The New "Review of the Churches."

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 90, 16 April 1892, Page 4 (Supplement)

The New "Review of the Churches."

Ax Interview with Dr. Lunn. It was only last year, writes a correspondent, that tho pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle was recording his 'Thoughts Aboub Church Matters' in the pages of ono of the magazines.and at the risk of being called ' narrow' and ' old-fashioned,' he warned U3 that we were coming alarmingly near to a consummation in which the 'lionof Arianism would lie down with the ox of orthodoxy.' Aboub the same time the pastor of the City Temple was giving expression (in a weekly journal) to some rather uncomplimentary ideas about Mr Spurgeon. The spectacle was not pleasing, and it led one. other editor to remark thab, whatever the ' lion of Arianism' and tho ' ox of orthodoxy' might be doing, tho bulls of the Nonconformist Bash am seemed to think the moment opportune for a good deal of vigorous bellow' i U! r_at each other : and that meanwhile the devil, who goeth aboub as a roaring lion, was having a very good time. _ But we are improving. Since then the air has been full of ideas aboub bhe 'Reunion of Christendom,' 'Home Reunion,'ebc. The ideas may ba crude, and some of them impracticable, but tho fact that they are being discussed at all is a hopeful sign of the 'times. When Russell Lowell wrote his preface to 'The Pious Editor's Creed ' ib was no doubt, bruo that ' the preachor, instead of being a living force, has faded info an emblematic figure ab christenings, weddings and fnnerais ;' bub when, the other day, Russell Lowell's bones were laid __

to rest, the preachers wero taking to the editorial chair as a second pulpit from whence to preach a wider Gospel of social Christianity. The man who, nob long since, described one of the great dissenting churches as 'a mutual heavenly benefit society securing titles clear to mansions in the sky, on quarterly payments,' must havo been troubled with a disordered liver. While each church may truly be said to be .fighting for its own hand, there aro many indications of a desire on the part of the majority to recognise their essential unity of purposo under an endless variety of modes of action and forms of belief. The chief difficulty is hew to get about it. Only the other day I heard of an English Church clergyman in Wales, who, sick of the miserable sectarian rivalry which has been destroying the spiritual beauty of the land, had turned around to find some means of bringing together his parishioners—tho majority of whom wero dissonbers—on some neutral ground; 'bub,' said he, 'you who live in enlightened towns, with the privilege of intercourse with men like Farrar, Parker, and Manning, little know how hard ib is bo break down these accursed barriers which tho devil has set up.' If 'the churches' had plucked up enough courage ton years ago to run a daily paper of their own, common to all, many of these barriers would have been kicked over long ago. But, failing a daily paper, it seems that they are about to run a 'monthly,' and the loth of this month will sco the issue of the first number of tho ' Review of the Churchos,' which is bo be brought out under the joint editorship of a committee representing tho five great leading denominations. Dr, Lunn's name appoarcd as tho general editor of tho magazine, so to him I turned for fuller particulars than were to bo found in the prospectus. Dr. Lunn is a burly Teuton, living in a house in Endsleigh Gardens. A small brass plate on tho door conveys tho information that Henry Simpson Lunn is a doctor of medicine, not of divinity ; and although the brass plate doesn't say so, ho knows a thincr or two about Indian fevers and missionary 0.0 n trovorsiea. The fevers, however, havo failed to attenuato the frame of tho burly Teuton aforesaid, and theeontroversies havo equally failed to break hi 3 optimistic spirit, lor when I asked him how ib was that the missionary controversy had not extinguished him. he smiled a controversial smile, and declared that he never was more confident than now that the missionary policy which he advocated would ere long be adopted. As we are nono of us infallible— not even tho youngest of us — Dr. Lunn may bo wrong, although clearly he doesn't think so. But that by the way Scarcely anything comes amiss to him, and he goes into every undertaking with tho restless energy of a war-horse, and a capacity for business which sometimes suggests the merchant rabher than the parson. Politics or medicine, theology or trips to Norway, ho is ready to argue the ono or carry out the other. In his present position of Chaplain to the Polytechnic, where he has to do with something liko ton thousand young men belonging to all churches, and to no church at ail, ho would seem to have a fine field. The design on the cover of the - Review of the Churches,' as ib is here reproduced, is not, said Dr. Lunn, a mere artistic picture. It is symbolic of thefactthatoighthundred years ago, when iMorman architecture was the prevailing style, Western Christendom was one and undivided. The prime object of this new magazine is to brinoabout a practical re-union of Christendom by demonstrating the unity of spirit which characterises bhe churches" in spite of the diversity of opinions. This object is further indicated on tho cover by the motto, ' One Flock, Ono Shepherd.' Thab text has been wrongiy translated by High Churchmen, including Newman, and made to read 'One Fold, One Shepherd.' There may, however, bo many folds but one Hock. Oar ideal is unity of aim with diversity ct operation. 'How far do you think that the union of Christendom 13 possible?' ' Well, in answering that question I should wish to emphasize this point. So far as we can at present see there must always be differences in the Church repro sented by those, on the one hand, who believe in a centralised government—i.e., in the Episcopalian or Presbyterian system— and those, on the other hand, who

believe in individualism — i.e., Independency. Ab bhe same time there are many good causes the prosperity of which all good men have ab hearb, and there aro many platforms on which they ought all to be united.' ' I see that in your design you have imitated the Roman Catholics and canonised your saints.' ' Yes, why should we not ? Wiclif and Wesley may both be said to represent the Church of England ; Fox represents Individualism of all kinds in chhrch government ; Luther represents Protestantism generally; Knox personifies Presbyterianism ; and Wesley, of course, represents Episcopalianism and Methodism.' ''And what about tho editors. Dr. Lynn ? There seems to be a heavy load of divinity in the list. I suppose you and Mr Bunting are intended to neutralise the effect of the lore of tho theologians ?' * I don't know about that; but it ia true Mr Bunting is the only layman on the list. That, however, is because the original idea of-the " Review of the Churches," in so far as it has any distinct existence apart from Mr Stead's conception, is partly due to Mr Bunting. He has helped me greatly in the working out of the idea, and in making all the arrangements for tho editing. Ho has been specially useful in securing what I think is a particularly able staff of sectional editors. Mr Percy Bunting is, as perhaps you know, one of tho most highly-respected Methodist laymen of to-day. This was shown by tho fact that at the last Annual Conference of the Wesleyan Church he was elected at the head of the list of the six representative laymen whom the Conference chooses to bo representative of the three succeeding Conferences. His position as editor of the 'Contemporary Review,' which, by the way, he has wonderfully improved of late years, also fives him a unique place in periodical literature. He bears a name greatly honoured in Methodist circles. His grandfather, Dr. Jabez Bunting, was the greatest man whom Methodism has produced after John Wesley himself. For many years he practically ruled the Conference, and he was especially powerful on the official or Conservative side at the time of the reform agitation in that church.' 'You have been fortunatein securing Archdeacon Farrar to represent the Church of England.' * I think so too. When Mr Bunting and I waited upon Dr. Farrar we found him intensely sympathetic and well-disposed towards all movements that tended to greater unity among the followers of Christ. He has no sympabhy with the intensely sacerdotal tendencies of the Church of England ot today, but is exceedingly anxious to help on the realisation of such a programme as that which I have just indicated. The Archdeacon has entered into the work with great zest and enbhusiasm. 'Following Dr. Farrar, and taking the other churches in the order of historical precedence, we have been fortunate in securing Dr. Donald Fraser as the representative of London Presbyterianism. Dr. Fraser, like Dr. Farrar, strongly sympathises with our programme. The same may be said of Dr. A. Mackennal, who represents the Congregationalists, with this additional qualification, that he has a keen journalistic instinct. Dr. Mackennal represents, in the churches whose progress ho will duly record, what 1 may call the policy of imperial federation with local autonomy.' ' No better man could possibly havo been secured amoug tho Baptists than Dr. Clifford. Mr Spurgeon, of course, represents the Metropolitan Tabernacle 'rather than tho Baptist Churches as a whole; and besides, hi 3 ill-health is a drawback. Dr. Clifford is an intense man, and one who is passionately in earnest in advocating all practical activities of all shades of opinion, and all movements that tend to Christian unity. Moreover, he is thoroughly in touch with all the life of the Baptist Churches, and the fact that he has lived the life of a pastor in Paddington continuously for 34 years is a proof that his experience counts for very much indeed.' ' What will tho make-up of the Magazine belike?' ' Tho first feature will be the record of the progress of the Churches. I felt that thero was no man living who could present as complete and correct a synopsis of the life of the Churches as the chronicle of the life of the nation which Mr Stead gives in the' Review of Reviews,' and that, for this work, it was necessary that each Church should be described from within. Hence the appointment of sectional editors. Though they will contribute to other parts of tho ' Review,' and supply the summaries of leading articles in their respective denominational organs, the most important part of their work will be the writing, month by month, of their own special sections of the progress of the churches. Among other features of t he' Review,' I may mention a' Round Table Conference ' on some question of great interest for the time being, giving the views of ail schools ; the leading articles in the religious magazines ; a special section for preachers ; and brief charactersketchess, gonerally representing a school or some particular class of men. We also propose to give the essence of four of the besb sermons of bhe month f\nd a review of the work of the missions of the world. Archdeacon Farrar will at once commence a special series of articles on the "Great Philanthropies" of our country. That, then, is a brief outline of our plans, and it is probably as much as your editor will care to publish '