RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 10

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

• THE NEW THEOLOGY. SERMON BY THE REV. T. H. SPROTT.' At St. Paul's Anglican Church, last Sunday night, the Rev. T. H. Sprott, M.A., continued his very able series of addresses on tho Apostles Creed in tho light of modern thought. In tho course of his remarks Mr. Sprott mado tho following reference to the " New Theology ":—--, . ■ ■ . * A loose way of speaking about the Divine Sonship.of Jesus Christ has suddonly become popular, which.seems to admit the Christian creed while in reality omptying it of all menning. '■ You hayo all heard of tho New Theology. .. Now, in a sense, theology is always becoming now. The reason is that it is the characteristic of the; human mind always to bo trying to harmonise its knowledge. It cannot rest so long as any part of its knowledge is not seen fo be consistent with all the rest. This effort after harmony leads us to see* more and more fully into the meaning of tho unreconciled truth, which consequently receives furthor development and interpretation. Now, inasmuch as living minds are always .receiving fresh accessions of know-, lodge, the effort to harmonise old. theological truth is ever going on, and tho old truthis ever moro fully disclosing its meaning. In this sense, theology, like science, is ever becoming new. This docs not mean that the old theology .was false, but that it was inadequate. But there is just now a definite thing called the, "New Theology," which, while containing not a little that is good, has yet-at-times-a way of speaking regarding the' Christian creed which may seem to many minds—particularly young minds—to be- a great and helpful simplification of the creed, hut which' is rather, an explaining of it away. The exponents of tho Now Iheology undoubtedly feel a- profound reverenco for Jesus Christ, yet they permit themselves to speak in some* such terms-as. this: "Jesus was, of course, Divine; but bo are. we; all. Tho statement may be capable of an innocent interpretation, but its practical effect can only be misleading and mischievous. It is one of those epigrammatic sayings which " catch oh."- It appeals to young minds. It seems to onable them to hold the Christian creed while relieving it of its old difficulty and mystery. (Tho young mind, as we know, is impatient of difficulty and mystery; it, is only by long and chastened experience that any minds, learn to acquiesce in limitations.) But the;relief which this way of speaking gives can only be momentary. Tho time must coma when a-thoughtful mind must see that tho statement, "Jesus is Divine, and so are wo all," neither exalts Jesus nor us, and only, degrades- . the word 1 "Divine" —the highest, word in human speech, the word which 'denotes supremest excellence —emptying it of all-inspiring* and uplifting power. Apply the maxim to a concroto example We havo been reading lately of a certain Mr. and Mrs. Gould, who entrapped, robbed, and murdered a certain wealthy lady. Woll, Jesus was Divine; and so are the Goulds! So, in , fact, were all the criminal monsters who have disgraced humanity and plagued the world! What must be tho effect of such talk as this? Surely not to oxalt Jesus and humanity, but unspeakably, to, degrade the Divine. It is to debase the moral csrroncy of the world, and ho. who does that inflicts greater damage * upon his follows than ho who should debase the economic coinage What do "we mean by "Divine".? . In what, sensei ./is God'Hihiself. " Divine '■ ? Well, it is not omnipotence or omniscience which constitutes God "Divine." A devil might conceivably (possess all power, and all knowledge. The word "Divine" is essentially an ethical word. It denotes the quality, the character of the will. It denotes a will to all good and away from all evil—or will of perfect.- righteousness and truth and lbvo. It denotes the ideal—that which we ought

to be;-that which, in rare moments, somo men aspire to be; but which, in our ordinary conventional lives we emphatically are not. To tell' me that I am divine, and so is everybody else, is to empty this groat word of its ideal content, its rebuking, inspiring, uplifting power. It is to leave mo without an ideal, and fatally content with my. present self. For if I am Divino, wlint more \can I ever hope to bo, or even conceivably bo? If we ask how-it comes .about that, earnest men give- such- an unethical meaning to the word "Divine" that it can bo predicated both .of Jesus and of Judas, who betrayod Him with a kiss, the answer seems to bo that the teachers in question have taken up too hurriedly with tho philosophy known as monestic idealism — a philosophy which seems to deprive human personality of its reality and to identify man with God. Surely

the old Christian creed is far truer to facts, and far more, inspiring.. • It taught, not

that we men, just as we are, aro-divine, but that, ns made in the image of God, and endowed with reason and conscience and will, we have the, capacity fox- becoming partakers of the Divine , nature, i.e., the Divine and righteousness and truth and , love.. That, .to this end, the Divine character has been revealed outwardly to our view in the,.,Der.spn...pf Jesus Christ, tho unique Son of God "arid that His Spirit, co-oporat--ing with ours, is the internal power by which that Divine 'naturo and character is to be reproduced in ns." Ts not that a saner, less misleading statement than that other, "Josus is Divine: and so aro we all"? Tt leaves the great ideal words of human speech inviolate and intact. It does not trv to mis things as opposite as ; Heaven and Hell into one unethical, sloppy' confusion. It tells yon no. flattering talc about your present self; yet, neither does it bid you despise yourself, nor leave you in dnspair. It holds up boforo.ypu a Divine ideal, which it tells you iß°your nropo'r ideaT which 'you were created to realise, and it offers you abundant help. viV.'' - ' ;• ■■' . ■■■.'..'■

NEW PRESBYTERIAN HYMN BOOK. . Tho New Zealand Presbyterian General Assembly' decided on Wednesday to adopt the new edition of "Church Praise," but sorno uncertainty was expressed as to what were the precise features of tho now edition. Tho "Christian World" of October 3 states: ; —"Thero aro a number of improvements in the new and revised 'Church Praiso' which make at onco for tho comfort and conveni.oncosnf tho worshipper. The hymns, motrical Psalms, anthems, and Scripture sen'tonces follow with consecutive numbers, so that no' announcement is necessary beyond tho number. In the opinion of the General Editor of the' book (the Rov. J: M. E. Ross, M.A., of Redhill), the most interesting ■ section will ■' be the "portion headed 'Scripture Sentences.' It has been prepared and''arranged in response to the growing desiro for the enrichment, of-'the service and the introduction to a responsive element calculated to make it less purely ministerial and moro congregational) . .vThis -portion is divided into three, sub-sections, the.first consisting • of sentence's: which'may be read at the very opening of the'service as a call to worship. The second section consists of acts of praiso • appropriate to the 'taking of the offering,' and tlie third includes the Commandments and tho Beatitudes, with responses—items long desired by many Presbyterians. This section, which is headed 'For general use' also includes the Creed and the Lord's Prayor in- monotone settings, and the Anronie Blessing, so often used at marriages, baptisms and ordinations. There are also some musical settings of tho 'Amen' at the very end of the book. Mr. Wilson, of Highbury, to whom, with Dr. Dykes, was committed the task of verification of the text of the hymns, etc., writes that some good hymns that were lost 1 by being set to un-singablo times havo been rescued by being given better ones. Many hymns tiiat were never sung have disappeared from the book. Hymns that describe this world as n miserable place were deemed not quite suited for congregational praiso. Several old .hymns, at ono timo great favourites, havo gone, including 'Hero ; wo suffer grief nnd pain/ 'Safe in tho arms of Jesus' (characterised by Mr. Wilson as 'that too sensuous liyrnii'), and 'I'm but.a stranger here.' Ono of tho difficulties 'which confronted the committee was concerning hymns for evangelistic meotings. Not vory many of these aro given, the committee being of opinion that such hymns aro mostly ephemeral, and mi«ht be circulated on sheets when required. Kipling's 'Rccessionnl , and Tennyson's 'Crossing the Bar' wcro discussed, and, after much difference of opinion, 'Crossing the Bar' was included ; ns an anthem." ; ;W: A GREAT PASTOR, The recent appointment of Mr. Archibald Goikie Brown to the great pastorate of the Metropolitan Tabernacle is in maay ways a.

noteworthy event. In the first place it is a triumph for tho, old theology. For Mr. Brown belongs to the old school of evangelists. He is not troubled with doubts and fears; he does not busy himself with new readings of tho Scriptures; he preaches the Gospel pure and simple, and relies upon no adventitious aid for his effect. And in the second place it is a great personal triumph for Archibald Brown, though he is the last man in the world to bother his head about that aspect of the case. None the less it is a remarkablo tribute to Mr. Brown's powers that in the hour of its need the Metropolitan Tabernacle'should turn to a man who is in his sixty-fourth year, who, moreover, becamo to some extent hors concoui;s when about ton years ago lie retired from tho pastorate of ■the East London Tabernaclo, where for nearly thirty years his fame and influence rivalled that of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Nor has the Metropolitan Tabernaclo turned in vain to the veteran preacher. Already ho has won a groat triumph, and tho Metropolitan Tabernacle once more rominds one of what it was in the best days of C.H.S.

Spurgeon and the Spiritualists. Mr. Brown was Spurgcon's rival in popularity ; ho was one of the great preacher's closest friends, and he preached the funeral sermon at Spurgoon's grave—a most beautiful and touching discourse. Naturally, Mr. Brown has many memories of Spurgeon and treasures many letters from him. There is a characteristic one in reference to a slashing attack Mr. Brown had made on some Spiritualists of thirty years ago: "Three cheers for you, my true-hearted comrade! The story of your East' London gathering of the clans fills me with delight. The Lord he with thee, thou mighty man of valour! Whether in striking the' Spiritualists you are hitting tho devil or a donkey, does not matter much; you have evidently hit hard, or they would iio't be so fierce. lam not able to take much crcidit for bringing you up, but I am about as proud of you as. I dare be. I hope wo shall have a good meeting on Friday week. It is oil to my bones to see you all. —Yours always lovingly, 'signed) C. H. Spurgeon." A Pen Sketch. Some years ago—in 1888, to bo precise— Mr Brown wrote a pamphlet which made an immense stir all over the country. It was calied "The Devil's Mission of Amusement," and it led to some extraordinary libols upon its author. Mr. Brown was pilloried in certain sensation-seeking sections of the Press as a kill-joy," a man who objected to amusement in, any shiipo or form, whereas all he protested against was purely secular amuscinontis in connection with the churches. But if enough mud is flung, some will stick, and to this day there are somo who picture Mr. Brown as'n Calvinistic firc-and-brimstono-breathing sort of individual. Nothing could be farther from tho truth. Mr. Brown is essentially a joyous, optimistic, open-air sort of limn —he believes in and encourages amusement in its proper place, and he is never so much at home as when in tho company of young people, who adore him and his splendid manliness. Physically, ho might easily he taken for somo Army colonel, with his tall, erect frame, fresh complexion, gleaming blue eyes, aquiline nose, and heavy moustache As a proaclior he is simply splendid—forcible, telling, simple, direct, and with that personal magnetism that all great speakers have. A strong, rosolute man's man, with the heart of a little child. • .

NEW LEADER -FOR A FORLORN HOPE. Two years ago, greatly daring (says' a writer in the "Christian World") I suggosted through theso columns that the Wcsleyan Methodist authorities, if they really valued their assets, would appoint tho Uev. J. Ernest Rattonbury to be the preacher at the West London Mission. The translation of Mr. Rattenbury from Nottingham to West London is now an accomplished fact, and on Sunday morning he preached himself into office as superintendent of the mission which Hugh Pride Hughes founded in St. James's Hall, and which now has its-headquarters in Great Queen Street Chapel, close to Kingsway. It would bo idle to deny that Mr. Rattenbury is "facing fearful odds" in Jus now enterprise. The West London Mission has lost its early eclat. To bo frank, it has fallen on evil days. Driven from its original quarters, robbed of tho magnetic personality of its founder, hampered by declining income and accumulating debt, and by inadequate buildings suituated in a region -where \Vcst and East moot, tho West London Wosleyan Mission has forfeited its prominent placo in tho public eye. Whitefiisld's and Bloomsbury—tho Central Missions of tho Congregational and Baptist Churches —havo invaded its territory and taken over some of its work. Time, death and change havo all wrought against the Mission which Price Hughes established. So Mr. Rattenbury tears up his roots at Nottingham to lead what some loyal Wosleyan' Mothodists do not hositato to describe as a hope. Ho has undertaken a task before*which the bravest of men might well be forgiven for quailing . The new leader had a splendid congregation for his initial service Dr. liorton once suggostcd that Mr. Rattenbury 'is Hugh Price Hughes redivivus; but on Sunday morning (says this writer) he reminded me much more of Dr. Parker than of Mr. Hughes.

SUCCESSFUL MISSION WORK. A "remarkable year" is traversed'in tho annual report of the Church Missionary Society, which has just been issued. ; ''It is," the report says, ''the centenary year of Wilborforcc's great year in tho abolition of the slavo trade, the indirect results of which ■ have been the Society's Sierra Leone, Yoruba, and Niger Missions, and also the great British Protectorates over thoso vast West African regions. It is the centennary year of the first Protestant missionary going to China, although nearly forty years had to pass beforo any effective evangelistic work could be dono among the • Chinese people. It is tho centenary year of the death of John Newton, whoso influence over Thomas Scott and Claudius Buchanan boro abundant fruit in tho promotion of Missions, and who himsolf was one of tho founders of tho Society. It is the centenary year of Buchanan's owiv visit to TravnncorO) to which is duo not only the C.M.S. Mission there, but much of our knowledgo of tho ancient Syrian It : is tho bicentenary year of the first baptism of a convert in India by a Protestant missionary, Ziegonbalg._ It is the jubilee year of the Society's Niger Mission and British Columbia Mission and Mauritius Mission; and also of tho Indian Mutiny, which, terrible calamity as it was, issued eventually in a great extension of Indian Missions. And it is tho jubilee year of G. E. Moulo's going to China, and of F.W.N. Alexander's joining tho Tehigu Mission, the former of whom has just resigned the Bishopric of Mid-China with the Society's grateful sympathy, while the latter still labours on in his wide and fruitful Ellore district."

The Society is able to record total receipts (general and appropriated) amounting to the magnificent total of £375,757, which, although £6800 below tho figures of the previous year, 'was £25,000 above the average of the past six years. But the expenditure again increased, and tho net result was a deficit on the year of £11,251 to bo added to tin; deficit- of £998!) left from tho previous year, af tor'paying off-£50,000 by tho sale ,of securities. The actual number of missionaries added to the roll during the year was 68; but these accessions were nearly balanced by

deaths and, retirement. The number of missionaries has. increased in twenty-five years from 264 to 1016. Tho C.M.S. Missions in China continue to progress, and it is pointed out that Missions in the Far East havo found a powerful advocato in Sir Ernest Satqw, who has been British Minister in both China and Japan. It is claimed that there is encouraging evidence that the movement of which the Indian National Congress is the most conspicuous sign is not hostile to religious influences, and it is stated that revivals, having manifest signs of the work of the Holy Spirit, have boon witnessed in several C.M.S. congregations in India and Ceylon; and as showing the improved relations now existing betweon Church Societies, it is added that in one en so this was due to the preaching of an S.P.G. missionary. The native Churches, it is said, aro showing some distinct tokens of spiritual life. Afghanistan is still a land closed against Missions, hut this is not so in the case of the next Kingdom, Persia, whore it is hoped that the venerable Bishop Stuart, who has gone back to his latest Mission-field in tho fifty-eighth year of his missionary , career, may find a door more and nioro opcii. IA Conference bold at Cairo has rto)u» munh

to emphasise the urgent importance of missions to Mnhommedans, and to instruct the Christian public, touching the work actually being done. "Egypt," we aro told, is yielding converts to the faith of Christ, one of thorn witnessing a good confession before two high Egyptian officials and Lord Cromer, under whoso enlightened administration the prospects of the Mission have greatly expanded." Coining to "the Society's earliest field, the Dark Continent of Africa," reports art> given of the. work in the Eastern Soudan, Uganda, and Bast and West Africa.

• PERSONAL. ! Tho Rev. R. J. Campbell has, been invited to rc-visifc the United States ami take a lecturing tour under the auspices of an Vmerican Socialistic organisation. Recently Mrs. Annie Hesant was announced to speak at the City Temple, under Mr. Campbell's presidency. Mr. Charles M. Alexander, the evangelist, has dissolved partnership with Dr. Torrey. It is possible that Mr. Alexander will join forces with one of the popular English evangelists. The inauguration of Dr. Garvie as Principal of New College took place at tho beginning of last month. General Booth was greeted, on his arrival in the United States, by his daughter Evangeline, who has charge of tho Army's work there. Miss Booth, who is well known owing to the gallant fights she made in the early days of the Army in London, has the control of 900 centres'of spiritual work, 240 social institutions, and 2858 Salvation Army officers. Sho is an eloquent and persuasive speaker, frequently holding vast crowds in America's largest auditoriums for two hours at a time.

Principal Hutton, the veteran champion of Disestablishment in Scotland, who is retirin" from active service, has been minister or the Canal Street U.F. Church, Paisley—his first and only charge—for the last • fifty-six years, and is now about eighty-two years of ago. At tho celebration, of his jubilee six years ago ho was presented with an address and a cheque for £400 from his congregation, and an address and £800 from the public of Paisley.

The Rev. John Aldis, the doyen of the English Baptist ministry,, has iusi died at Beckington, Somerset, in Ms 101 st year. Mr. Al'dis, says the "Christian World, was a man of marked intellectual force, and as long: ago as 1866 lie was elected President of the Baptist Union. Ho was a preacher with characteristics of his own; with a gift— the result of hard self-training—of extemporaneous utterance, lucid style, and simple language. John Bright as a younc man heard him preach, and asked Mr. Aldis to tell him how he prepared his speeches. So it camo about that the Baptist preacher gave .the. great tribune his first lesson in public speech.

A great feature of the Bishop of London's visit to Montreal was his reception by the Chambre do Commerco, a body which has never before welcomed a visiting prelate of a church to which the great majority of its members do not belong. Tho Bishop was presented with an address which referred to the broadness of his views, as manifested by the reception given him in Quebec,' and trusted that on his return he would bo able to convey the impression that al Canadians wore united, independent of creed and religion.

JOTTINGS. Tho Rev. R. J. Campbell, addressing a meeting of 4,000 peoplo on the subject of Socialism, declared it undeniable that there is no' Church in Christendom to-day which would bo recognisable as a Christian Church by the Christians of the first century, and insisted that present day Socialism is far nearer tho original Christianity than is the Christianity of tho Churches. l

General Booth has been welcomed by Boston's "aristocracy of intellect" with open arms. For days beforehand, writes Commissioner Nicol, the Press had prepared tho way by eulogistic articles, and when the General arrived on Friday night thousands on thousands of people 'were at the station to welcome him. The Mayor and Corporation gave the city's official welcome, tho Mayor, a Roman .'• Catholic, speaking for 20 minutes in praise of tho army, "which had made Christianity and humanity understood even in the slums." Later, the General had a very delightful experience—a meeting with his daughter, Commander Eva Booth. The Sunday meetings in the Coliseum were immense gatherings, and there were a,hundred "surrenders."

. A strong Roman Catholic protest was made to the Sheffield ' Education Committee tho other week against tho inclusion of Charles Reade's • novel, "The Cloister and the Hearth," in the syllabus for evening school literary classes. Dean Dolan said that tho book was the work of a bitter Protestant, and made a violent attack on the Roman Catholic Church. The Rev, T. W. Holmes, Congregational minister, supported him. The committee, however, decided that the' work, included for its literary and historical qualities, should remain on the list. '

Missionary enthusiasm in 'Scotland is expected to spread in consequence of the new movement, which is meeting with an encouraging amount of success, for the establishment of Mission Study Circles. The United Free Church is particularly active at the present time in the formation of such circles. The intention is that small companies of from four to ten should tako up a six or eight weeks' course of missionary study on a systematic plan. Already, it is reported, nine circles' have boon formed in Stirling, six in connection with one congregation in Glasgow,- four in connection with one in Edinburgh. A deputation has just visited Aberdeen with the view of inaugurating the scheme there. . .

Among tho passengers by the German mail steamer Manila, which arrived at Sydney last week, was the Rev. -Benjamin Danks,- organising secretary of tho Methodist Churdh Missionary Society. Mr. Danks left Sydney on August 27 on a visit to the mission stations of the society in New Britain. Ho found the country in a very prosperous state. Large plantations were being formed everywhere, and thoro was evidently a great deal of money and enterprise at the back of the prosperity. Misison work was advancing on all sides, and on the whole Mr. Danks was very satisfied with what he'saw.

.. The Rev. W. E. Brownlow, who arrived in Sydney after 17 years in the mission' field of Papua, brought with him two native boys from Dobu recently. One of these, now a lad of 14, came under the care of Sir. Brownlow Jin a sensational manner, Mrs. Brownlow having rescued him at the eleventh hour as he was about to he offered as a, sacrifice in accordance with the heathen rites of the islanders. One day Mrs. Brownlow was walking noar a native village not far from the mission station, when she heard tom-toms beating and uncouth chants resounding from a clump of palm treos. There she found a native ceremony proceeding. A woman had died, and, according to custom, the natives had placed her in a grave with her infant son tied to her breast. Without a moment's hesitation .Mrs Brownlow stepped into the middle of the dusky band'and ordered them to <rolcase tho child. The Papuans obeyed, and tho lad, who was adopted to tho mission station, is now in Sydney.

Tho Rev. Father Bernard Vaughan, S.J., in a recent sermon referred to tho latest Encyclical of Pope Pius X on "Modernism." Roman Catholics, said the preacher, belonged to an old-fashioned Church, that could look modernity in the face, and say to men that tlio Mnzo of science might satisfy some, but that they considered tho shadow of tho Cross to bo infinitely better. When men came to toss aside the tilings of this earth and to pass from shadows to reality, they would not then want much of the blaze of science Men argued that tho Pope was an anachronism, and his policy that of a poor peasant, but men had spoken in similar terms of the Divine Redeemer. Catholics knew that it was not diplomacy, or politics, or expediency, or other worldly motives that were guiding tho Sovereign Pontiff, but tho Word of Jesus Christ. Only a few days since a friend of the preacher had said to tho Pope: "Holy Father, what troubles you must have had in dealing with France."' And the Pope replied: "Not much trouble, for tho way was clear, and I knew what God wanted." Men might look into science, they might follow lectures, and in other ways be thoroughly typical modern men, but'they would find that the whole secret of a happy life was the will of fi<v4..