RELIGIOUS ACTIYITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2120, 11 April 1914, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIYITY.

PROFESSOR HABNACK. HIS INFLUENCE WITH THE KAISER. "Among'the 'Jleii .Around Iho Kaiser , no oito js higher in His Majesty's eouncila, no swtyiscr to whom lie listens with iiioiw nuirkcd attention," says tho Berlin correspondent of tlio "Christian World."-;'Hawiack-is not tho Kaiser's'-adviser in the great affairs of State, in matters connected with tho army and navy, in tho conduct of foreign affairs; but"outside these important flsattws thero arc affairs not less important wliieh the great scholar influences in a way undreamt of !>y the crowd.

"Ho is generally regarded by persons with a. knowledge of what gotfS on behind tlio curtain as powerfully influencing tho Kaiser's mind in all that has. to di/ witlit religion and morals, with history and tho lessons to bo derived, .frem history, aedj abovo all, in tliia • regions of social reforits, Ha'rnacli is' a i'rßquejit visitor at Court, not at the great, Stato levees and receptions, but at thoso intimate little gatherings whore tho Kaiser meets his closest fnendSj and diseusses with them openly and without. reserve tho questions buidouing_his mind. In grateful recognition of his services to him and hig house the Kaiser has conferred every liMUmr on Harnack it is positlo to' , confer.. Hartock i> an 'Excellency,' a .'privy ' comiciWor,'. and his Tweast ;.is decorated with some of the.highest orders. . Tho Kaist'iv wished to confer on liiin thft cave-ted 'Voli' of hereditary no.bility,'Jbntj. the nio-dest . of Clinrcli" History declined tiiis unnnual honour.

"It is , not too much to" say that the" development of the Kaiser's religious view's , , from "the somewhat narrow Evan* gelicalkm iii which he was reared to .the- broader ami mats* tolerant beliefs which he, now hoids, - is owing,- almost entirely t* th<» benignant influences which Harnaek has brought to bear on him. Ifc is also worthy of note that tho Kaiser" and the Pr.oieasor have both coins tferoughi.tho sameiperiod-of stress. "Ten. yews ago, when the 'Babel trad Bibel'. controversy was agitating Germany, tho Kaiser showed an inclination to follow DelitHsch and Harnaek in a more liberal interpretation β-f the- teae-h----mga ot. tho Old , Testament; since- then, both have heett gradually going back to the orthodox conceptions', and they have ganft back together. Harnaek has certainly shed much of the.rationalism which'■ made. him the most prauotinced Ititschlian of his timo, asid ou tho tferjje of old .age wo see him a devout, if-still somewhat liberal, • Evangelical, ■ ivi-th ■stfengUiDtting faith and hope,. "Harnaek Tms the distinction of being one of tbs most bvilUaftt., speakers in Germany. Even in the lector© room he seeks to clothe the most themes with an' attractive dress, and he. certainly succeeds. As' a preacher ho J is also in the front rank, and no Berlin church is large efteugh to contain tie crowd tt'hifth congregates to h«ar him. v/hon lie is aiu-iautto&i to preach. Sa-r----naek is a Curistiati Socialist in politics, of a mild type, it is true, hut when we remember that he has been, bjcraght up in tbo most conservative of State CliurclieSj wo iiiiist marvel at li-is freedom froto eon vent ion 5." THE BIBLE. ADDRESSES , BY X>B; MQHGAN AND 1 : MB. BEYAN. J . Dr. •Canipbeli -, Morgan, of Wcstmin- i star Oh-apei, and Mr.' yVUliam J. Bryan, tho American -Secretary of State, teum been .spsa.king.togsthfeen 'the 'Bible 'at it'-great 'meoMttg •Jα'■ Washington. "i)r, Campbell Morgan eaia;*- ■ "Oii one- of fcte 'iiigluvajs: near tho' hetet of London City, stajid t\v6 great ~' Xho that , ot'i ,'The Times' nowspapef-iind ,t3io .-.otjier ■ is that of .the British anij'l ? orejgi) Bibfe; Baciety. Over tho "first is a .cioc-k. and J tigiiro of leather Tline, suggestive 'of tbiugs transient and passing. Ofttjie facade of iho other is an open BftlS, with the words of my text uiscrrbetl thereon, 'The Word of the Lord en*. to'eth forever'; a reminder in tii.e midst« transient- and passing and perisiialito things of t'de tJuugs ttiat abide. ■ "There is a value and a- suggestiveness in these facts. The newspaper is a, record_pf the practices of tvme. The Bible is "a. revelation of the pnueipfes of tornity. There is a closer interrelation between these two matters, or iiiiist I amend my sentence, and say, there ought to bo interrelation betiv-een these two ■ matters.-

■ "John Wesley said; "I read niy.newspaper te «.«s iww God is governing tho world, , aad that is tlto Iruo « - iiy in whicli Ciiristiaii men should lead the. newspaper. The Bible is the revetation of low men ought to behive in the world, which never yet has escaped, nor ever caa or will escape from the government of God, and.in proportion aa file nation, whoso doifigs are recorded in the newspaper, listeis to the word o:f the Bible, the aation will app-toximato tj> the will of God, and rcncii tlio fut-fiilme-nt of all that is highest aad aoWest and best in its life,"

; "la all matters except iii'the science of how to live man has fna&e wond&rful 'rfrogress," said. Jlr. Bryan, "The mastery of the miiifl over tho forces of nature seems almost .complete, s& far_do \w surjiass the aacients- iit harnessing iho water, tihe wind, and the liglitiißigi ; "Inventive genius has multiplied tho power:of & 'human arm and ettppliwl tlio masses with, comforts ef which the rieh did not dare to dreato a few «criturios ago," added Mr, Biyan. "Science is ferreting out the hidden cavises; of disease,' and teachiftg Us how t& pro* long life. In every line, except in tho line. of eha-raeter-b-uildmg, tho world seems to have been rhadi* over, but the marvellous changes by which-old things liavo become new only emphasise tile fact that mail, too, must lie- born Again, while they show how impotent are mate* rial things to touch tlio soul <rf man and transform him into a spiritual being. -it'' ".Wherever tfee moral standard is being lifted up—whercver life is Becoming larger in the vision that directs it and richer in its .freitag©, tho impro«nient is traceable to the Bibie and to tlio influence, of the God and Christ of ttiwai tiie Bible tells."

INSPIRATION. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. "An interesting corres-imndemcu has ton appearing in the tJambridgo Magazine,' ;i papar which circulate- widely among imder-graduates," says "Comment and Criticism." "It will be remembered that a num* ber of Examining Chaplains resident in Cambridge published recently a letter to the. Archbishop of Canterbury with regard to the question addressed to candidates, for Ordination as Deacons on the subject of the Holy Scriptures.

"In this letter they assfii't ■ that the mterprotatioa of formularies 'hns varied from age to ego with the growth of knowledge awl experience, , and state that in their view the intention of the question as it stands ut present is to emphasise and maintain tho unique position ef the Scriptures in relation to tho Christian religion, as bo ing the inspired record of the progressive revelation of God which culminated in the Person and work of oar Lord Jesus Chrisl.'

"Most of them, however, with ft view io obviating common tiiisapiu'elieiisions, wotdd welcome a change ta tho form"cf tho question,-and suggest tho form 'Do you believe in (Jie Holy Scriptures as given by inspiration o( God? -, "The Hon. Ito'traiid Kussell was moved by this suggestion to write a

letter to the 'Cambridge Magazine,* in .which lie asserted that tiro an-swe* ~'io tlfo question as.it stands fit present is. ■nxcept iu very few iustauees, a : ! I'lie.fortn suggested by tlio ExaflHftjnj; Chaphiins bo nttacks as beitig no iniprdVciHeist. His argument is that if men do nni believe tlie whole of this Scriptures, they caiiaot suppose fliat they arc as a. whoh given, by diviim -iii~ spiratiou, unless, mtleefl, they 'beKqv.6 tlirtt falsclwotls may l>-e divinelj , inspired,' . • .-

"This letter provokxid k Jargo nmnbor ef replies. Professor Barnes *rete that .tlio-religious value.of the Bible-,-as proved by the *xperienco of Glifistians, is a Biiflicicnt guarantee tff . its iiispiration, Tlio Principal of. Ridjey Hall defended the form af tlie.buestjon as it standSj aUcgUie that belief in tlie .Spnptures means'belief in them as »>ro' viding an authoritative staieHientef tlio pregrossSvo'. revelation which God lias given to wan; Professor Gtfatkra said that tlin Cotirts had esplicitly ■deciflecif in. tho ! Ess.ays and Reviews'" case thai the Church of Enj»lnnd made no suuli demand ss Mr.' Mussel! imagined. "Dr;. PaSkes-Ja-eksom, on the.'oilier handj ftlio, it will !>o remembered., was Vecmitly proiiiiiieMt. as a tteferter of tl.m present use of tho Athanasian Creed, expressed astonishment at the reluctftiieci of those itt autliOTity .to abandon fornsttlas no* univcrsally 'disbelieved, and said tliat-Hr. Rassell was doing a real service te religion. "The" issue is-yefy fairly clear," says "Cdfiiment nnd Critietsm," . "We aianitnin (is Mr, Eusscll that Ancient formnlarios may from time to time their meanhifi, and that : it is. for a mail to assent to Sucli a for.niulii.o' if lie still holds the bplic-f that -undeilies that formulary; fhe Gsseiitial point of the. belief of oiir ■ancestors about-tho Bible was that it was the Word of God, a true niesSapo from God to Dieft. Wo see," as they did not sec, that this messnge is eJo-Ujed in ft form-, dictated by the ■ environment anil intellectual capacities of tbs writers! But the essence of their belief is also ours: ■ i '•■■.( :

'Convocation of Canterbury has just decided tlt.it the question which is put to the candidates for Peacoii's orders en their belief-in Holy Scripture 'should read asfgHows:— ■ ". :■ Tießovo that the canonical Scriptures .of the Old and Now lestantept are the record nf Giwl's rerelation of Himself given through teen inspired by tko fey and that wey are able to make wise,unto salvation through fnith jji Christ Jesus?"