CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 14

CHURCH AND WAR

LECTURE BY DR. D. S. CAMS FREEDOM AND THE SUPERNATURAL.

The Drew lecture, which is now tho opening function of the session of Hackney College, was delivered on October 10 at tho Memorial Hall by Dr. D. S. Cairns, Professor of Apologetics and Dogmatics at the United Freo Church College, Aberdeen. Principal Forsyth presided. Announcing as his subject "Freedom and tho Supernatural," Dr. Cairns spoke for a little ovor an lionr. He said the one reality for us was God, what He expected of us, and what we had a right to expect of Him. It was unreasonable to assert the freedom of man, and then to deny it to Almighty God. This was a materialistic age, and though the war hail its immediate political, social, and economic causes, its deep root was in the moral condition ot Europe. The fundamental weakness of the Church in the life of to-day lay not in any difficulty about this or that doctrine, but that the wholo basis of religion, the belief in the power and reality of God, was' in .the minds of men shaken and destroyed. Dr. Cairns discussed at some length various aspacts oE the materialistic view, showing that the postulate of the materialist, that nature was a closed system, was by no means self-evident. The chronic materialism that had filtered into tho Christian Church had vitiated our whole idea of God and His love, His liberty, His power to lieip men. With the weakening of the sense of God and His power to help men, the power to lioge and to pray had passed from current Christianity/ ' This view of thing's had been fornmlated in what is known as liberal Christianity. "I am not talking of liberal Christians," he said, "for we often find liberal Christians more spiritual than the evangelical or tho sacerdotalist; but I am'talking of tho • general influence of liberal Christianity:"- It was a semi-material form of Christianity, for while it asserted that nature was a closed system it admitted that in the inner psychic region of the soul man was free. The most glaring instance was Eucken, who, while asserting with all his energy the new birth 'within the soul of man, de-

nied contemptuously the Gospel narratives. He admitted a miracle in the

soul and denied tlie possibility of it in the world around. 'I'he radical weakness Of the liberal Christian view was that it rested 'upon an imperfectly thought-out conception between nature and spirit. In tho .Christian revelation was a manifestation in the world of nature and time of that great life beyond mortality to which the whole process of creation and redemption moved. Believe in that, and there would come an incomparably richer view of God, a far greater conception of prayer, and of His power ana presence in human life, a far, higher :view of human destiny. In the present wreck of so many hopes it was only a faitli like this in a living and creative God that could have any power to create a new and nobler world. HOtyE LIFE. A BISHOP'S APPEAL TO MOTHERS.

A strong call to the mothers of Auckland to work moro actively in the cause of social purity was made a few days ago by Dr. A. AY. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, in the course of an address delivered at the annual festival service/of the Diocesan Mothers' Union. Taking for his text the words ad- | dressed to Esther, "And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this," Dr. Averill said these words might well be applied to the Mothers' -Union, which wag a powerful, living body in all parts of the Empire. "There is a tremendous task before the mothers of the present day," he said. "For years past there has >been a definite opposition to the Christian ideal of purity of life, selfcontrol, self-discipline,, true manhood and womanhood. The great bulwarks of society have been attacked by insidious enemies, by false teachings, by low public opinion on moral matters, and by auti-Christian divorce laws, and a large section of the community, unfortunately, loves to have it so. The Mothers' Union lias done good work in combating these evils, but it has not succeeded in creatihg a healthy public opinion on sexualN matters. 1 Perhaps it has been too diffident, quiet, hopeful that things would right themselves, but things are, getting infinitely worse, and the veil which has to some extent covered the dissolution of homo and family life is growing thinner, and prostitution and impurity have become more • -flagrant and unblushing." Bishop Averill spoke of the great, responsibility entrusted to women. ■ Who . could be moro interested in the protection of boys and girls than the mothers, unless it were the fathers?- "And 1 .would that my own sex, the fathers, the brothers, the husbands, had more moral courago," added the preacher, "to 6peali out and take a bolder stand against the growing sin of impurity. We need botli men and women to speak out against this crime against God and humanity just as much as against the evils of drink, and yet public opinion hardly exists in the matter, and a conspiracy of silence has prevailed. Is it sympathy, or mock modesty, which closes men's mouths in regard to the degrading thing that is sapping the life and soul out of society?" . There were many hints as to various remedies, ways of checking the evil, continued the speaker, but-in reality thero was no remedy but to call it by God's name of sin, and to fight against it as sin. The greatest and best protective measure was the home, and ; the noble example of' patents. In many '* homes of the present day there was neither religion nor ideals, and one could hardly wonder that boys and girls went out from such homes to swell the great army of the fallen. The bishop spoke of the modern tendency '• to look for amusement in tho* street, tip picture-show —anywhere but in the r home. Now was the time to make the fight, now while the nation was at war. "Wo talk of victory, but it will be but a poor victory if we have yielded, ground during the stress of war time to the deadly and insidious enemy in our mid6t, if we have become slaves to ) vices .and sins wbich are a desecration : of the name of Christ and of humanity." - .In conclusion, Dr. Averill emphasised a the power wielded bv. the mothers as the most potent and effective inducement to self-control on the part of the children. "Take your courage in hand, and do your utmost to save these boys and girls before it is too late," he said. "Spe!>k out more boldlv upon the (trowing degradation of the word, 'Jove.' and declare before all' the world that the wily remedy for the present terrible conditions of social impurity lies in Christian homes and Christian influences." I' ADDRESS BY SIR OLIVER LODCE. NO HALF-HEARTED PEACE. 'At a meeting arranged by the Social Service Committeo of tho English Congregational Union, which recently met at Birmingham, Sir Oliver Lodgo delivered his soul on Germany and tho "war. '• 'He.'said' that tho next twenty years would bo extraordinarily interesting and strenuous, for numerous prob- „ | kms would have to be dealt with.

Thcro wero many tilings which needed change, and change was bonnd to come —after the war. It would be a misfortune if the war ended too soon and without a definite, crisp, and understandable result. There must be 110 half-hearted peace. Tho nations must realise that wrong-doing does not flourish, and that just as nothing succeeds like success, so nothing fails like failure, and that failure must be brought home to the people in tho land of our foes; thoy must learn how they had been misled, misguided, and befooled by their system of government for the last forty years. They had had wronf ideas, and they must work out their" own salvation. They r>iust change their constitution awl their mode of government; they must eitert changes for themselves boforo they could be admitted again to tho international friendship which for tho time they have sadly forfeited. THE NATIONAL MISSION. GREAT DEMONSTRATION IN HYDE

PARK. ' Hyde Park seldom sees a bigger host than thronged'it on Saturday, October 14, for the final muster—the crowning day—of the Mission of Repentance and Hope (says the "British Weekly"). Perhaps only at the close did you realise the numbers —when, like the starling, you simply could not "gat out." Alleys black, gateways blocked, and 'buses packed. Even the tube got choked. The throb of .the drums, white and crimson banners ablow, and a forest of golden crosses, as these alone told us of the great event —the arrival of the twelve processions. Backs everywhere shut out all yiew"of them. One who could see "nothink" mourned aloud. To lier came words of cheer, "Well, any'ow, you'll see the Bishop ot London, and 'ear !im too." From first to last early birds must have stood two and a half hours. Yet, thanks to the. prevailing cheerfulness and to hymns, the time trotted nimbly enough. And after Dr. Ingram came it fairly galloped. The multitude was most reverent. The Bishop of Willesden led the service, and surely to Oxford Street the Creed-, said together by such a host, must have sounded- hko far-off thunder. Hymns went a bit agley, perhaps because amateur conductors —"none too learned, but nobly bold"—urged us on. The Bishop of Kensington's, address far, far surpassed his conducting I The Bishop of London doffed his trencher and beamed down. And it was easy to see that the last heavy weeks have taken it out of _liim. His face looked worn and thin—a silver cameo against the steel-grey skr the purple figure seemed slighter, anil his roico was hoarse. 11l must _it have fared with those on tho outskirts. But "his wonderful way is ever with him, and there was nothing weary about his speech. A real warrior's speech it was, and tho rallying cry, "With the boys, over the parapet, into the battle. Three lies Dr. Ingram_ nailed to the counter —that the mission was unpatriotic, ill-timed, unnecessary. "What wo want is patriotism, not jingoism; a noble pride, not national swagger. He summoned his fellow-churchmcn and churchwomen to stamp out the lietliat tho National Mission was unpatriotic. They had sent out their choir boys and CEM.S'. men, and as for tho curates they had had to hold them back by their coat-tails. A Bishop asked Sir William Robertson the other day, "What can we of the Church do to help you?" He replied, Make the nation more religious, Bishop."

THE AMAZEMENTS OF THE WORLD.

"ANOTHER DItAGON TO KILL. ' ; Dr. \V. M. Macgregor, of Ediii- ; burgh, preached an. impressive sermon at tho closing session of the Knglisli. Congregational Union. Tho text "was from 'tech. iv. 1,, "Tlie angel caino again arid waked me, as a man that is awakened out of sleep." The man wlio wrote these words, said, was a preacher whose business it was ( to sco I and to help his fellows to see, and who confessed that in very critical matters he had' not seen as he should. He knew what things were, wrong and the people's aieed, but he did not think, and ho confessed that had it not been for the merciful provocation of God ho never would have known theso things as they, deserved. Custom flattens everything; tho very sense of knowing these things so well had dulled his curiosity. "My better sense was aesleep, and it needed an angel of God to awaken me to a sight of what I though 1 knew, and now, by God's mere grace, it looks to mo strange and miraculous and new." Zechariah's trouble was our trouble to-day. Christian folk have so much ceased to feel. The love of Christ has become for them a commonplace of preaching; the continual presence of Christ in the world is not to them a cause of wonder now. There are faults and vices that look fai; uglier, but ho doubted if thero was anything more perilous in the Church than this sleep of soul. They must revive their sense of the amazements of' the world. Everywhere under the crust of this bewildering life there was another level of power and wonder, for Jesus Christ, whose very name was health, purity, and revelation, was secretly present in this muchdisparaged earth, and until we had come to see Hiui there wo were miss- , ing what was greatest in tho world, and we could scarcely be said to be

awake at all. God uses many means

ol' awakening, and he should not be true to the present situatipn if Ho did nor acknowledge the awakening ministry of pain. Many in these days had been awakened by the taking up of a task. The mask of thousands who had lived frivolous lives had been torn away, and they wer9 showing themselves capable of ungrudging service. The awakening was true of our nation as a whole. Years ago John Masefleld lamented about England that St. George became John Bull as soon as ho had killed his dragon—all the romance audi chivalry disappearing and the prosaic creature of clay remaining. But suppose John Bull found another dragon to kill? And that was what, thank God, had happened. Let" them be sure of this—that if for themselves they did not see, _ they would never help others to sec; if their looking was superficial, cynical, or discouraged, they would have nothing profitable to show their people. At the outset of a season that was bound to bo hard and anxious and distressful, the Lord accosted them as Ho did a blind man, "What will ye that I should do unto you?" Let their answer bo prompt, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."

From the restaurant patron coiner the bitter cry that "portions" cie getting small by degrees, and most unheautifully less (says the "Globe"). It is time to revive the old story of tho luncher who was asked by the iii'iling manager: "And how did you find tho steak, sir?" "Oh," returned the customer, nonchalantly, "I just pushed aside a potato, and there tho little [fellow was!" . •