BROKEN LIGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 11

BROKEN LIGHTS.

DR. MOULTON'S FERNLEY LECTURE.

This year's Fernlcy Lecturer is Dr. James H. Moulton, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Didsbury College, and he delivered a summary of his lecture, which deals with "Comparative Religions," at Mutley recently. The oluirch was crowded. Dr. Moulton began his -lecture, with an interesting personal reference. In 1856-9 his grandfather was' a Wesleyan minister am Plymouth, and his father was a candidate for the ministry in Taunton Circuit. . His father and both grandfathers wero Wesleyan ministers, and his great-great-grandfather, John Bahqwell, tho author of "Hail, Thou OnceDespised Jesus," was called to preach by John Wesley himself. Dr.'Moulton went ou to show that whilst tho revelation of God' through Jesus Clmist was the supreme religion, God had never left Himself without witnesses, though tlieso other religions were.... but as "brokenlights." Scientific 1 investigations, had proved the universality of the religious instinct.- Wherever men wero _ found there wero also rites jnid ceremonies and ideas of God, extremely alike. In one section of his "Golden' Bough," Dr. Eraser showed tho existence of a practically universal belief in God becoming incarnate and giving His life for tho. benefit of mankind. Thus the way was' prepared for tho Christian teaching of the Atonement. This illustration concerning tho central _ doctrine of tho Christian faith applied to the whole Tango of religion, and to-day it was possible to write a now chapter of religious history on "The Preparation of the World for the Gospel of Christ." In tho closing part of the lecture Dr. Moulton divelt on tho modern missionary motive. '