RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 20 November 1926, Page 22

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

PRESENT DAY OUTLOOK. , ______ i 1 \ Contributed.) 1 PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. i ( St. Jehu's Church, Wellington, was liilod on November 0 on the occasion of j the npening of the General Assembly of i the Frc.-byterian Church in New Zea- ' l.i ml. The retiring Moderator, the Rev. J. Kilpatrifk. of Green Island, conducted f I lie preliminary service, and then dcliv- • .•red hi." ndilri , *?. He said ho had paid ; a vi.-ii. to the Jlnori missions during tin , ]ia>t year, and the visit had been both pleasant si ml profitable. One subject on which the llnnri* wire deeply interested was the proposed technical college, and ilie Church was to far committed to the ]i:-n]H*nl tli.it -lv- tniist pro forward. To ilit< Mnori, the word of the Presbyterian i Cliurcll wi\- "lapu," and the question •' was i-oiistaii!ly i.skcd: Wlier will your ] promise be fiiililled? The answer was: | When the l.iiid »ive,n for the purpose at 1 Kuaioki is nvnilabfc. The Government > had been a~ked to remove the embargo, J ■ !,,. hind ililli.-ulty could ba overcome, f and he liii|iim| it would not be. long before t i!ie college won!.l be an accomplished i Dealing «iih general Mr. 1 Kilpiitrick said it was safe to sa\ that i the Clr.ireli w.is in a healthy condition, 1 ami unit CM 10 declare: — • •■'l'licre are ever-increasing facilities ' !■ r pli'iifiixe-:?i-cking and temptations to niiitcriulisii 1 ., but there is also a deep ii-.'.iuj; of discontent; the broken cisterns :,!.■ i-iTt supplying the needs of the soul; there i~ a ilosin , for better times and ln-t'er thing.-. The craving for the better things is (Jod-created, and He lu'ver creates: a yearning He is not ready tn satisfy. The coming revival is a matter of common talk, and one of the (f.ialimiig conditions has been fulfilled: the reeling is universal that it is needed. • hist how it will come and where it will most manifest itself cannot be foretold. 1; may begin among the thousands outside tiie Church, who have drifted away from their youthful moorings, and are realising the barrenness of isolation. Or if may begin among the young in the Sunday schools and Bible classes, but begin it .vill, and then 'the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.' God hasten the day."' The retiring Moderator then Introduced his juecessor, the Rev. O. H. McXeur. ami mentioned that it had been Mi great pleasure to know Mr. McNeur for tunny rears. He had been joined with him in Christian work, and be welcomed him with every confidence. China. !!.-. McN-'ur gave an interesting ad-dif-i. on the question of "New Zealand nnd China. - ' He said he made no r.poi.'gy for dealing with the subject, because the Assemblj liad decided the matter when it called him to tho office. It was a conlirmation of the central place worlilewnigelii-aUon held in the Church's life. Reference was made to the growing activities of the Soviet Government nf Russia, and the pressing claims of Japan's over-growing population. Great Britain and other Powers, had persisted i:i the pa«t in a selfish, and dominating policy towards China. There had been much unwisdom displayed in the onesided nature of the foreign treaties and agreements, and Britain had held on too long to armainont3 which had now been admitted to be obsolete. He .vas afraid that the anti-British feeling which characterise.l thr> new nationalism in China wiis not: without reason, many highclass Chinese being now very bitter against all British elements. Every endeavour should be made to make a new national agreement morally acceptable to China Mid ourselves. Continuing the Moderator declared: "Britain, in common with other powers, has perin an over-selfish and domineering policy towards China ... we have insisted that she must put her hoii-e in order before granting autonomy in her, ignoring her reasonable plea that sin; cannot do so while we interfere with her arrangements."' The remodelled Church in China would be a Chinese Church —not a State institution —in its leadership, and it had become necessary for the missions to adjust themselves tr an entirely new position. Reports. The Rev. W. MacLeaiT, M.A., of Oaniani. in presenting the report of the Life and Work Committee, remarked iii;:t tin' number of children received into full Church membership from the Sunday schools was very small, but the committee had not yet been able to explore adequately the position, and recommended that the matter be remitted to the presbyteries for consideration. The report on the Women's Training Institute, was supported by two lady speakers—Sister Margaret and Mrs. Waddell —and mention was made of the fact that the institute had been in existence 23 years, and that over 100 women had been trained, many of whom had passed on to the mission field. The report of the Foreign Missions Committee was considered. It referred to the notable services rendered in Son£h China by the senior missionary, Dr. MeXeiir, now Moderator. A resolution from the Cliristchurch ]'iesbvti'ry in favour of collecting, and preserving, all important historical Church records, was agreed to. The proposal was supported by the Rev. J. Dickfion, M.A., who mentioned that there Mas an institution of the kind in connection with the Irish Church, where historical records and photos were to be seen, al-ii a museum of "ecclesiastical iiiiios." i Laughter.) The Women's Training Institute • '(iiniiiittce reported to the PresI'.vteriiin \ssembly that, in its opinion, future progress depended upon the fullest use being made of the large reserve of able aud consecrated women available in the Church. The report was adopted. Broadcasting Sermons. Mr. 1). B. Stewart, of North AuckIsimil. a homo missionary, stated that ilerjiymeii who weie broadcasting their 1 m rviecs were making it very hard for Hie home missionary in the country district. People who "listened in" on a Sunday nij.'ht did not do so as an act of worship, but for entertainment purposes. The invitation of the Christchurch Presbytery to the Presbyterian General Assembly to meet next year in that city was accepted, ah amendment to meet in Auckland being lost. The date will prol.ably be November 15, 1027. The Moderator-Designate. For the position of Moderator for tht next Assembly, in November, 1927, thi itiw James Aitken, M.A. (Gisborne) anc li.c ltev. A. Bruce Todd, B.A. (Welling I inn), were nominated. On a ballot Mi Aitken was elected, the voting being ll! The Moderator-designate was intra duced to ihe Assembly by the Modera

tor, who remarked that if the children of the Presbyterian Church could vote, Mr. Aitkeii would hold the position of Moderator in perpetuity. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Aitken briefly thanked the Assembly for the honour proposed to be conferred upon him. He accepted the position as a recognition of the work he had been privileged to do during the last IS years in connection with the "Children's Magazine." (Applause.) Mr. Aitken has been in the ministry for 2S years, and has held four charges, Wyndham, Mosgiel, Khandallah and Gisborne. A resolution was passed that only the names of ordained ministers, or home missionaries, should be placed on the list of officiating ministers under the Marriage Act. The status of Minister Emeritus, with a scat in the Presbytery aud General Assembly, was conferred on the Revs. Dr. Uihb. John Kilpatrick, D. S. Mason. T. Ramsay and D. K. Fisher.

HUMBLENESS AND AWE.

"The deeper the explorations of the men of science go, the more profound appear the mysteries which they explore. The old, crude materialism has gone (except among the half-baked), because tho very meaning of matter is shifting and changing," writes Mr. Ramsay Muir in the "Westminster Gazette," in reference to the meeting of the British Association for the advancement of science. "As the spectacle of the infinitely great and the infinitely little is gradually disclosed to us, we are reduced to humbleness and awe. Humbleness and awe: that is the spirit which feeds religion. But as yet, like the mass of men in all ages, most of us turn aside from this dizzying spectacle to occupy our minds with trivialities. Science l*is given to all of us a new sense of power, and a new idea of ourselves and our relations with the universe. But has its progress strengthened amongst us the scientific way of dealing with things? The scientific spirit makes but a slow and painful conquest of human life. It conquers the world, but it does not easily conquer man himself: it does not even conquer the man of science, who is: often enough. outside his special line of work, as prejudiced nnd unreasonable as any layman, for he, equally with the rest of us. is just a bundle of irrational instincts."

CURRENT NOTES.

In spite of the coal strike in England, the National British Women's Temperance Association held its jubilee pathefing a Xewcastle-on-Tyne, where it began half a century ago. Mr. Oeorge Willoughby, M.A., chiof superintendent of tlie Dublin Metropolitan Police Force, is a Wesleyan local preacher. His brother is minister of :i Baptist Church in Belfast. Mr. D. E. Hoste, who was one of the Cambridge seven, has put in 40 years' service in China. He has been General Director of the China Inland Mission for some time. York Minster will shortly celebra'.. the 1300 th anniversary of its foundation. The wonderful glass taken out of the windows during the war, has been replaced. A new half-tone bell has been added to the peal in the south-west tower. Writing in the "Christian World" on "Lotus or Cross" the Rev. W. Davies, M.A., stated, "The world seeks ease, security, and pleasure. For none of tllese things ought the Church to stand; and if it should come to do so, no matter from what worthy motive, though temporary prosperity might ensue, ultimate ruin would be assured. "1 do not know what we should bo like if life were all sunshine, case and play. Some of us are queer enough now, and wo should be worse without the discipline of storm. It seems a law for men and nations that only out of agony shall good things come to birth."—The Rev. F. Sparrow, in the "Methodist Times." Belfast Presbytery has passed a resolution requesting the General Assembly to consider "the necessity and desirability of having , a statement of tbo doctrines, faith, and belief of the Church set forth briefly in clear, unequivocal language according to the teaching of the Word of God and in harmony with the standards of the Church." The death is reported of a noted Scottish preacher, Rev. Andrew Wallace Williamson, D-D. He was able to raise the money to rebuild St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, and was Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1913. During the war he visited the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow and delivered addresses to large gatherings of sailors- He used a remarkable phrase: "There is a choice between the nailed hand and the mailed fist." At the recent session of the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Australia, the Bishop of Adelaide had charge of a motion for the appointment of a committee to arrange with representatives of other religious communions for an appeal to the universities of Australia to establish faculties in theology. Such faculties, he asked, would encourage scholarship, raise the standard of study, be of advantage to the Church and enrich the life of the universities. The motion was seconded by Archdeacon Whitington, who referred to it as ail important historic step. The appeal should be made to the universities on the ground of pure reason. The sectarian bogy which had hitherto stood in the way was dying. A West Australian representative spoke of the need of some such arrangement in the west and urged the benefit of having Australian clergy thus trained. In his official address as chairman of the Hawke'a Bay-Manawatui Methodist Synod, held at Feilding, the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt said no organisation of_ industry can be satisfactory unless it gives fullest recognition to the fact that the loftiest aim is service, not only of the worker, and the employer, but the community as a whole. The worker must give the best service he can render and scorn scamped work and restricted output, whilst the employer must abjure the practices of sweating the worker and exploiting the consumer. The worker must receive a wage that shall afford reasonable economic security, suffice to ensure the health and vigour of family life, afford opportunity for the enjoyment of the reasonable and disciplined needs of life, and give some satisfactory security for old age. Industry mus t offer good working conditions, reasonable hours of labour, adequate holiday periods, and such a status for the worker as will ensure opportunity for thi develojjment of personality and for i reMonable «se of the good, gifts of God