STUDENTS' CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 82, 31 December 1907, Page 6

STUDENTS' CONFERENCE.

'•' ■...;' V|'> —- FURTHER PROCEEDINGS. The . Students', summer . ■ conference was continued .yesterday at Trenthatn. The morning, session opened with a study of Mohammedanism.' Mr. D. M. Lyall introduced tho • study, speaking on tho need and value of,mission study among students, who, he said, had no right to decide to stay at home till, they'had studied tho needs of foreign fields. . • , Papers were read by four students. Mr. D. S.. Smith.gave a concise account of the lifo, times and' teaching' of Mohammed, and of tljo rapid advance of tho'new religion to India-and Spain.' "Mr. H: E.' Evans pointed out tho strong and : weak points of Mohammedanism. Miss:Stricff spoko of the sufferings of women. under Islamism, arid Miss Fraser .on practical work among Mohammedan women, in Ichang, China. Mr. W. Pottit. summarised tho strong points of tho religion. ' > . ■ Tno second hour was occupied in a discussion upon tho relation between tho Y.M.C.A. and -'-''the Australian Student Christian's Union. In opening tho-subject Mr. H. N. Holmes, secretary of'the Wellington branch of the Y.M.C.A., , strongly advocated a union of-the two associations, but it was felt that the time was not yet ripe for such a movement.. Tho hour beforo the lunch adjournment was spent in hearing a very able and inspiring paper by tho Rev. J. D. Russell, of Petone, on'" Lessons'from'tho Lives of Great Missionaries." Tho speaker's first point was tho definition of a great missionary. There were some, liko Livingstone in Africa, who had spent many-years-in arduous work amid difficult conditions, while othors, liko Henry Martyn in India, had boon out off beforo their work • was" well begun. All, however,wero worthy'of honour who, for noblo reason, had given thcmsclvos to tho work of ' tho foreign fiold. God measured life by love, and not by length of days. _ Again, as in the caso of tho Apostles, missionaries were chosen from many different spheres of work, but tho largest number had boon drawn from tho ranks of university students. Tho importance of tho work was so great that tho most capable men«and women in tho universities wero needed, and, in the roll of missionary heroes wero ,tho names, of distinguished .students. Further, thero was to ho noted tho reality. of tho martyr .spirit of self; sacrifice. Tho.powor of love for Christ raised men-and women to a pinnacle of heroism. Tho speakor illustrated thi3. point by oxamplos. Mr. Russell; in concluding liis address, quoted what ominent men havo said about missionaries. Canon Liddon called thom "tho moral aristocracy of. tho world." : Tho Rev. J- J. North gave an address last evening on "The fuller realisation of Christian ideals in our religious, social, anil public Ufa-"- . ... ."., .',...■