RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2181, 20 June 1914, Page 11

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

IS THERE A RBVIVAt?

THE CHURCH p.N FfiM*B&

"CRASS MATERIALISM PRC-VGKJiS REACTION,'*

iho Signs of religions revival in Franco aro reisrred to in an article by Mr, A. F. Whyte, JLF., which, appears in tho April number of tho "Nineteenth Sr' s *'*- Mr - £tates: JI. l*«ul Sahatie-r, in his liciv fee-k franco To-day: Its Religiotts Orientation, says that it is 'long since religious masters hava so continuoußly occupied t'.reneh public attenfeign as in*onr time,' and speaks sig.ii.ifioaiitl.y of tho 're-iigi-ous expectancy, of France to-da».' This attitude of the public mind k unmistak* ably tty'idcnt- and fonns a conmderahto part of ;La franco KottveHe/ that ntoveaient of national rejuvenation which has been proceeding with -such surprising vigour for sonm years," Tito London "Times" of April 10, in discussing the question "Is tfeoro a religious revival in FranceP'* states: - A special correspondent iu. Paris w»o astecd tlio ijiicsticui lately, admits that there is a significant stirring ot tj» dry bones in the 6omain of religion, but ho cautiously refrains from. a more positive statement. Wo aro in* clmed to bo bolder. That there is a revival, both of Rowan Catholicisw and ot those teoser and Witfogmatie religious views.and sentiments which Frenchmen A'Scrsbo as 'spiritualistes,' seems to us Hsqwstiisnnblc. Sow far it has gone, how deep are Its roots, and what are its prospects are, on tho other hand, matters of much doubt, .. . . . But thoughtful and feir-rhinded observers of many schools in Franco have recognised for some years a gradual and pM.grc,ssiyo ohang* in the attitude towards religion of certain classes of Frenchmen 14 takes more than a few statutes and. oven then a few decades of 'education laiquo' to wean a nation from traiif.ioi.is bred in their bono for countless generations. Tito Roman Church has thego traditions to build oh, a.nct she js mailing earnest efforts to turn thetn to account, Tho el ass in which tho revival is roost wmistakablo is that of the educated young men. , . . B has already lasted long enough to have set ife mark on tita-a-tnro. So-ffio 8f tlio How writers avow opinions which arc frankly RoM-att OathoTic, while others speak of rejigion with resge«t as a great -moral and social for«e. Hie ablest of tlio unbelievers themselves rccognlso that there is nioro 111 heaven and earth than tins laboratory can reveal What are the cause's of the chaftgo, which, whatever its ;p.ro-po-rtiiais.. does 'ippear to bo passing over the minds of snelj widely separated portions of French society? It lias Urn attributed to the fashion. It has been attributed to tho ->four of social caiivulswsys. Beth have probably contributed » it. ihc aristocracy in France ha-vC' always made a profession of Roman Catholic belief otco tho gufllotilw bebeaded tlte noble patrons of the. sph-i]o-sophes. The growth of syndfcalsm and of anti-miMariSm, the. .open dissemination of doctrines fatal alike to tho State, to private property, and to the \fW> ™° constant rccurronce of ,fomidahlo strikes, tho iiiereastng -attfeity of tho criminal classes, the impunity tflth ;which,Some of their most darina foats-have been performed, .the -spread ot finaiMial and political corruption., the. decrease in the bi'tth-rate and the- rise m the divorce-rate, the general relasatioji of the old nvotal standatds in mi*. ■ tnio life'as in pwhlic, and .the-tea* of tlio sanctions ivlridi guarded ttein, fiavo waaojibteffly led many good titfaens of ail classes to reflect .whether negation can. cMsti&to'-.tte sure and stable foundation for the lite of a great People, ; We believe., .howe-vor, that there is a Heepar caiiso than these. Man does »ot fivo "by *read'afeno. The 'lights' of , always, .are refit, . At all times and' in all societies cfa.ss materraiisni provokes reaction. Man will look heloro and after; and,\as he looks, he feels that !»'■ is more- than a. chance, group of .atoms,- that he lias impefious needs and cravings 'Which lleithor. wealth nor oasa nor fafh.« can satisfy. He longs for semis principle, some doctrine, which will offer him a. tolerable exfiiaiiatibn. however incoapfete, of himself and of the 'iinniensWieS' he sees and d.iv'ines about MTfc Ho tiinis i-nstjnetivci-y to the traditional beliefs of his Ricg. Wbeter the. present relhifous revi-val in Fraiieo M4il'expand and develop no prftdent man will lightly undertake to foretell,. All wo desire to :note. is thai it exists and that, in nttr Miof, it-is really -sfJritiial'—a- genttiiio: and wholesome from the.cold Seni Of.,scaptiefsm which tlirnat-ened 'to k-fll some -of the dcedfrst and tho noblest instincts that- liavo made h.tsto.Ti,G Franco." THE 6LERGY ANQ THE (JREE6S, DisgosstoN m akcmgam . BlSHG'ipa Qiics'tion-s of faith a»d Chnrch -order werfc. -stated fey tho Bishop of Londoii in tho Up.por floase of Convocation (over which tho Archbishop of .Canterbury presided) to havo been brought forward in such a number of petitions as showed that tho clergy and -la% expected the Bishops 1 to do something, fiohad never known a mora desa-o for some.advice from the episcopate. He, was not asking t'fe Bmie to engage in pfoseOutiQ-ns i'ai heresy, for.they' had no maehiuory for it, -even if it was right; nor did. they deprecate study, for they were iitedgtjd to it, but they slioulcl not admit that study should always end in a conclusion against- the.miraentous. Ho moved, a .resolution aftrnrkig that of 1905, 'Which stated that-.-fihe Hpusp was jesolvejl to aaiiit-aift nnimpairctl the OathoMe Mft as coniained in tho Creeps; also the rcsolntiwnof t-Jio Lanvbcth\ponfercnco of IMB, laying down that tho historical facts sia-tea in ths Creeds were an .essential part of the faith of tlio ttarciu Tho Bishop of Norwich seconded, Tho Bishop of Hereford moved m'anrehdment declaring that tho Bfouso wotiid not ha serving 'the best interests of tho Chutci) by iss-itin-g -any frc.sh declaration, h& s'iic-h deckrnti.o.rjs wero not the wisest meafls of upholding the .faith aiid c-ncou-raging a study of' Scripture. The .proposed declaration wonld drive ©tat of the Chtti'eh mahy of tho finest spirits, and it would be starving the Church of the future if they closed tho door against the- irevoreiit" study of AsfiriptOTo. The Bishop of Lt«6otn> who $octmM, said, they nuisb a.d'iniv that previous declurations had been f'utilei The I*is'hop of Winchester said it was time a declaration tfa-s-inado., for at tho ■■■point at whicj 1 they s'tood now they could not refuse to .ftiako: so-wo nttcraijees without doing a-n iutmeiise Irani! aftd wititout causing a most far-reaching ■ suspicion. ' Tho Bishop of Ohrtnisford emphasised tho fact that there Was. nuicli unrest in t-lw iniiitis of the people with r-efiiud to ' recent p«Hicati«ttis. Worfeing nieu were 1 saying that the clergy slkmM agree j amongst tlifeasfch'ss what they rea-Uy be-; Sieved bqforo they apfieaM to the peo-1 pie to believe anytbing, TSitt Bishop of Oxford,, wlio suppertfed. the issuiiig #f the. (Icxslnfttw'flii, KftW he '■■ jH'ftfonndiy' lie!ix>vwl ihaf. tiioy had to fight (lift pvincip'lff wiiiifh deiiiieil the bis-ti-15'ica-t fU;cti,i-aey*ftf sniiaclw. It Wi\s « prhiciph; 'wh.it.4i iu its wain sunso \pas dtsftlptive of Cl'iiistriUHly. 'Jiis BislKip -trf B'!y Said oaniest stiisioiits iiinsfc ax.'i.ffliua posiUems which to ii-Kiny dwout beliovcrs sefinicfl painful and. strange, and full of hiraafd. The A reittbisl-wp of C|iiii.c)biff,y sgreod i-hii-t disquiet sind aiiX-i-iit.y cxisterl, but: ho i"c{::nrd.od the fours that wore 05prdßwa s5 iii ttwy. 'clif.&ctiuhs e*iifi.RCir..fffed. Ho di'J nftt iiciiovo tliai thb ai

vaiice of uftbelief tvas bo widesprjad or takuiK suoii a daii.gertfiis coiirs.o ag : many of tho u'rei.risi»wiili:s.ts ' s.up.paseti. : iwmh that ivas ehoe.aug to : be said on the otter side, tho'ino--morjals roughly dealt iyith Modoiii-' ism, iiikuyii,* Mnd fubries s The second; ivas being tiealt with, aii.il the tuird did Bet aais to aii answe*. While tiiero was grounii .ipr solire. mieasinpsß in "the' teachmgs til smm of.-ttio .tt wobnot so grave as had tie.en rciirefieiited., 'i'tey (Irrl not say to holiest stedciiU. and sectors for truth as siiah, "Stop, ■ that path is barred, that eoueiMSiau is forbkM&u; you >iiiußt iwt go there." H© would say to -every 'honest l student, ;Wallow tmthj do ypur_ uttasst to find: it. ILi&t it-be your guide wherever it fflo.y .Jead you." Sue-h straty, Cewfess: and. free, was the strength of tilio 'ChuMi's progress. Siwh stiidy liju.rt not be h-iii.d.ea'd 3by si sj.rtg.lo thatight of cha coftsecitujiiccs of what the Goucliwtoft nsiijht He found-it hard to infagiho.! jii.Y c-asa in wbreb fie ivould vefjise JCX»n> J .muiiton to air honest student as, Stteli wh:p was otherwise -q-u'-alified to -call .hi.ni- ■ self a Christiaii, JviiatOTpr .ha. tboUgiit' about the apirtipHs the Oiaa hud foriiied. Men, ljad braved the fires of S'Bii'tb&Jd; Hi face .of .aiithority %'hfoli "woiiid bid.;, them -make their reason 'blind aftd sim* |)ly obe-y." The ReformotiOß, with Ua\ i'r-f-s'li air, its suniight, and freedonj, *di<l not emtut for ivbthhig in tlio .liis- - ! tory of the Churcl)., and Jie- for biie-' : tiioiifcht thej' shou.l4. bewaro lest 'fey. seemed to bo stopping f.-reedoni of iIK qniry ajwJ. freedoiri of thought, If tlip : resolnt-ions did ttsat he »bo\iiid vote against tlieni iv'ith all tlio strength in: his pflwciP, Iltippily tbo Msoliitions di.d : liffthiiJK of the kind. But to -the man ■' who s.ajd that .lie KB'P.giiißed that 'tlje: faith of the Chiireli of wliieh lio \j<as a-. . .lSiiiister rested upon a- great p.asis of ■ historic a:s well as do&triiml tr'uili, but denied the trwsh of .that pa:rt repro>. tluecd in the Creot£s s they s.gid, "lipid, ' eoiisldor yowr pssi.t'ion as ah aeejediteel; spokcsninin olainiing, tho.-Gliii-rcli's ..jcii-: tliorit'y to teacli.' 1 ■ 'Fhfcy Were eleftr that there'tiitt.st life ■soni.p- liijiit 11.1 tli.e 1 mfttte-r.. . 'Iliere .Wits'ft clangor of te aud aFfeitraiy expression- of aidlierenee : i».t Coiiiiiifi-d Jo ad* 'p*rtieul.ar brauelj of ■study, ■' Ho wtjitld "rentim). those avlio ' tad fletitfoiied tliat some of theiii Miiglit. ■also be eallod upoii to he reiiilud'Sd that thero;was a eowftsponding danger, of iijarnce'ritT .of profession as to their, d'oqtriijo a-wd their views. fliO Bishap of Hc're.fortf's amenSriiWt ag.aill.st issuing. <a- 4'ec.U.ratioii -was lost' by 24 rotes to three. ;