RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 18

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

PRESENT DAY OUTLOOK. (COXTUIIU.TED.I THE FIGHT AGAINST MODERN CRITICISM. The Rev. -T. W. Kemp made some f: nr :|;- s statements in a recent midvi- k l':'..Y study locture at the Auck- ):•■■■] Kinfist Tabernacle on the Bible nr I nnnli m criticism. Mr. Kemp stands for vi-H':i! inspiration, and regards any <■!■;• ir.-'ii which is incompatible with vi-r'ial inspiration as destructive. Tip Mi.l tin- present position was very Fenoiis, owing In the way in which the ; nljiits and professors' chairs were being •ji- 1 for tin' purpose of popularising the * !-:wa of thn critics. He was hoping for some unmistakable divine intervention fh.it would swing the people -back i.i the old Hible. The fight wits now on in dead puniest. In Canada and the I Hit .fl States there was real danger f>l n !-- ; iisTii in the Baptist Church by t'no withdrawal of those who still belit'votl in verbal inspiration. Those nlio protested in church assembles nirainst moderism could hardly get a hearing. Serious trouble had been caused in the Presbyterian Church of the I'nited States by the. utterances or ii Uaptist who occupied one of the principal Presbyterian pulpits. At the recent Stockholm Baptist Conference, at which New Zealand was represented, a motion by Dr. A. C. Dixon adverse to the higher criticism was turned down by a majority. The Uible was being torn from us, and torn to tatters, and those who accepted it as the Word of God from cover to cover would have to t.-iko sides more sharply than hitherto. Destructive criticism and extravagant theorising about (Jie Bible liru! become a most dangerous form of infidelity. It was the more harmful because it was an attack from within the c htirch itself. Critical theories were oven being taught in the Sunday srhools. The critics denied the inspira<i.in of the Uible, the divinity of Christ, the forgiveness of sins through Christ, and destroyed every book in the Bible. Mr. Kemp said he did not assert that every higher critic had a stained reputation. That school contained many of the finest men; but tho error in their minds had a tendency to stifle tlieir conscicncies and to distort their views, and so they became unconsciously dishonest. A man was dishonest who destroyed the Bible and lived by the preaching of the Bible. NO NEED FOB PANIC. In view of Mr. Kemp's alarmist utterances it would be interesting to know just what the ordinary educated man thinks about the work of the higher critics. The new ideas regarding the Bible shocked him at first, just as the tiieory of evolution did. He felt that the foundations of religion were tottering. Fortunately, however, the British school of critics have, generally Fpeaking, handled the Bible with great reverence and with a deep sense of responsibility. Under their wise and cautious guidance most people who have given serious thought to the subject, have grown out of the idea that tho critics are tearing the Bible to tatters. The general public is beginning to realise that modern biblical scholars are building up as well as pulling down, and that more has been gained than lost. Verbal inspiration has been thrown overboard, but the wonder of the Bible remains. It is still incomparably the greatest of all books. No one did" more to commend modern critical methods than the late Canon Driver, whose essential orthodoxy was unquestionable, and lii.s work has been carried on in the same reverent spirit by eminent Christian scholars such a3 Dr. Ge6rge Adam Smith (Principal of Aberdeen University), Dr. T. R. Glover (Baptist), Dr. Penko (Primitive Methodist), Bishop Gore. Dr. Burner, and a host of others. Bishop Gore tells us that some traditional views have become untenable, vet we still find in the Bible "different shades and kinds of inspiration, as in psalmists and wisp men. and codifiers of law, and compilers of stories for moral edification— all in different d-egreoa inspired by the Divine Spirit. So viewed the Old Testament, not only becomes more interesting, but holds its unique spiritual value; not in opposition to, but in harmony with, historical criticism." In another book Dr. Gore writes: "If a man will take such a modern and scientific interpreter of the Hid Testament as Dr. Driver, or Dr. Gcorjre Adam Smith, or Dr. Robertson Pmith. and really enter into his spirit. T think he will be brought to believe ii the inspiration of the writers of the Old Testament as ho never believed in it before, ami will experience a constantly deepened conviction that the Divine Spirit really did inspire the prophets to prepare the way for the Phrist." After referring to the growing independence of the British school of critics, who "are not disposed to bo overmastered by the prestige of German nnmoß." Dr. A.' B. D. Alexander, in his book on "The Shaping Forces of Modern T?oli<rinu* Tliouent." states that the alarm which greeted fhe earlier utterances of the hiirhpr critics has now pa=sp,l away, nnd "it is seen that modifications in the outward structure of flic Bihle cannot rob man of the great Vindv of moral and spiritual truth which it ro-ifnins. nor reduce the value of the Mossini; which God lms tnuq conferred on tlie human race." There is no neorl for n panic reeardmc the methods nnd results of modern biblical criticism. ORGANISING CHRISTIAN OPINION. Judging by the report presented at its annual meeting on Monday evening the Council of Christian Congregations is amply justifying its existence. The retiring president (the Rev. C J ToeUerl sketched out a bi X programme for the. coining year. He said the council should take steps to make its organisation more effective. \ strong effort should bo made to increase its membership and make it thoroughly represpntative. It should get into touch with similar organisation's throughout Kew Zealand, in order that a great body of organised Christian opinion might be brought to bear upon important moral questions that might arise from time to time. No government or municipal authority could ignore representations supported by the united Christian sentiment of the Dominion Venereal disease and sexual immorality wore urgent problems which the council w mid have to grapple with. Merc ... riiinciation would rlo very little Rood Miry must deal with the matter constructively. They must rouse the conscience of the nation, especially parents, an'! discover the most effective Way of counteracting the present laxity. The council should also watch very closely all legislation dealing with racing and

gambling. The reunion of the Churches was another matter that might well receive the attention of the council. This question should be discussed from .various points of view—not in a conI troversial spirit, but in order to show ! the difficulties that have to be faced, and the most hopeful way of overcoming them. Mr. Tocker has proved himself to be a wise president, and very keen U to increase the influence and usefulness of flic council. His successor, the Rev. ('. 11. Laws, principal of the Methodist c Theological, is equally keen, and there • is every prospect of steady progress - j under his leadership. In its very impor--0 J taut work of organising Christian s ' opinion as regards the big religious, y moral, and social problems which con--1 front the community the council is p entitled to the fullest and strongest v support of the affiliated Churches. With c enthusiastic barking from the congregas tions the council's influence would l>e c very great indeed. j] CURRENT NOTE? v j ' Gipsy Smith recently broadcasted from Marconi House, London, a short evangelistic address. : The Kpsom Methodists have recently c raised £1050 for the reduction of debt 3 on the church, and £400 for school exa tension, t n '* At the age of ninety-three years, the '' widow of the famous Methodist orator, '■ Dr. Morlcy Vunshon, has recently died c at Bournemouth. t , a I On the shattered window of the Im--0 perial Bar, Dublin, stutee the "Christian n World") a notice has been placed, s "Closed for ever as a public house. '» Owner converted." d . c Rev. J. R. and Mrs. Metcalfe, Mcthon dist missionaries from the Solomons, :- have completed tucir deputation work in c New Zealand, and on August 24 left for f Sydney. They will spend about two il months on furlough in Australia, and a then return to the mission field. 3 | ~ V Rev. D. J. Murray, an ex-president of •- the Methodist Conference, and now a '; supernumerary of the Church after many , years' residence at the Lower Hutt, has ;. removed to Auckland. Ho makes the t sixteenth Methodist supernumerary now - living in or near the City of Auckland. y ! r The Rev. S. Chadwick, who has a wide " 0 knowledge of the Bible, recently expressr od himself as keenly interested in the r Xcmv Version in course of preparation D by the Roman Catholic Church. He said 3 he thought the dictions to be almost equal to the Authorised Version, and i decidedly superior to that of the revisers. i An anonymous gift of £1000 has been t! made towards to cost of publishing a . > r.ew edition of the Bible in Maori. It : 1 is strange that at present there is no ; ; complete edition of the Bible in that ; language, although it is over a century ' i since the Rev. Samuel Marsdcn first broke < ; ground in New Zealand for the Anglican ' ! Church. 1

■- The United Methodist Church in Eng- . land shows the following increases in f church membership for the past year: j Adult members, 1180; junior, 454; and j members on trial, 909; a total increase of ' I 2573. This lias been accomplished '; after filling gaps made by removals and I deaths amounting to nearly 5000, and • it is the largest increase since 1907. ' i The Rev. Father Van der Schueren, ' j S.J., of the Belgian Roman Catholic I 1 Mission to India, ia at present on a visit 1i to Sydney. He stands well over six feet ! i in height, and has a. flowing patriarchal ! , beard. Recently Father Van der i j Schueren received from the King, the i I Kaisar-i-Hind medal for distinguished ! J service in India. I Sir James Allen. X.C.8., High Commis- ; sioner for New Zealand testified to the i ! value of missionary work when speaking , at the annual meeting of the S.P.C.K. p; in London. "Some of this audience," ,I he said, "may have heard that foreign ! missionary work in the South Pacific has . ; not been a success. I am on this platform . to say with full knowledge of the facts '. that the adverse critics are talking of I , what they do not understand." 1 ' . ! Deaconess Shoobridge rccentlv ad- . dressed fclio congregation at Holy" Trinity Church, Duhvich Hill. This lady is \ better known in Australia as Sister Wini- ( fred. She is the pioneer bush deaconess of the Anglican Church in the diocese I of Gippsland, and has travelled many miles on horseback and on foot in rough forest country ministering to lonely ' women and girls. At the last speech day of the famous. ' high-class Methodist School, the Leys,' • at Cambfudge, the headmaster, Re\\ 1 Harry Bisseker, M.A., said that the ' decision of the governors to establish 1 an endowment for the school was receiv- • ing welcome support. He had that i morning received a promise of £25,000 > from an anonymous friend on condition i that a total sum of £50,000 be raised. ' : Rev. E. L. Weight, of Holy i Trinity Garrison Church, Windsor, when i addressing the Guards recently, said i most of the sickly 'hymns sung in church must have been composed by peo- , pie who suffered from indigestion, because they expressed little joy in livin" f , at all. "Just fancy," he said, "a younS Guardsman in full health singing at the' • top of his voice, 'O Paradise, O Para- , disc, who does not crave for rest?'" , • The "Otago Times" refers to a coincidence in one of" the Presbyterian .churches at Dunedin. The pulpit was , occupied by a different minister each servfce, but it chanced that both preached I from 1 Corinthians, Ist chapter, and 18th verse: "For Mie preaching of the I Cross is to them that perish, foolishjness; hut unto us which are saved it is tlie power of God." Fortunately the re- ' ; Bpeetive services dealt with the same i j text from difierent points of view, 1 "The Month," referring to the Rev. J. ; Lamb Harvey's remarks at St. Andrew's ; Presbyterian Church, "that the whole i • tendency or our divorce laws is to create temporary unions between men i f and women, more leasehold marriages in , > fact, adds "The Rev. Harvey has shaken I some wholesome disinfectant over a! i malodorous evil that threatens human! . society at its very source, namely, the ' Kfc fW I 1 have the lynpafe of nf th rV-f- sacredness and piirity , - of the Christian home/ r The committee of the Manchester' i r iT^^rtizr o , fcwn .. jear. this latter sum bein"- the l I minimum stipend upon which, in° the! ; committee's opinion, a beneficed clertrv- i . man ran be expected to live. The first - or these proposals touches ninett-two - livings unrl involves the raisin* "of ar . Burn-of £73,000; Wl.en this leVeem* • f vl-H-d there will still be SOClivlne 3 below the £400 standard. To read i j this a further 6 um of £-370,000 must I 1 Da iound, !