C.E.M.S.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2622, 18 November 1915, Page 9

C.E.M.S.

YESTERDAY'S CONFERENCE. Tho Wellington Diocesan Conference of the Church of England Men's Society was continued yesterday morning in St. Peter's Schoolroom. Proceedings opened at 10 a.m. with the Bisliop (Dr. Sprott) in the chair. Papers were read by Mr. J. Snell on "Moral Renewal of the Nation," and on "Social Renewal" by tho Rev. G. B. Stephenson. Sir. Si. ell did not consider that our nation as a whole had c-xceeded other nations iii immorality. Our nation's great fault had been weakness, moral and spiritual, ami therefore renewal rather reformation was needed. Already since tho war one realised more than over tho doep solidarity of the human race, the real meaning and message of tlio British Empire. Among Germans and French; as well as among English, thero was to be noted a greater seriousness. A new moral ideal bad touched the mind of the nation, but tlie moral, must have a spiritual basis; therefore there was a need for a spiritual revival. - Discussion followed, led by the Rev. J. G. Castle, Mr. J. W. Stephenson, the ltev. R. H. Hobday, and Mr. W. Nash. The Bishop summed' up in a very interesting speech. Tho paper read by tho Rev. G. B. Stephens, on "Social Renewal," provoked an inter&sting discussion . oil interest, ronts, and profit from the Christian standpoint. In the afternoon papers were read by the Revs. A. M. Johnson and A. I. Sola. Tho ovoning session saw a powerful appeal delivered by the Rev.' M'Douail, who. lias recently returned from China. Ho pointed out that special fields of missionary work in the colonies hitherto held by Germany would become available after the war. Missionary endeavour, he said, must' follow tho flag. Tho end df the wax would witness a profound change in the political boundaries, notably in the East. He paid a special tribute to the tvondorful loyalty of India, which, he said, was worthy of an epic. poem. The Mediterranean he spoke of as a sea of dead empires, and pictured the westward march of dominion from Babylon to Greece, to Rome, and westward to Britain. Already the rise of America, and tho aspirations of Japan and China, foreshadowed the ending of the Atlantic era, and the coming of tho Pacific era, where the contest would shortly bo fought out between Christianity and heathenism. Modern education in the East ,was leading China and Japan to the worship of material force, with its highest expression of militarism. The war had brought to the educated native within the Churoh a sense of shame, and to the native without the Church a- feeling of contempt. Peace tracts for Europo were being written by Chinese students. In conclusion he said the needs of tho moment were a supply of money and a supply of men.

A spontaneous response met Mr. M'Douall's appeal, and a sum of '£20 ss. 3d. was subscribed in the room towards the support of a Native clergyman in China.