RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2144, 9 May 1914, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

MIRACLES

OR, HEADLAM'S MOORHOUSE LECTURES. j INSTABILITY OF NEGATIVE 1 CillTlOlSM. ' The first of this year's course of 3]oor-; muse L-jctures was given in 'St. I'aul's Uiglicoji Cathedral, AicUjijiu'iio. on April 18. The lecturer was Professor A. C. Icadlam, of King's College, London, mil his subject was ".MiradeS." Dr. Hoadlam comi'iienccd by a clear statement of tiio object os the course. 'It is the purpose oi these lectures," lie mid, "to investigate the questions rais;d in our minds hy the word.'miracles,', ind in particular tho miracles of the' SJew Testament. But I do not propose :o begin by defining-tho word—a definition should come at. the end of a 4ismssion, not at tho beginning." Ho ivanted to put the question in a broader iv'a.Vj and no pointed. to the civilising iiliuences of, Christianity wherever it lad. spread. '.'Other religions have comb into contact with Christianity, but they iwindlcd away or are transformed. Now this Christianity claims to He the revelation of the Son of ood. The beginnings ot this religion aro described to ns ns :i series of historical events, many of them miraculous in character. Jesus is represented as authefifcicaiing His jimp. ist-ry by the miracles that lie worked, Mid in particular we art* told that, after His crucifixion, Ho rose again from tho dead, and that His resurrection it- was that finally convinced His disciples of the reality of His mission. Our problem is: Liid, those 'events happen? It may bo Jnaiiitaiiitd that Christianity is not true, and that the stories attaehc-d to 'its origin am as valueless as the myths of t-ijo Greek, Roman, or Indian religions; or it tnay ba held thai:, while Christianity presents true teaching, on spiritual questions, fch® mirawjlous eveat s accompanying it are. an accidental and unfortunate addition which must bo eliminated; or, again, it may he held that the Cliristia.it religion is a true revelation of what is Divine, and that tile • miracles' acfcomtjaxiying it are historical, and testify that it is, in Hs origin, not of' this workl. I propose, in my first lecture to begin by examining tlio teaching, of the New .Testament ou miracles, and then t."> review the historv of opilsi®.! on tho subject." Dr. "Headlatn then de-alt with the Now Testament-, gumming up its_teaohi*K -on miracles ill the words of St. Peter in tho Acts of tho Apostles:—"Jesus ol Nasnreth, a mait approved of 6od "trato you by mighty works and wonders am] signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, even as yo yourselves know." Then, quickly passing onwards, the lecturer sketched the judgment .flial had been passed 011. the iwrasuloiis events of tho New Testament in history, quoting tho arguments that Celsu-s used against them in tho second century, ami answering th-em with the- reply ef Origeii of tho same dav—tho moral character oi tho works of Christ. The Patristic age of the Church, and tho controversies that oven then raged corojeroi.iig. tk subject of tho lect-ilrft, was typified ir St-. Avigustino and. St. Thc-itias Aquinas Then, tho first writer who delittitaly ant deliberately attacked belief in miracles. Spinoza, was touched upon; doh-ra, thf free-thoughi system of tho _ seveiiteentl: and eighteenth centuries ift England and the views of Matthew Arnold, lluxicy, nud Hamack were all compressec into tabloid form, and their arguments set forth and answered. Having looked through this 1900 yeah, of criticise. Ds Hfi'ad.lam put forvvarc these questions, being tho main, one'; wbfch ,hsd are impossible bccaijso they afro viola tions of tho. laws of nature; that iftir ucles are inconsistent' with the nattirt and character ofGod; tlvat ho evident 'for miracles enfl bo sidLiekut^not' be£jiuso miracles are ifripos&iblo in thenv solves, but because it is more. Jikofj that a witness should bo mistaken thai; that such omits should have IkipiteU' 0-ci; that whether or 110 adequate ovidunci? could exist, it is deal* that evidence for belief iu Christian miracle* is not sufficient; that avg ciuinot believe iu miracles Wciutse wo know iKivt they arise—they aro & natural ac-coin-paiiiffient of all great religious moveincuts, and there is no reason fai ascepthig tfee niinicles of ChrisUaiiity aias more than 'those of ©titer religions, 1 ' Those arc the tj'uestions intta 1 which hi will deal-in his succeeding Icctures, Tho setting forward of those questions was. reaJly th«?- t-Jn lectures, but Dr, Hciadlam poiiitsd t.c t>ne leading fact tliat betaJ'fro as the result of the- historical sairvej "Tho fact is," said, "how very speedily negative erifeicism psses out ot date hi every successive ago of tli6 C'hnrcl tho Christian apologkt and tlicolograi: Bcoms* to have beon equal to the wflrt before him; or, if not that, at any rate tho progress of thought and aßVolopmeat has proved- tiia-t tiie rationahstn pjiflosopiiy," which in each age seeract so formidable and terrible, has bcoii 1 more reiiection of the spirit of uifi ttmi —the Zeit-deist of Matthew Ari»Mand lias' passed an'ay with the rise ol a new generation. The probhmr, whiel: « o have be-fore us are difficult; we cannot expect or hope that this age, anj more than any other ages, can provuk the final solution; hut,.at any rate, wi realise as part of the WffUinonl which we have to consider thas, white tho main outlino of tho Gospel iiarrativi would bo accepted now trankly and luUj hy the religious instinct of the day at ti'iio to religion, a-Ucl as true to huniaiiiatarp the many rival systems 1111 c creeds' which have played their par. 01 the sta ff o of human thought, have ou< and all passed away., and would be as nuich coi'Klemßed l.iy ihe philosopher, 0; historian, as hy- the simple Olii'is.aan.',

GHUnCH AMD SCHOOL IN ROME.

REACHING OF THE CATECHISM, The Homo correspondent of the tohW "Tablet," writing-on March. 28, St \Vlwn Comm. Aphcl was appointed Royal Commissary of ;Ro«e last i)& member to take over tho of the Eternal City from the Bloc, there wis much peculation as to his probable policy- it stated at tho time that ho was a Freemason, and that he might bo reliod on to carry out the policy ex-Mayor Kathan. auu to cover up any maladministration that might have, been charged to the Bloc. Oiio important event last Saturday be* Hod these rumours, for Comm. Aphcl lias allowed the rcintrorlttction o{ reli- ' n;k)us instruction into the schools ot fiame, from which it was banished su* years ago. The law on religions insteow ■ tion in "Italy is about sixty years old, and it prescribes that the Catechism is to- form part of tho regular cwrrietiluw i in tho public schools, Vmiims Hoyal Decrees have modifies! this rule,-but tito ' latest ol them ordains that when tt« majority of • the elected. members of a ' Commune vote against the giving of religions instruction, this subject'is to ho excluded from the curriculum but that in all'such cases the schoflliooms are to bo placed at the disposition of parents who wish their children to be taflglit the Catechism outside school hours; tho • teachers are to ho paid by the parents or to work voluntarily; they remst. possess diplomas as elementary teachers, and they must be approved by the Pro= vincial Council. One- of Signer Na- • tlian's fe'st acts as mayor was to have religions instruction banished from the curriculum of the ptibltV t!le- • rocntarr schools of Koine, <ksyit« '-lvo fact that tb.e immense majority of the parents of the Ktenial City wished it hi be retained. A largo number of par- . ents then applied for the use of the schoolroom;, according lo tho terms of the Royal Decree. Tito Mayor declined to follow tie law. There was a

fiery agitation in the Catholic papers, which pointed out that the Corporation was acting not only illegally, but against tUe wishes of tho citizens, l'ho Mayor refused to budge.. I'-lw?- Catholic citizens raised a sum of over 30,000 francs to fight the matter out m the 'Courts—but for some reason or other tins matter never came _ before tho f.'ovirta. In fact, wo had almost forgotten alt about it, and the. young Romans, who do not .frequent tho Sttri* jay schools in vary large numbers, and whose religious' instruction was not adequately i>rovidc4 for in any other way, were being brought up'as young pagans, when We learned yesterday morning that on the day before over sixty Catholic teachers bad been admitted to the communal schools, and had given religious instruction fi> them between half-past two and half-past throe in tho afternoon, and that this programme will farther bo carried out every school- day for the future. Amoufi this band of teachers was a Roman - Princess, Donna _Giustinianifinmliui. She is also president of' tho Italian Union of Catholic Women, and it may bo said that site single-handed has trail this light for the Catholic pa-r----esits of Rome. , Signer Aphel's reign over the Capitol will end west Jv% after tho administrative elections, ani it is quite possible that- lui may bo ■succeeded by awt-hci' Antr-clcric-iil paiority .(though that is less likely s-iitco the political elections <sf last November), hut in any ease it may bo taken as certain that oven Na-thtti himself \yiH j not now sncceetl in agaih frustrating the lasv of tho land.

THE STUDENT MOVEMENT.

COSMOPOLITAN AND LN'CIA'SIVK m MEMBERSHIP. The Student- Christian Movement now 1 consists, of a federation, with thirteen groups; spread over 2-5 wttut-ries, and with a membership of 158,001). . According to particulars givon a representative of- Uk> "Westminster Gazette," the movement eammeKecd with ■quite a small grout> about, twenty years,ago, and has stflswily made- headway siute. lu tl:« United Kingdom there is a nieflibersiiip of about- IfJ.uOO, including theglogi-' <Sal students, and its vtatk is carried o)i in practically all. the Hn'iversi'tks and college* of tii.o British Isles. Tfio object or the British Movement- is primarily evangelistic, and in the majority «f % colleges Where it works r.o other religious agency specially for studeui s js in operation. Anothci' opportunity used by the federation -is to .assist in various w'bvs tlio students ■ wiio visit Britain from ]ndia, China, and Japan... In America it is estimated there aj'o 1,000 Chinese stu2ents, and this number is on the increase. 11l Britain the Jiuiivbi?!' is less, and i-s reported to be about 300, while on tlic Continent tit© ate given as a few score.' "In cities like London.," fiaid Mr. Paton, M»A,., to the representative of the • 'Westminster , Gazette," "the situation is frequently i tragi-6. Meal con-ie to London _ witilout 1 any" ffiends ill the place, : g?)t into -bad 5 lodgings, fcim undesirable ao.qmnntaiicei ships, arid rapidly down hill. Not i <jiiiy do . tlioy tjvink tliat tho iftat-iftn 3 th-ch -but even the Christian fyAßt i is against t-lwQij and tlift average stuuI ent in every University regards trnsi -as • conteaiptibie. The Student Movement I is' trying to help these me.ii to decent . lodgings, to find Christian homes into 3 which they will be- received;, and ta. get 1 weft ill tlio- Oniversitics to treat ' them > as friends." The federation is ilso if* • feeting 'tho students Oil the lines of % 1 temational peace in a persuasive and yet 3 t-ffeetive manner. From tile rai-t.kf> of the British union over 1800 Students-litwo • entered t-lw mission field tlij'oiigli the I various societies.

( j -'the'umSeen universe:.

ADDRESS BY SIR OLIVER LODGE. Sir Oliver Lodge, speaking at Liverpool, said lie had been impressed by the many aspects of tho universe of -which our. "senses did not inform us directly, and at which We must arrive by inference, by reason, by study, by h>|!o---Jiesis, by verification. iSeai'Jy all the important things were done automatically. and as one .got used to conscious things Hie more unconscious they became. 'JKk> moro cultmited » man W&s the more things would come to 'htm automatically and- without conscious effort, That was, be thought,, what happened to genius. A nimi went into a brossiA study, bis conscious mind was removed from the eosiscicriis things • <jf life, a procc«s of a high grade •went' on in'his brain,' he might be in contact with a higher order of things, he got inspiration, and tho result was a drama, a poem, or a picture. A Beet' Ivov'en's symphony wits produced by the scraping together of-catgut and, horsehair, and convoyed to the brain'by tho mechaniim 'of the car; but might there: not lie a mora nutitwJ, fflwro shtt.ple, and perhaps an effective method than this materials* rnsus? H» had feaf son to believe that wo should not need the present dominant method when our minds wero enfranchised, -fro-m the material organism, which was sc? -useful, and which .yet limited and hampered ns to some extent.. "Were wo dependent- on otir .seiises only wo shotiid never know of tho ex* isteuce of God. Wo aro not bodies 6ii.ly; We had minds and Spirits, We appealed not dniy Jo the- material universe,, but also -to a. higher, _ a suncrsensuous, unseen lioiforso, with which we could get into closer Swell, and, of which wo could feel ottrsoltfos to bo a conscious part—a Tegivrir of existence which ultimately wo would find ourselves iuoio at heiie in than in out jH'esciifc material He . thought that a super-sensuous jtmtojrsc»: now withdrawn from our. bodily Ic-eii, was ©pen to cmr spiritual perceptions all the time, and wo need uot deal with it as'a future si ate, or think of it as something going on i'ii the future. Itwas here awl now—hero and now, if ever; because' whefove'r wb .wore in tho universe and at whatever period it wiis only' 'now' ilnit existed. We wen Id never arrive at the itivure. It Avould be. the present when Wo got to it just as -ft was the present How; and the pro- < scut would bo all tho time wo "-would irav© to do anything; at all in. Tho S t;c|i and tl» misery aspects of the universe wore co-existent all the tinie, and were not dependent 01; such trivialities sis birth and death; ami the uu hority of existence was, as it were, iemoastktod by tho general eaiitiivuitj: leVceivcd to run. all throughout nature. 3no could Abstract things from olio's itieiition, but not from osfetew®;. quoted Bergswi as to the probability that the Sou} survives the body. We may bo hampered by matter; wo ire aware of niatto-r.; wo arc also vwa.ro of mind, and. we are also aware, ;ome of ns, of higher things. But Aetlier we are awaro of them or not ■.hey arc there, ki the present, -all real, iiOU>|h invisible, though intangible., but ii smile sort of way accessible, to .our ncntal and spiritual apprehension, even low."

new congregational hymnbook.

Sir Jolm 1). If'Clm-e, LL.I),, headmaster of Mill Hill School, sjK'.ikwg at JJadklridgo Church, Northampton, ta* I'erred to tha new Qmigfcgatioiva.l Hymnal, lie said that for .six years a representative committee had boon hard at work on the hymn-hook, exorcisinc; the greatest earo ia selection. _ For all practical purposes th?r<j was littlo elso to (lotto but to s.oe tiro booli through ilro press. Sir W. llytond Afltins, who presided, said that Congregationalism in its origin wa» intensely concer.nfed with, tho rights and duties and spiritual privileges of tiio individual. English Coßgregationalists were now learning tiro value of social combination. Gradit- ' ally they were being led 0:1 the lino of thoso far-aff dreams Of a. reunited Chrisiendoin, aaid in tho fulness of timo 'a federation of all the Christian Churchcs. \