RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 10

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

,ANGLICAN CONGRESS THROUGH ';;,;;' V.'.NONCONFORMIST EYES.;,'■ A' Free' Churchman, who described for tho "Cli'ristiaii'AVorld" his impressions 6f ; the recent Anglican Church Congress at Yarmouth, records somo interesting conclusions. A groat tidal movement, he asserts, is beginning' to flow in tho Church, tho extent and power of which we can scarcely exaggerate, it ; might almost be called a flood running in the direction of a free, evangelical, Catholic Church. I am persuaded that we exaggerate the?influence of the mediaeval school represented by Lord Halifax. Tho so-called Roniaiiisors arc now: becoming, a discredited school., Wo may be deceived by galvanised signs of life, but tho Oxford movement has spent itself, having done its work. It. has saved English Christianity from certain insular imperfections. It has corrected tho defects and limitations of a Calvinistic Protestantism, and there is now a turning of tho title in the direction of an English Christianity which is at once catholic and ovangolical, at. puce independent of Rome, and Geneva. It is;a -kind, of" English r , counter-reformation which is conserving the good of the Tractarians (without what Sir Edward Russell, amid the'laughter of : tho Congress, called "sacerdotal' sillinoss"); 1 it is sacramental, but it is also evangelical/and it unites with these elements of. reverence and spiritual passion a great deal .of sympathy with" social probloms and also a fearless attitudo towards all tho proved results of science and criticism. There is in this .new. school a growing appreciation of the place arid functions of tho Nonconformist bodies, a tendency to turn away from immediate hqp.csQf re-union with Rome; and a wistful longing to see tho forces of English Christianity once more re-united. There is n penitent recognition""tlint tho. Church .has clumsily Plundered- in tho past,- arid that;' its own divisions arc tlio;;outcrpp of.past sins. Th'emew'mbvbmentHs not bbscurantist : or intolerant. It faces the situation with courage, confidence and a very genuine feeling of goodwill tou-ards; Nonconformists.-''The speeches which failed, which wero mercilessly received by the Congress, were, those which sneered at Nonconformity, and they were only two, and by clerically-minded laymciu I wish . that our "own Nonconformist' assemblies wero as hostile to the sectary!

'-'' CONGREGATIONAL TENDENCIES. Mr.: j. Comptori Rickett, M.P., Chairman of the Eng)ish...Congregational. Union, writing on "Congregationalism". in the "Christian World,'* says!— •■' "I can find little, if any, effect of tho New Theology, : in ..the -average.. Congregational Church. ,;Therejis. naturally a 'passing■ interest, to •the; personality and repiiT tation of the speaker. Moreover, there is mricli-.thati is'.common,. to. theologies,, new and old, and which fortunatoly finds ,a-'place in , the. messages of the new'apostolate. Sympathetic audiences watch open-eyed for a coming revelation which, when it arrives, carries them little, if at' all, farther than a manifestation of doity'in humariity.fi . . Tho danger to the modern Congregatibnalist is from a general lack'of theological interest, and not from a craving for experimental journeys into the unknowable. Thero. arc undoubted signs that the. controversy, instead of becomi ing embittered, is dying down. It promises to thin out into.a variety of teaching, like a delta of small streams destined' to' ho lost' in a political Sahara/ But though wo have emphatically, declined tho teaching, we are loth .indeed to lose" tho teacher's.'. For them there ! is the kindliest feeling; an'unwillingness to part with, them, an appreciation,of their abi-]ity,!-mid.a very .real-hopp.that tfey; may findi in ii ; happier future, more, prbfitabWjields of labour to bo shared with'thoir comrades of yesterday. A wise Congregationalism will guard itself against a reactionary, moveinent which might easily gathor strength.":. ' " McNaught.— .7— .',■,,; BAPTIST UNION ADDRESS. Tho'presidential' address of Principal W. '.'J. Henderson boforo tho English Baptist Union last month covered a good many .topics. After asking what would-happen if ■Baptists and Nonconformists generally wero • eliminated .from English society, he replied: '' 'The House l " of Lords ''woukT' be- almost untouched, and it would have little further difficulty in leaving itself unrcformed. Our contribution to the ranks of paupers, prisonors,;and Peers is romarkably small." He expressed the opinion that "Congregational methods chimo with British instincts, and multitudes of Englishmen will hnvo their simple, services or none, at .all." He noted with ..concern.'..the ": pause.'.iri denominational : success,..' This,. iio_ admitted,'flop's not l necessjaYlly coincide w;ith a decline'- of religious feeling. "No one familiar with working . men's homes can bo unaware of a widc- ! spread, vague', ; : and' yet 'influential religious life apart from enny-longing for.ecclesiastical .privileges." "it remains ' scarcely, doubtful that -so far:'as tho'profession of discipleship to Jesus Christ is concerned, the country is less'and.loss satisfactory." In examining tho causes of this ho blamed' 3 the.samo excess of'''machinory of which Dr. Gibb, of .Wellington; complained this week, iu his outburst about too much "associationism." "A Christian minister may have so .much machinery requiring attention that he can scarcely meditate or think or pray;" And the churches as a whole are too stand-offish. "It is to bo feared that there is in general a feeling that wo stand aloof and that we want" to be asked to render assistance." Principal Henderson pointed.from this.to. the exairiplo of Jesus, wjio "apparently cared littlo for • organisations," but who cared for. pcoplo one by one. The-Now Testament people "got on-and got on magnificently without much apparatus." Their relianco was largely on personal influence.. ' V

THE KING'S BIBLE FOE JAMESTOWN. A Bible given by King Edward VII, and a lectern given- by .President Roosevelt to Brut'on Parish Church, at Jamestown, tho oldest church in continuous. ...uso by-the Anglican Communion in tho United. States, wore,presented,at a special servico recently ■by the Bishop, of Washington and Bishop 'of London respectively. The. day's services, says a Renter's message, constituted tho most inspiring of all. .the ceremonies held in connection with tho Triennial Convention of tho Protestant Episcopal Church of tho United States. Dr. Winnington Ingram, who preached'the sermon,, received.'a great Ovation'oh his arrival at the railway station. Accompanied by his,,party ho proceeded immediately to the church.'; ; In presenting tho Bible sent by King Edward, ho conveyed a message from His Majesty to tho American Church. Dr. Ingram then delivered a sernfonv and subsequently addressed an overflow meeting in tho churchy aid. " The'fly-leaf "of "tho Bible'presented by the King contains tho following inscription:— "This.Biblo.is presented by .His Majesty King Edward VII, King of Great. Britain and Ireland, and Emporor.of India; to tho Church of Bru'ton, Virginia, a shrino, rich in . venerable traditions "of worship, in solemn memories-of '"patriots' and statesmen, and in.historic witness to tho oneness of our peoples".' The King will over hope and pray that, tho ties of, kinship and of language, and the common heritages' of ordered worship and of., ennobling ideals, may through tho saving faith in our' Lord and. Redccriier Jesus Christ, revealed in tho sacred pages, continue to unito Groat Britain and America in beneficent fellowship for: sotting -forward peace and goodwill among men.—MCMVII." ■ PERSONALS. The Rev. W. Saunders, of.- Duncdin, has resigned the position of chairman, of the Now Zealand Congregational Union owing to continued ill-health, and tho Rev. D. HirJ, has been appointed in his stead. . ' . The Rev. .J. Wilkins, minister of the Boreslord Street Congregational, Church, Auckland, has resigned that'charge'to make nis home again in England. Sister, Lilian, who hn& served as- a,deaconess in St.'John's Church for tho last two years, is leaving Wellington very soon. She is to bo married to Mr. Baudnoy, of the Customs Department,. Port Chalmers.

This "Wyndham Herald" understands that tlio Rev. G. C. Blathwayt has been offered the cure of Balelutha; and though ho has not 7et accepted, it is probable that ho will do so, The charge; includes Balelutha, Stirling, Kaitangata, and Owaka.

The Rev. F. B. Meyer was recently in Germany, conducting mission services in Borlin From therb' he was to go to Denmark for similar gatherings in Copenhagen.

Bishop Campbell, of Glasgow and Galloway, has decided not, to accept the Bishopric of Mashoimland. .

Tho death,'after a prolonged illness, took place at the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Edgbaston,- Birmingham, of tho Rev. Henry Ig-natius-Dudley Ryder, D.D., who succeeded Cardinal Newman as Superior of the Oratory. Father Ryder was horn six months prior to tho accession! of Queen Victoria, was' descended from an old Staffordshire family, of which the Earl of Harroway is tho head. For many years ho was associated with John Henry Newman, whom he had followed from tho'-An'glican Church during the Tractarian movement.' After leaving" tho Church of England Mr. Ryder went to Rome, and, on' his.return from Italy, was admitted into the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church by Bishop Vllathorno, of Birmingham. Subseanontly ho became ono of the fathers of the ratoryy imdbr the leadership of Cardinal NcwmanV':who introduced the Order into Birmingham, bis duties being those principally falling' to the' parish priest. ' Dr. Ryder was related, through his mother, to tho late Hishop Wilbe'rforeo, of Winchester,, and to Cardinal Manning. It was understood, at the time of Cardinal Newman's death, that he had left-Father Ryder as his literary executor. No" one, indeed, had been closer to him for many years, or was more intimately in touch with all his ideas.

The Salvation Army celebrated last month tho.'silver wedding of Mr. Bramwell Booth, eldest son of tho General and present Chief of the army's staff. Mr. Booth, who keeps himself somewhat in tho background, preferring to turn the limelight of publicity on his vonorable father, is in close touch with every branch of the Army's work. Mrs! Bi;amwell Booth-r-whp'was a Miss Florence. Soper, daughto'r of Dr. Soper, of Blaina, Monmouth —has for tho past 22 years been in charge of the Women's social operations of tho army. At first, there was a littlo house in Whitcclmpel;- to-day there are under her direct supervision 48 homes, in this country alone, with room for 1.600 women. Mrs. Booth's oldest daughter Catherine (named .after her grandmothor, Mrs .General Booth), is at present captain of the prosperous corps at Walthamstow. . A younger daughter is in tho training homo at Clapton, preparing for similar work, while a third daughter is hoping to take up a share of the women's work.

: Referring to,the late Lord Brampton, who died on October 6, the English ''Tablet" says :-r-"AYith the great Cathedral .of, .Westminster he had the association of. a fbuiider. The chapel-which owes its existence to ( . tho generosity of Lord and Lady Brampton at onco cpuples their unsovered- names, commemorates ; their devotion to . 'tho\,kindrcd points of- Heaven and: Home,' .and carries their influence, as lovers of religion, on into tho heart of unborn generations.'.' Lord Brampton was received into tho Roman Catholic Church after he had passed his eightieth year. Lady Brampton followed him to the gravo this week', leaving £150,000 to Romali Catholic charities.

Considerable interest and somo surpriso wero felt in Rome (says the correspondent of the "Tablet") when it became known that Mgr. Delia Chiesa had been appointed by tho Holy Father to the vacant Archdioceso of Bologna. For many years past it has been regarded as a foregone conclusion 'that ho would bo sont to Spain as successor, to Mgr. Rinaldini, now Cardinal, for tho prolate- practically began his diplomatic career in Madrid as a member of Cardinal Rampplla's nunciature; and when tho Cardinal came-to Rome and becamo Secretary of State to Leo XIII, Mgr. Delia Chiosa entered the' Secretariat with him as minutante. For the'last'ton year;-, ho has held the office of Vice-Secretary, of State, and he is generally regarded-as a: diplomat of very remarkable qualities! _ He will havo mpro than o'no ' opportunity of showing them in his new sphere of work, for much of tho troublo that has obstructed tho social Catholic movement in Italy has arisen in Bologna; and' who was at ono time exceedingly! ttfell disposed towards even tho junior and; (.somewhat turbulent oloment of social-! democracy, had to suffer much during his last year from ;tho factious spirit that often"found, expression in his diocese. An ; evening paper, commenting on the' appointment;' remarks that as tho Archbishopric of Bologna is u cardinality post, Mgr. Delia Chicsa's speedy elevation to tho purple is a certainty. It would bo hotter, however, to say that the now Archbishop will bo elevated. on account of his past or future'.services to the Church, for Bologna and every other diocese have ceased to bo "cardinalitial" under tho Pon.-' tificato of Pius X.f

Dean Lefroy, of Norwich, who entertained tho London : Pressmen at dinner during tho recent Church Congress at Yarmouth, sctarted life as n journalist in Dublin nioro years ago \ than ho cares to recollect. But he does hot forgot his oxperieiices ; :whilst in tho profession, and ho told several.'racy stories 'illustrative of tho enterprise ' and resourcefulness ofvhimself and his colleagues'. Especially exhilarating was his. recital of a good' turn he once did a friend who had an important musical criticism,to prepare, hut who, forgetting the ordinances of the simple life, had supped largely, and fallen into a le\hargic state from which it was impossible to arouse him. "I did the best thing I could under tho circumstances," said tho Dean, "I abstracted tho programme from tho pocket of my friend, and, having a good knowlcdgo of. music, wrote from that a long critique. I was surprised to. hoar that it was spoken of ns ono of tho best criticisms whiclf.had over appeared in tho paper to which it was sent. ■■, .•■'■'

;.. ~;. .. JOTTINGS. ■-:•; -•■--,■ Arrangements are now being madofbr the supply of St. John's pulpit (luring the furlough' bf the Rev. Dr. Gibb, who expects'(o leave for the Old Country about the middle of .February. Most of' the supply, will be provided by ministers from Melbourne, but for two or thrco months the supply will l;e by New Zealand ministers. • The .Wellington District Methodist Synod will commence its session at Napier next Tuesday. Important matters to bo dealt with aro the proposed separation of Thorndon from tho Taranaki .Street circuit, and tho reports on the work of probationers. The goncral impression left behind '\v thf. Anglican Church Congress at Yarmouth, says • tho "Standard," is decidedly'" satisfactory. .The/ 'primary aim', : of '' s theso gatherings" is" to arouso intorest in the Church and its' af : fairs .in tho localities whero they are hold. Certainly'in- Yarmouth'tho local effect was oxcellont—much better, for instanco, than at Norwich, in. tho same diocese, somo years ago. A conforonco held the other week betweou tho'Anglican and Presbyterian ; Cliurchos ;n Victoria on tho subject of union; "came to a unanimous linding in favour of the proposals elaborated by the joint committeo which has been working during tho year. The resolutions aro now being sent forward by tho Anglican Church for consideration by the_ Lambeth Conference, and action in Victoria has been stayed in the meantime. The ".Outlook" states that by, general consent the recent Presbytorion General Assembly at Wellington is the best since the Union. ." It was certainly the hardest on those who took part, as meetings were held every afternoon,'as well as in the forenoon and evening. Facts wero looked in the laco and our failures acknowledged, and statcsmanliko proposals accepted in connection with our Homo and foreign work." From a statement made by tho Rev. Dr. Brown in tho Sydney Methodist DistrictSynod it is evident that there will bo considerable scopo next year for young men in mission work. There will be vacancies in Now Guinea, Now Britain, Fiji, and possibly Samoa. The chairman of tho New Guinea district is retiring after over 30 years of strenuous and successful mission work • tho chairman of the Samoa district is also seeking a transfer to the "Homo"" work; there is the vacancy caused by tho death of tho Rev. C; lileazard, and another by the ill-health of the Rev. C. and Mrs. Dolcy. New Guinea and New Britain are both looking for additional appointments. The Bishop of Worcester is steadily carrying out his intention of making episcopal government in his diocese "constitutional" rather than autocratic. Somo months ago ho appointed a number of his leading clergy

to act as a "senatus." Now ho lias constituted a diocesan house of laymen, which has just met for tho first time. Tho Bishop is impressed with the importance of having the counsels cjf the clergy strengthened by an elective lay body of all ranks, classes, and interests. Ho wants tho laity to "shako themselves out of their nttitndo of benevolence and apathy, and seo that tho Church of their fathers is allowed to increase in usefulness."

A vigorous plan of campaign for noxt year's Bible Class work m the Presbyterian Church is being considered by the committee. The Assembly gave permission at its recent meeting for the appointment of two travelling agents as soon as the necessary funds are available, and it is anticipated that very soon tho committee will bo in a position' to take advantage of this authority.

At a remarkable service held at Yarmouth parish church for "blessing the nets" for the coming herring fishing season, the Bishop of Durham was the officiant. The fishers attended in largo' numbers, many of their nets being hung about tho church, and ono laid heforo the altar. After the recitation of several vorsiclcs and responses, the Bishop offered a prayer for tho blessing of "this net and others'.which it represents." It is stated that the custom is an old one. In one pf tho'East'London churches a plan is being discussed for holding once a year— say at Hogationtide—a somewhat similar service for costermongers.

On the adaptation of Anglican Church services'to "moaern needs," Chancellor Worllcdge at the recent Yarmouth Congress cited a pregnant dictum of Archbishop Benson: "Tho' perpetual endeavour to get lower and lower m order to catch people is based upon a false principle. The only way in which you can catch "people for ctornity is not by going lower, but by lifting them higher in heart and intellect." In an "insanitary area" in Leeds (says tho "Standard") a layman ,who. has worked for 30 years at a mission- phapcl holding 320, but. with a communicant'roll of 500, testifies that ''the Prayerbook has sufficed us all the tiino." In various poor parishes in London the people's part at evensong, with fixed Psalms, simple lessons,' and hymns, printed on cards, seems to meet the needs even of a pioneer mission. So, too, a missioned bears witness to "tho. unique power and hold, of the Prayer r book among the very poorest," and the Archbishop of the YVest Indies is "astonished when ho hears at home that;it is a book which poor people, are/ not ■ able to understand.'' The caso is far otherwise, he declares, in Jamaica. , « .

; Tho' "opening •of a mission on a recent Saturday/night by two members of the Community of tfib Resurrection, Mirficld, Yorkshire, "at All Saints', Clapton,' a High Church", was accompanied by disturbances of a serious kind (says the. "Standard"). The mission began.by.a.processioii round the parisli with a banner' inscribed, "A message from God." During a halt a ' Kensitito preacher,- 'Dr. Martin, interrupted tho vicar to protest against "this abominablo attempt to lead pcoplo to confession." Tho procession moved on, with tho 1 Kcnsitites in the rear, displaying bright coloured posters depicting tho fires of Smithficld and Oxford, and crying, "Down with Popery 1" and "Tho Mirfield monks' have been condemned by tho Archbishop of Canterbury." In reply, to a statement that All Saints' was leading wives and children into tho confessional, a clergyman cried: "You scoundrel, you lying scoundrel," while about the same,time a member of the Church 'of England Men's Society had a heated struggle with a Kensitite, amid the, hoots and jeers of tho crowd. The procession finally completed the circuit of the parish, and tho'.opening meeting of tho mission passed off withput further disturbance;.'. ■••/ ■'' .■■•■••'.,'"'

i : . Dr< Hortbn,. a leading English Congrega-tional-minister,-made a, recent servico ono of intercession for tho purification of the Press. Ho gave thanks for proprietors, editors and writers whose ideals and. motives were high, and prayed that those who wore without any ideal or. money-making might be led'to take'a; Worthier view. The A;ngli;ca'ii Bishop' l of Liverpool, Dr. Cha■vassc; attended by invitation tho opening seosion of the Baptist Union in that city.- Ho stated, amidst' cheers, !that ho was there to assert his belief in the existence of the common Ch'ristiaiiity of ijfhich their prosidont spoke. In the dust .'and turmoil and bitterness of. tho. education controversy ; there had boon a tendency to decry that there .was any such.tiling. He was thcro to affirm that it existed, and it would continue to exist until the Lord Jesus Christ came. It was a mistake, a fatal mistake, to deny the existence of this common Christianity. It had been his lot from childhood to have to deal ■with members of'other churches, and he had always rejoiced to know how much they had in common.. Tho points on which they disagreed might be great, but the points, thank God, on which thoy agreed wcro far. greater.. Reminding tho 'Assembly that Dr. Maclaren a few years ago'had invited them, to recite with him. the Apostles' Creed, the Prosidont (Principal W. J. Hondersbn)-asked the Hi--.shop to lead them.in a similar recital. The Bishon did so, the Assembly standing as it repeated the clauses with him.'"