STUDENTS' CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 85, 3 January 1908, Page 8

STUDENTS' CONFERENCE

y if' ' r . . INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESSES. . THE'AMALGAMATION QUESTION. 'During .■•••the- first half hour ofthj) proceedings of tho i Students' Christian Union Conference • on---Wednesday, the discussion concerning the amalgamation of the Y.M.C.A. and the ,A.S,C.U. was continued.- The general .feeling'.of tho coiiforonco was' against umoiu It was argued .that the,;;students ,would -'do-.bettor work .;when theiraffairs' were managed ...by ..thomsplyfis. Nothing but tho 'jory .bost of ,good ■ fcoling (tbwni-ds and'this greatest Vsympathy.-with-'the Y.M.C..A.' Was ..expressed'^'bnt : '4till. it was fdlt'tliat' union',''at 1 the presenttjtM.a't least, would .not: bo wiso . ; MISSIONS IN CHINA. . -'• -The-next half hour, was occupied with;,an ( 'iddreS3V.by''M!SS'.irraser,. l a, : .rnissio!iary;'of the phuroh;" pf 'Scotland jin ■ China. In tho' .first place," "taking'Tchaiig /as ,a 4 typical Chinese Icityi"-jMiss 1 ' gave.'a; description of jth'o tjnyn,l..' The-'tbings J which, 'Xs . a -European, 'struck i'ljdr vrer.e.' ' 'of ; the : kreets;;the.{a6s*enco.pf windows in'-flie'bouses, 'and Sthe terrible; stench.; ' Iji ;tho ;streets were ,'iJoz«n"S :deforiaity ''hope; of exciting' tho- pity of ; the pi ssers-by.' •«One remar.kablo'fact 1 was that 'dfispita-Hhe insanitary of'the towriitherfc" was»no': typhoid; f over: among the Tho 'riiethod : adopted "tb . children of which ? was''.very prevalent, 'was ,to : tie ~'a.- on each child's' - Turning" .to missionary,' work, ■Miss. -Fraseflsai'd.' qho believed' that it would .be:\bettcr;.to;;liegift' with 'educational . rather than' with" evangelistic .work. .' . It' was -from the "Chinesethemselves that,.' tho "..future . preachers ■ ot the' Gospel '.must icome,* and these •noriia'-'niot -1)6 obtained .'till' they.had the'children t&ught in .Christian' schools'; /- Medical •missionaries,' also,: were - needed, tho 'Chinese boijig, extremely -ignorant ;.on;-- all niat'ters'relating'.td'medicine. MISSIONARY'SETTLEMENTS. .-' V 'k- short' ! timc 'was ' devoted to a consideration of \'tho : Missionary settlements, for University 1 women; Miss. S.treiff ;gav.e an historical account;of;the two settlements in India, at Bbmbay:-and. tho'edtkehat' Madras. . road a paper on 'the work which University women were .dqing at tho settlements. .-.Miss Dalkston followed , with an account of the Parsee, in l whom" the mis-sionaTies-;were-"specinllyinterested. < Miss Jackson arid Miss : Gibbes'bpth r ' read extracts ■frora.rtho'letters of the • New Zealand; missionary,.' Miss Griffiths, in which somo account of : tho-work- which"; aho was doing. • , •;'VADDRESS "BY R*EV. ,T. H.. SPROTT.; ■, At.11:30 a.m.'on'"Wednesday .thp. Rev. T. H.\ Spro'tt delivered an 'address.'-'upon, the subject ? of f 'Prayer.", He'stated:.at .the outset, that 'IS' proposed to'deal .'With' the subject from'the apologetic standpoint, and .to' : . endeavour ,to justify the Christian .attitu.de towards paiyir. The first' '■ ■ pbiiit' 'to; which the-- speaker-;, referred was tho . ques- ' '""prayer , ,wa?„, a natural instinct,,or an acquired,habit'',of'.the;human race^-a-'question ,■ of grpifi: because upon its- answer , : wpuld; >( to a, large ext eht'.'ddperid the validity of 'prayer. •If.'prayef was, an instinctive, impulse ,o| four. nature might besure ,' that',there ■ yould; exist .- for; .it itsvowii'lrfoper- satisfaction: Vlf, ;4"- tho .other hand,/.itvwaS."an; '{acquired''habit, 'have'■no"-suclt''guarantee..,.V ; Asvfar tho , speaker dould see, ,there was 1 no' .evidence -that it was an artificial habit, and all the evidence pointed' to"-its'- instinctive, origin. It was found as a characteristic of all ages and all religions; ' Then, too,. the impulse to pray dairio' 1 hi tho manner of-an instinct. It was so like instinct as to require considerable ,effpi;t^tp.repress 'it,;, especially under conditions such as those,of danger and sorrow, 111 which' to' common experience, it ; cbtistarit}£ b "lt 'acted automatically, like the'instinct .of self-preservation.' One might.-have supposed that people would have accepted-,this as they did all the 'other instincts of_theiV nature,' using the in.telje'ct oiily to gTiidp. its exorcise, and not to ■explain. it away/'• In 'the case, of the instinct of'sclf-presoryation, they, only sought to direct' it into > its proper channel, not to subject it to iii&llcctual ' Pe fact that men found tho inviolable laws .of naturo ruling everywhere'often caused them to jump to the cohclusions that prayer iriyplved a violation of' thpsVlaws; and was,'therefore, fruit-; jess,,-But the . progress of^i^jj^\spijra i (se*'.j^B (: . 'iliowmg : 'how j.'by ■ huinble'' inSSiisf ' law's- ■ ',d ■ man,: arid if ■man Was to ex6rcisp-'contror over them, it was illogioalvto/deny^ari'.even greater . power to God! Surdly it was natural that the laws governiiig .fclio'forces.of. ilaturo.'should bp . inviolable, for otherwise th'ere"'c.piil3 riot be • placed upon;.th'B'rii> vthat .rcliancp, which rpii-' derqif: th'crii - jpl a ii' iiflp-,6'f Wan. It wiis'.lii'.nPticeablo-.trait, of, .that'-mpri .were .far to .listen' to aHd'tnlievo * H * eqiia:Hj ; '. ,i deserving, who' prMpift.efl Vrip 'requeSt. GoiiipiiajlCp' petition' was. fcjosely,. cpnnectdd with'ithp"'trust"; whiqh, to ; a greater .tho person'.,to'' whgiii; She if as' • a 4: a 'pareift' : Wdul(l pftferi wa? hot' inconsistent 'with'f •thij'-niost 'loving desiro..for'thp'child's good.; really admrred'.ih+Su.ch7:.d.,.casp ivgs reliictarico Not all tho'se'^lip: deniisd/th'c' possjbjb ty;Bj('answer'fo .j|rayOT'-KM" ; pray/'. p'r ' any value' l to' it^ !: 'Tt'.w'as-.a' view held by 'many .'that .gt ,least/praye?.;actcd beneficially upon but this in which ..the suj^ 'plia^t?s'I f pHvri,;;ipdral"jc{iaract^ natural effect of suclv prayer' tp p_iit' the mind iii'tb th'o very 'stat'e ]ii, wliicli ii' t desired "tp"lio. AV.regartl's 'S'j?*' gested that it'should 'be "practisdH bccausp! it irdiil : d. bo a. good training .B.uVtp approach the matfte'r jji that'; way was t i s ,; 'turn a' discipline of unspjfishiicss. into . a discipline.of.intense selfishness::,'"•''But-prayer which. was, only' petntion wi>s : not) the only, or. ;eveii;,thpi.iest : _kiiid„;o'f. pf,ayer.:;[';llpn camp, iiq'r'e and. more to sep that thing 'was' that the wise, ancl .loving ..will ' of Go'd ; should bo.'done.' jri .its' widest definition was a living fellowslyp'' b.etweq'n' fiian "and /God:'. 'I'V, that 1 rfeliiticlnship two things 'wore'.essential.: 'First' j;he';act'of doing the M-ill• of God' in daily!..life,' and' secondly' a personal; relation towards HiA. ' Tho.'speaker concludetliwitli a-veryi^lii'cid','statciiient of:the nature of the ovidorice upori:,wh'ich';tho human reasoning* faculty acts: It'wpuM: be 'observed that tho oiilv forms of humgn.' knowledge, at•;tpn.de{V'by::abspliite certainty were. tho ( se conwith ."the "law's of '.mathematics and .their';application to "science; arid "the quari•.'tities concirriingiwhich'this certainty was obtained wero pui'oly the creation., of tho humaii 'iriindi ; In all other branches of knowledge'man acted upon.probability arrived-at as tho result : ,of eixperienco. -' Prayer was'in this" letter category," and it was by experiment and experienco alone- that men' could acquire a true knowledge of; it and a true conception of its power. ... i ' • ADDRESS BY'REV. - On. Wednesday, evening .tlje'J{,ey. W.. D. M'Laren,' M.'A.j gayq. a stiiring address oil Jesus,.Christ, dmphiisis*ing'His..Lprdsh.ip.;',Aftcr:.cxplamih'g tho prcrscnt and past meanings' of'tha'wprd lordship, he urged that while completd surrender. to hliman" v mS'stery was unreasoriablo, those who bad become tho voluntary slaved:'of Christ had acted reasonably becijuso Ho,, uriliko others) was infallible, unchanging, over faithful.' * tWeii iny 'savo Christ ca'mo. between man'.and' God ho "was a hindfanco to truo communion, but Christ was" a"'helper and mediator.' ' Christ 'also claimed ;to be not merely 'a great " teacher but <J-Master and Lord. , ;• ''. . . . CALL TO THE HOME ■ MINISTRY. Yestenlay morning tho' Rev.-A; L; Hansell, of KaroVi, gave "An address on the call to tho Home Ministry. The speaker began by saying'that'when once .wo had accepted that God was the Ruler of-the universe,' and that therefore there was purpose in the univcrsb, it , was only reasonable. to conclude : that' for each man—since man : was the'-crownircr.'jvork

of creation—there was, a purpose. It was therefore of no ! small ■; importance that we Should; miss cur .vocation in ;life.\ ;He didtnot jrish-.-fo 'be- dogmatic .or 'dictate in :;any way to . others what they should do with; their lives,. but he-especially wished to ''points out that • the work, of the' ministry- v woiild . give .full ikcope -to alltheir - varied abilities, , ■and i .that. ; in ; that work thoy-cpuld ;use their, powers J to'avgreater dxtont and .to-greater purpose ' 'than in. othor But' let there be no mistake, -for should ii : 1 of theaninistry. against .this "will vhis ilife .would bsVdrudgery, and.do mora harm than.good.' The ,bpst\^o.rker. iii, tlio mLnistry iuyst .havo enthusiasm'; he must - enter, as though .;impelled to the work, as' though he .must do it.: It was not enouglf to sayi that they believed in Jesus Christ; they'must. hayoirqal oxperU enpo ;of ,His:power and influence,:' and .to' such as: truly.believed-;' and'- trusted' vCfirSt' therp could'bo no moro glorious work .thari;.to -servo the- Master,-;npr; onCenteringithe jirjinistfy should they' think'that; they;wcro going to lead. an; easy'life.; \ They.■ must be.\'prepa.rp'<i to labour,', aind: enter -the missionary ;fie_ld,. for as .he that joins, the army- of ..tho King does - nqt do so ,on that he shall .never.; bb sent to .the 'front;'>sa'he - that joins ,-tfto army; of the Church inpst not shirk the missionary, field if his call lies that way. The speaker closed' with .an . earnest appeal for, all; to .ooimdw ; ministry. / - 4ND CHRISTIAN- LIFB. : ; ;RoV. '. j. ' R." Glasson delivered an ■ address on' , Tuesday ' ' evening on Thp Scripture-and, Christian , Life/' He stated that, one of the'.most hopeful signs- of tha times was ;; the renewed interest;.taken'in Bible' study. Such ; a-renewed interest Resulted' ' always - in; a . widespread spiritual awakening.: lii our-own day the result Higher-- Criticism was,that the attitude of ,t}ie educated , mind towards., the; Scriptures; had undergone ' a complete' revolution; 'Our fathers' view, was-not :oiir. view,, ;but. tho gain more" than counterbalanced the' loss'.' The greatest.;eriemies of the'. Bible were, those antagonistic to the "'Higher Griticisin.f' The educated young people'of the r present day •wore' not ; by■•'* the 'Church fear-, lessly, to. lnvestigatei tho,,Bible.!The .'.Church was, therefore, ' often a hindrance 'to! faith, ,aiid .the'result was that-it had'.to.a/la'rge :es> tent, lost' tho.'support of the thinking' Tho -Church, had nothing to;.fear ;bu t much to hopo . forV; from- a '• criticism. of' tlie Word of God. The reaU nature bf. tho , Bible must be; tested. by. its power to.create.'spiritual .life/ .'but', its' spiritual "treasures'.'must always -be acquired by personal conquest. ' The 'first, -tiling; todo ;was to-'obtain a,.clean and intelligible; idea of ; the nature and design of " the 'Scriptures.: The Bible was not a handbook of history. Its aim was :to impart 1 spiritual ; truth, not' natural knowledge. The biblical writers were not in advance, of their age- in-knowledge'of this kind.': The. same was true in regard "to. history. .-The >Biblo was nbt. an" historical text book. ;There were gaps in the history-of the ■jews :which. could not : b'e filled^.up -from the Bible, and some parts of the Scriptural :narratiyo;■' could- not -.<bb • accounted for: iii actual history., , \Vo'■ must' not regard' the.'historical facts as facts', but have regard: to the .spiritual truths which they-embodied. The primary .object of the Bible was - to. - .appeal to man's,:Higher,';life;' It i-.was.- that '.wHicH distinguished liim from /the lower''creation. 'The moral i'spirit'- of. the' -different books: of 'the fiible'iwas always in-advarico'of tHe people of their l 'day/- and"; all.' parts- of -th'e • Bible, -.wore tber.efpre not of equal ethical value. Tljb'Biblb was not last year S: almanac, but a messag.o sent, to each; individual soul. It. was a spiritual r.evelatipn- which;, had .Christ , f.or.'.jts sum and substance; "We.-must .remember that literalism • strangled . the'' life';.,pf ;.tlip' ,Biblo. The criticism": was. - hpither'.' nor literal^', -bu't'';ovangb!ical; ..'iWe' 'in.ilst not-look for tf 'iiew Bible, but fbr new light in the old Bible; nor, for a, new- Christ, .but for larger visions of the old Christ. The camp broke up yesterday.