu Congregational Cnurcli, Bristol, 011 Sunday, Juno 22. lit) is a lii'o-long friend of tlio minister, Itov. Goargo Adam, and ho not only spoko on tho power, of sociability, but sans "Tho Children's Homo" and "There is a Groou IJill." 11 is text was from Proverbs: "As iron Bhkirpo&oth iron, so tho fnco of one's follow % man convcj - s something to his neighbours." In a homely and fortiblo way Jlr. Laudor dwelt on the value of Iranian brightness and cheerfulness, urging that this should begin at homo. Ivo Bocia.l life, ho said, was to bb compared! for effectiveness and beauty with that of the happy homo oirolc. Thero- nro no , friends like, your father and mother and

your own sisters and brothers. "Lhavo always lived," ho said,,"on tlio.sunny side of lifo's street." Mr.. Lauder ,is a Presbyterian, and at Bristol lie closed, his address with an expression of appreciation of Sunday school work and tho Boy Scouts. The tirainuig of tho Sunday schools was invaluable. "I moan every word of what I say about Sunday schools, because I went to the Sunday school myself,"' added Jlr. Lander. Incidentally ho mentioned that lie is a total abstainer, with a personal contempt for tlio sham sociability of drinking..