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Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 62, 13 March 1915, Page 14

brings larger hope, until we are not ishamed of these things, because of inireased love of God shed abroad in our learts thereby (Rom. v. 3, viii. 35). Let everyone, then, to the extent of lis enlightenment, appreciate and confess the Almighty God, and give thanks unto His great and holy name, because He is l good, and because His mercy endureth for ever. Let those who have tasted of His grace continue to grow in grace, knowledge, faith, and character-likeness to our God. Let also His saints, who are addressed in our text, more and more appreciate their wonderful privileges, their high calling of God in Christ Jesus —to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord —and give thanks for every experience of life. CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES. The 24 hours' continuous prayer at St. Paul's Cathedral was attended by 60,000 people, many of whom were in mourning. The Rev. Billy Sunday, who is known as the baseball missionary, hag created quite a stir in Philadelphia. Some idea of his methods of opening an evangelistic campaign may be gathered from the following extract: — He entered the tabernacle at great speed, leaped at a bound to the top of the table on the stage, smacked his hands together with a report liKe a rifle shot, and raised his voice to a shriek, crying: " Come on, you forces of evil in Philadelphia, that have made the Church a doormat to wipe your dirty feet upon; come on you triple extract of infamy; come on you assassins of character; come on you defamers of God and enemies of His Gospel; come on you bull-necked, beetle browed, hogjowled, peanut-brained, weasel-eyed fourflushers of false alarms and excess baggage! In the name of Almighty God, I challenge and defy you. I'm here for nine weeks, come on, and I'll deliver the goods, express prepaid." It is estimated that, including the 20,000 French prieets who enrolled as combatants, there are altogether 65,000 clergy with lire various armies at present engaged in the war, on both sides. Of the fighting, apart from the chaplains, it is stated that being educated, intelligent, and accustomed to discipline, they have proved excellent material to make soldiers from. It is considered quite certain that after the war the French nation will have quite a different feeling towards the Church in the future. The Rev. Thomas M. Lindsay, D.D., LUX, principal of the Glasgow United Free Church College, who died recently, aged 71' years, was esteemed to be the most learned of modern historians. The Dean of Exeter recently attained his S7th year. Dr. Earle is titular bishop oi Marlborough as well as Dean of Exeter. He was for 10 yeans a prebendary of St. Paul's. I The opinions of various ministers that I appeared in the "Star" recently as to the methods to be adopted to get people to come to church were naturally varied. Some believed in popularising, others in advertising, while one settled the matter from his "point of view by blaming the people. Strange to say, one potent factor was not dealt with as a cause for fallingoff in attendance at church, namely, the climatic influence in a city like Auckland. This, coupled with the Saturday halfholiday, results in many more people going off for the week-end than was the case when so many had "to work late'on the last day of the week. "There has never been such a disgraceful sight in the world in Christian times as the state to which Belgium has been reduced," said the Eshop of London to city men at the Guildhall recently. It mas with an awful but deep delight that they saw the British lion, always slow to move, slowly arouse himself, and, as it turned out, with his cubs following him. Placing his paw upon the treaty, he 6aid: "My word is my bond; I stand by my friends. May God defend the right." He was there to say that in giving that answer the British Empire was true to the Gospel which it professed to observe and to follow. If national honour bound them to make the war, they were bound ten times more to continue the war. (Cheers.) They must pledge their honour never to sheathe the eword until the only compensation had been given to Belgium which could be given in this world. Her towns must be. restored as far as they could be, and literary riches from Germany should be given to enrich their libraries again. They would not rest until the refugees back in their homes rebuilt with German money. (Cheers.) "A religious wave has swept through the country since war broke out," writes a correspondent to the "Times" from Germany. "The Roman CathoHc churches, especially along the Rhine and in Southern Germany, are never empty during the day. It is pitiful to hear the quiet sobbing of women in the churches and to see the black dresses. 1 have never witnessed a more touching service than in Cologne Cathedral one Sunday morning in the middle of October. The priest happened to mention the destruction of the Cathedral of Rheims, and a heartrending sob was heard among the worshippers. There was a long silence, and then the priest knelt down and ended his sermon with a prayer for peace." Canon Evans, rector of Bedworth, Warwickshire, in his parochial letter for the New Year, rebukes the bridesmaids who have appeared "at several weddings lately" without any covering on their head 6. " What should we think," he asks, " of any woman who came to a Sunday service bareheaded? We should say, I "think, that it was disrespectful to the congregation and irreverent as regards God." It is something almost unique for a church to have two members over ninety years of age. This is, however, the case in Charles Street Congregational Church, Cardiff. Mrs. Wakefield, in her ninetieth year, still walks a mile to and from service. The other member is Dr. W. T. Richards, now in his ninety-sixth year, and is rarely ahsent from service. He is server deacon, having been a member of the board continuously for over sixty years. The Salvation Army is doing good work on the battlefield, according to a report just given by Commissioner Higgins, who went to France to see tbe work of their ambulance unit. A Soldiers' Rest is to be erected at Boulogne and two at Havre, and a house was secured in Abbeville for the same purpose. ' The Army also has a motor kitchen, or travelling refreshment room. The first "war case" of the Church Waifs' Society in England was a Cockney bred and born, his only relation, a soldier brother aged 19, having vanished with his regiment. The boy was therefore left destitute in the room where his mother died last August. He has been taken in hand by the Society and sent to a West Country home. The Church Waifs' Society now cares for 4,500 children, distributed over 115 homes all over the country. The good work done by this Society may be estimated to some extent by the fact that during the past 32 years homes have been found for 18,400 children. The greater part of the work of the Society is done by 4,000 voluntary workers; therefore working expenses are kept as low as , possible.