MEN'S BROTHERHOOD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1837, 25 August 1913, Page 3

MEN'S BROTHERHOOD.

ADDRESS ON "SEARCH FOR 'JjIIUTH." Professor M'Kenzio was the chief speaker at yesterday's Men's Brotherhood meeting, held at tho Now .Theatre, Manners Street, at which tho chair was occupied by the Rev. Nowell Smith (president). The vocalist - was Miss Pickett, who was deservedly encored for 'a very'lino rendering of "Tho Lost Chord."

Professor Mackenzie, • who spoke 011 "The Search for Truth:. Search tlio Scriptures," commenced liis address by : asking, "What are tlie Scriptures?" and 111 answer stated that tho Scriptures of our day differed very widely from tho Scriptures referred to in the Gospel. Every human discovery of real value to man was a revelation of God, and Grid to-day was as communicativo and as active iii the work of revelation as at any t-imo in the history of the universe, as maJi's mind had so evolved x that it was capable of achieving infinitely higher things, thus being more accessible to God. It -was customary among people who thought themselves honest, intelligent, and well-intentionecli to imagine that they had' disposed of an opponent when they had but succeeded in labelling him with a nickname, sucli as atheist, agnostic, frce-tliinkor. sceptic, or rationalist, but the days ot such cheap-jack methods in religious or other controversy wero numbered. Education was making a clean sweep ot obscurantism and of what \isod to bo called "authority" in connection, with things divine, and the divine nglit ot priests and parsons was as' nearly dead as tho divine right of kings anu kaisers. No nation or pcoplo, and no church or chapel, could claim a monopoly of or anv exclusive authority 111 'connection with such Scriptures; and pag?" ™<? cs > which owed; nothing to 'Christianity, wero not much behind the nations professedly Christian in mental and'moral status'and aspiration. Most <>f. them, including himself, had had their minds so warped in their childhood -by the boCT men of popular religion that they wero positively afraid of thejr own shadows in religious thinking, but modem enlightenment had completely revolutionised things, and education was gradually preparing the masses ot tho people to share the treasures. ot "tho newer rev el a-tions, aiiu to put iniplicit trust ill God and His increasing purposes in connection with tho revelations of tho future.