CURRENT NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES.

The Soviet authorities have closed a church in an industrial district near Moscow, and have converted it into a cinema theatre because the local Communists stated that the church was having an undesirable influence on the workers. Archdeacon Wilson once stated: "The hardest part of visiting is not going to see the poor, but dealing with the rich. I am often told by the footman her ladyship is not at home, but I get my own back by replying, 'All right, I will go down and see the cook.'" In the course of an oration at Bunyan's grave Dr. Dimsdale Young stressed particularly the humorous side of the author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." "All the royal saints have had humour," said Dr. Young. "Never imagine you are getting holier because you are getting gloomier, nor think that solemnity is a sign of sanctification. It is much more likely to be a sign of biliousness." The Rev. Edward Beal, preaching in Chalmers Memorial United Free Church, Fife, on, "Are we Better Than God?" asked this question: "Who can look honestly upon some of these dogmas ; which certain Christiana are still trying to sustain, without an uneasy suspicion that they are in reality rather clumsy defences of a God whom the forwardmoving mind of man has a perfect right to despise? Honestly turning them over in our hearts, we are impelled to exclaim, 'Well, it may be necessary that God, being God, should take that view; . but it is certain that I, in my best moments, would scorn to take it.' If there resides in conscience any sure guidance whatever, it is obvious that all beliefs that do injury to orur moral conviction, rendering God inferior to us, are ante-dated and therefore superseded." Dr.' Albert Peel writing in the "Christian World" stated re the Revised Prayer Book controversy: "I think Free Churchmen must leave to the Established Church to do just what it likes. ' I cannot accept the contentions of those 1 Free Churchmen who think that Parlia- ' ment has a right to prevent a Church from worshipping as it desires (much as I disagree with some of the things ' desired). Free Churchmen, it seems to me, can argue vith their friends in the Establishment, but cannot appeal to , Parliament to interfere with the wor- ■ ship of any body of Christians. As to . what Parliament has a right to do, we t believe that Parliament should say to [ the Church: 'These proposals are inccrtf- • sistent with the Protestant basis of the Establishment. If you insist on them, ' you are ipso facto disestablished.'" ' The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of ' Colorado, the . Right Rev. Irving P. , Johnson, D.D., has received into the . Church the Rev. Leon Mauthuy, formerly the priest of a Roman Catholic | parish in Central City, Colorado. Father Mauthuy is a native of Belgium, where he received minor Orders from Cardinal Mercier at Louvain. He got his main » Orders in England from the Roman . Catholic Bishop of Nottingham, in whose diocese he worked for several years. The idea of a non-papal Catholicism, according to Father Mauthuy, had always attracted him, but he had not i thought of it as a practical possibility, i as he had never had much experience | of the Anglican Church. His first knowledge of Anglo-Catholicism came to him ; through St. Andrew's parish, Denver, I Colorado, whose rector is the Rev.' Neil Stanley. He began a correspondence with Father Stanley, which finally led to his taking the final step of entry into the Anglican Church. "One of the best of hostels is that of the Church Army Home, in Great Peter Street, London. This is a striking example of the advantages of voluntary over State charity," writes Mr. F. A. Mackenzie in the "Daily News." "The doors are open very wide day and night. The derelict is given a good meal of thick meat soup and bread, a bath and a comfortable bed. Next morning he is expected to work for an hour at some simple task, and is invited to remain for a three days' labour test. If he stands this, he is'next offered an opportunity, as far as room allows, to start life again in a Labour home. The atmosphere in Great Peter Street is cheerful and hopeful. There arc books and papers, bright services, games, and even a billiard table. AH kinds of men have gone through the test—ships' surgeons, ruined tea-planters, accountants, engineers, men from many professions and from famous public schools, besides unskilled labour- . crs, hotel servants and the like. 1