RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 174, 22 July 1916, Page 14

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

_.-;..■ ■ "ONE THING." (By Rev. Dr. VAN DE WATER, Sector St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, New York City.) This phrase occurs several times in the Scriptures. Anybody at all familiar with the Bible will recall ite association with Koaietlving -needful or something lacking or something to be desir.ed or some Jofinite belief or some patent practice. Combining all these ideas into one. the one -thing without which Christianity is »ot and- a Christian in found wanting is stfH-realteiition. To realise one's self is to-reflect .cleiirly. the divine image and. to measure up .to the standard of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Beneficial- as -is- -self-abnegation, it is never more than a means to an end. Selfrealisation is the end in itself, the realised product of' a life hid with Christ jn.JJqd. He who gave His life a ransom for many gave it that others might have life and have it Tnore abundantly. The teaching and the living of Jesus Christ was, on flic whole, the. iliity of realising one's self. Self-realisation is a nobler virtue than self-abnegation. To finish the work God ga\e Him to do was His ideal of earthly living. "I am come to do thy.will, 6Go J," was the solace He gave . ..The demand of this day is for a Christianity that serves and fights. It is not for nought that when one is baptised he is said to become a sworn soldier and servant of Christ unto his life's end. A soldier prepares, is equipped and stands ready for call to defend the truth, 'maintain the right and protect the weak. 'A servant delights in service and revels in >work.' ' Worth is not to he considered apart from work. A man can be a good soldier who never has lx:en on dress ijkfaflb. but he cannot acquit himself like 'a man unless he is possessed of manly viftues. Not abstinence but achievement wins success.

Christianity will conquer the world only when the principles of the doctrine of Christ are manifested in the true character of service. Salvation is not an escape from divine displeasure, but cultivating the character which 'will make it possible for God to look at you and see something in you that will make Him "well-pleased. Limiting one's conception of Christianity to what one must do without makes one at the best a stunted, dwarfed disciple. Abstinence from this sort of play or that recreation, adherence to some set notion of -keeping Sunday or to 6ome prescribed imenu tor certain days, as though God cared whether, or. not our young people dance oi. the older ones go to the opera or the play, the women knit on Sunday, or the men smoke on Monday—all this mokes- religion puerile and all too often the. religious ridiculous. To be a Christian is co much bigger a thing than this. To be a Christian is to tie hike Christ. , This is not to deny one's seif so much as to be one's self. Any denial to this end is to Tie regarded as the etepping-stone to eelf-realisation. iWhat. is cast aside for coveted attainment is not really self-denial but judicious selection. God -within '-ua 'to win and to do is nearer the divine conception of troth ,tlian God r without or above us to ordain mid command. , "Thongh love repine and reason chafe. There came n voice without reply, Tis man's perdition to be safe —When for .the truth he to die." Religion that is not manly is mean. CHURCH NEWS AHD NOTES. ' T&e officers of Pitt Street Methodist Church have invited the K«v. Dr. Morley to take p&rt in the jubilee services, and that gentleman has signified hie willingness to be present. Dr. Morley and the Rev. 3. T. Warlaw Davies, M.A., are the only two ministers now living who officiated at the opening of Pitt Street Weeleyan Church. Mr Daviee was at that time minister of Beresford Street Congregational Church, and Dr. Morley was a minister of the Methodist Church. Both gentlemen are at the present time resident in Australia.

The high eeteem in which, the ReT. William Gittos was held by the Maoris, enonget whom lie laboured faithfully for co many years, is shown by the deeteSon of the natives of the Otamatea district to start a fond for the purpose <d erecting a-suitable teadetone to the memory of their dead friend. The de«ie of the Maoris is to place the headstane'at Otamstea, and also a tablet in flM'Titt Street itethodiat Church. -'The--question of ever-lapping in the work of Christian churches has frequently been the subject of comment. A "district which could rapport one church tasmlly ins it&ree tff tour denominations, ••eh trying to ran an organisation, ■ad, -of- course, competing -with each other for the custom of the available worshippere. In England it appears flfe'tame'eVa , racists to a lesser extent than in these new wmntriea. An effort ie* however, being made at Home which » worthy of consideration by Nonconformist bodies. Where a new district .is seen to be in need of a churah the different denominations h-ohi services in order to test the feeling of residents. Hhe denomination eecming the best attendance -is then recommended to build the others seek fresh fields Jxfc development. The result is that one church is -well attended, instead of three ot four being half filled. A detachment of Presbyterian soldiers marched by mistake into St. Andrew's Church, Norwich, on a Sunday, and held a Presbyterian service theTe for the fiTst time s«nce Cromwell's day. •*Bhe rightful Anglican worshippers aririved during the service, but waited .politely until tihe soldiers had departed. The vicar, when ire found -what hud ihap3iened, remarked: "I am heartily glad that our Scots soldiers made use of St. Andrew's Ohorch." When a man ihas lost a eon fighting for the Empire it gives him some warrant for speaking out plainly. The Eev. F. W. Newland, whose son (Lientenant H. B. Nerwland) was killed while strolling up and down in the moonlight "to encourage (his men while they were %nilding a trench, -referred strongly to the "reptile brood" who would delay the 'Supply of munitions while their fellows in "the' trendies. The 'eonfment evoked cries of "Shame!" and "Hear, hear!" froro the deeply-moved congregation in the daremont Central ■Mission. A- fine bust, in bronze, of the late Cardinal 'Newman has teen set up in the 'gardens of Trinity College, Oxford. Qri'the bust there is this note:—"Prepented by f>. La Matte, Esq., M-.A.," and on -the pedestal, which is of stone, tho following inscription: " Jcfhn Henry, Car3inal ' "Ne'tfnian,' "1801-1590." '' The Ca'fairial is represented i baireihea4ed J and wearing the simple cape of hie ecclesiastical habit It is stated tip* the donor i» not » Banue Cfc&ofia

Speaking on "Conscience, Conscription, and OhristTemity" reeentry ( .the Eev. i John C. Harris, of Kmgeton-oh-Thamea, said:—"A man may have a diseased conscience as surely as he may hare a diseased eye or a crooked leg. Spme of the most stupendous blunders in religion, and some of 'the most awful crimes, in history, have come about through regarding conscience as something absolute and final in man. Take the worldconscience as reflected in some parts of the Old Testament. .Would you dare to take that ac a guide for us to-day f If some of those old patriarchs came back and behaved as they thought it rigiht to do ten or twenty centuries ago, they would be in prison in a week! Joshua's treatment of the Canaanites was, in its way, as bad as anything the Turks have done to the Armenians. The conscience of Augustine made him un advocate of religious persecution. Were not Luther and Wesley conscientious? And yot both of them agreed as to the burning of witches! Human sacrifices, slavery, the massacres of St. Bartholomew's Day, the 'horrors of the Inquisition, the persecution of Roman Catholics and Jews, tyrannies and cruelties unnamable, were done by conscientious people. In our own time there are some good people, good people, mark you! who, rather than call in a doctor or give medicine, will allow ■their children to die. And yet, no doubt, they are conscientious!"

"Congregationalism," states the Safcur-I day "Weetmineter Gazette," "has a great wealth of able laymen who are engaged in civic and Parliamentary life, as well ac eloquent preachers; but at the present time it lacks leadership in J oTder to call forth the independent churches of its order into a greater and more effective corporate union for the extension of their common faith and purpose. In ite details thie ie a domestic question for the Congregationalists, and these need not be discussed here, but we may add that Congreg-ationaliste assure us that there are several pressing questions requiring a definite policy at the present time." The Rome correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle" sta-tes that Benedict XV. has exercised his supreme authority to veto Cardinal Merry del Val's introduction of cinematograph operators at Holy Week functions at St. Peter's. This innovation, which hie Eminence ac De;in of the Vatican Basilica had permitted in consideration of a sum of several thousand pounds offered by a leading American film company towards the restoration of the marWe floor of the basilica, had caused an indignant protest by a number of canons, on the ground that they were being exploited as play actors in a profane and ultramodcrniatic enterprise, Aβ the. rjegult °f their appeal the Pope dispatched MonsipmoT De Bisojrno with a peremptory mandate to Cardinal "Merry det Val ordering the abandonment of the scheme. Before returning to the Pope's presence Monsignor De Bieogno personally superintended the dismounting of the cinema machines installed in different parte of St. Peter's. The Bishop of London epoke in Convocation in England of the remarkable activities of the V.M.C.A., and stated that it h-ad formed a kind of new religion. "The Church," he added, "mu«t be prepared in some similar way to adapt itself in the future to the changed conditions." Commenting on this the Saturday "Westminster Gazette" states: "Whether this" is an accurate' description of the V.M.C.A. may, however, bo questioned. Ite leaders might dissent from any desire to form 'a kind of new religion.' There is an aspect of ite work which deserves to be emphasised. In ■scores of camps, at Home and abroad, the Y.M.CJL bns provided the only place possible for the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Jewish Ohurch, and the Free Churches. Ohaplaine from each of these communions have without charge obtained the use of the large Y.MJC.A. hute for their services. When the Roman Catholice have marched oat the Anglicans have marched in, or rice versa, and in the use of the Y.M.CA. centres during the whole seven days of every week no distinction of race or creed hae barred any 6oldicr from admittance. If this is 'a kind of new religion,' bo be it; but is thie plan not of the very essence of Christianity t"

The scheme for a United Free Church of England has reached the point that the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists have each agreed -to send ten of their ablest men to serve on a camming ion tor the purpose' of considering the possibility of formulating a basis for effective federation. It it) evident from Hue that the desire for greater union m growing in the Old Country. CHBIST IN IXAJTDEKS. We bad forgotten Ton, or very nearly— Yon did not seem to touch as very nearly— Of course we thought about You now and Lheu; Especially In any time of trouble— We knew that Yoa were good In time of trouble— But we are very ordinary men. And there were always other things to Uiink or— There's lots of things a man has got to think of— His work, his home, hie pleasure and his wife; And so we only tlnusht of You on Sunday— Sometimes, perhaps, not even <m a> Sunday— Uccauee there's always lots to lill oue'a life. And, all the while, In street or lane or byway— In country lane, in city street, or byway— You walked amoug us. and we did not ccc. Yonr feet were Weeding as You walked our pavements— How did we miss Yonr Footprints on our pavements?— Can there be other folk as blind as we? Now we remember; over here In Flanders— (It isn't strange to think of You Iα Flanders)— This hkli-ous warfare seems to make things clear. We never thought aboot Yon much In England— Bnt now that we are far away from England— We have no ilotfbts, we know that Too ere cere. Yon helped as pass the Jest along the trenches— Where in cold blood, we waited In the trenches — Yon touched Its ribaldry and made 1C fine. Yon stood beside ns In our pain and weakness — We're glad to think You understand oar weakness— Somehow it seems to help ne not to whine. We think about You kneeling in the denAc! God! the agony of that dread Garden We know You prayed for us upon the Cross. If anythiug could meke us glad to bear It— 'Twould be the knowledge that You willed to bear It— Pain—death—the uttermost of human loss. Though we forget Yon—You will not forget us— W? feel so sure that You will not forget us— But stay with us until this dream is past. Aad so we ask for courage, strength, and pardon— Especially, 1 think, we ask for pardon— And that You'll stand beside Oβ to the last -i.W, ta the ■Cpeetittw."