JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 10

JOTTINGS.

When General Booth bade farewell to tho American people, fully 5000 people, crowded into tho City Hall Park, NewYork, to hear his last speech, delivered from tho steps of tho City Hall, and roared out through two megaphones by two stronglunged Salvation officers. The generalls tireless brain is now occupied with a huge scheme for colonising South Africa—"the greatest colonisation scheme," lie says; "that tho world has known since Moses led tho Israelites out of Egypt." : "This is my new life-work," adds the modern Moses. - The general contemplates a visit to South Africa early liext year. It is an N open secret that' tho' Chartered Company has' already mado largo concessions to him in Rhodesia for colonisation purposes. • ; Four hundred representatives of- worldwide Congregationalism will the International Congregational Council "to be held in Edinburgh (Juno 30-Jnly 10). '. 'The programme of the Council is fully drafted, but it will not be complete until .wel!. r into this year, The delegates will comprise. .150 each from America and Great Britain, and 100 from the British Colonies.

In view of tho Bishop of Newcastle's refusal to liccnsc tho ! Holy Spirit Mission iir Nowcastlo, owing to alleged ritualistic practices, 19 out of 25 incumbents in tho city havo sent to his lordship a declaration of protest, stating that they aro unablo to accept- tho validity, of the decisions of tho Judicial Committee of tho Privy Council with regard to matters of the Church of England. Tliey say:—"We bcliovo that this position is entirely consistent with a loyal acceptance of tho royal supremacy, and with tho solemnly made by us at our ordination." They also suggest that tho pre,sont moment is inopportuno for asking, for tho first tTrao in tho history of tho diocese, obodicnco to Privy Council judgments as sticli, inasmuch as His Majesty has jssued "letters of business" to Convocation's instructing thorn to report on the rubric.

At a meeting of tho Association of Lay Helpers'for tho Diocese of London last month, Dr. Fry said that there' wcro- those who dreamed that tho great thank-offering of tho Pan-Anglican Congress, to bo held in London next Juno, which would flow in from tho wliolo ■ Anglican communion, would amount to £3.000,000: the most faint-hearted wcro certain that it would reach £1,000,000; The manner of the distribution -of this money would be decided by a committeo of bishops and laity.'

As tho legislation of tho last Australasian Metlic'liat General Conference in regard to

tho of.-. Church mem». > bers now, comes- ; into'.operation- (says the y • i i "Methodist"), it is desirable;, that ita':pio-, . visions.; should bo clcarty. understood, 'i'tie ; ; pui-pose-W .the'legislation'rtis .'twofold ;—(L) j' ■ Tho representation of members in tho church&.r'WM| .courts; :,(B}j tho enlargement: oh and quarterly , meetings. Under tho law a . *; j soeioty meoting of Church members was'to be • ■ ■". J • held as. early, as passible aftdr ;tho JDecembori quarterly, mooting, - .'lho,; meeting : istobo-- i essentially, devotional m'character.;;:-,' At,this-,,r r-1 meeting! members areito bo.:.;nqmiivated andi->a-: , -j; elected as. representatives 16' the ld£dors'. ; and '«- ' I quarterly-meetings.'. - yEaeb- society :may,elect?;,"i ono 'representative- for overy 50 members or { fraction, of that number included on its roll. • j Thus a soeioty. of .-from meinbtfra, ii --: v.j may olect two representatives; of from 101 i to 150 threoj. and so forth. 1 : Tho elections- ~. . •; must bo.by ballot; -Tho-'worliing of tho law i, | will entail a good deal of eitra norlr upon, suponntondents, and it- is hoped that tho results ■ will justify, tho: new .departure. ,- It. is a reooguition of popular rights, and should ;,. V ; deepen ■ tlio';interest of Church meiiibers ,-m all matters pertaining-to the govcrbm'eni of their Church.. ~ : ..' Sir'Albert.Spicer, Con-, ' gregationalist in/England,^'has ftjust-yspent ■ten -weeks m SouthiAfj'ifta. ••.vAs'.avmtember-v,;. ~, . of tho Advisory iCommUteof.-to ■ tho Army,;,/, Council: on' the spiritual and ■ moral welfare ~ • ■of tho Army,"he; s xisited -the British.;mihtary .i:.;.. camps, and as an nptivo LomJon Missionary ' ,; Society, worker'lio- saw, sjme of the Work . . named on- by that.,society., .:;In..tho coarse of an intervioW;on;his return, Sir' Albert said,; that in-travelling inrSouth,Africa-one oame, s v m contact with.."'tho ■ "But;"-ho' added,M'l am l 'bbund to say. that , • I! also mot a' nluch largorf number' of busi- .-f - tomed td;^'meet.in !this''cpuiitry",in■ year's.gqnoV|! - ' who : recognisb -thai.Jthp;.natiyo:.pf:South',i:;;-!,;-: •Africa is ono of -its 'economic factors,, and ■must 'developed! without-'. him;;,vi';-.He, |is,^of"'.coiirs^f;;'-.f. : ■,'-; v 'at tho. present .timo.in;.a9stato ;'of .transition. ; , • Somo!;of the natives ;.alrea'(ly. have growninto.!:havp onlv-taken on a .of.;education - 'arid biit'l 'sm :aro increasing- in. number., in South^Africa; who rcaliso.that evorything-.done , .. nativo to bccomo a . utefiili man ("fandigood ;, . ioitizen : ;is/;worthy',of: al!: : ;praise;; ; r l; sayi-tM8v,; : ;;; j ; not apart.froni. ' 'but l -till!-addition :to,our. : /'the, Goa»' pel to eieiy cieitmo' , Tho'task- of-'collccting-ia'million farthjnga?'-i;.=-was'undertaken some time agooby a,lady. at,;-. . ;Hifring^,v>ipM^arid,'+!fcho''<ftW(^trbe^!'. ; fprs!M'''y.;.. ■! tho .benefit; of-St: ,!l' , aul's';'-'Oh ; urolt-'in that'? ■■ neighbourhood. -A: haaaar-.'.'for* the.,:, same.;.! • church was opened Isto last year, and m coili -ncction therewith it-was stated.thal the lady ■ 'was in sight of: tho half_ million which'she . ; • , 1 hoped to reach by. tho"end of the year.- ' Then sho. would cominen9e, the second',half . million;' Tvfo. ladies, .at: Eiifieldj : . > have determined ■ to. follow-■ her ,;pxample, . ; and liavo each similartask frir : , :-. " ; ono of Y■ ; ;! [ ' 1 'Dr.' Griflith 'John-has -.retuifiied «to- Cluna. .., A- year and* a'half's-.rest.'kt Hiis. yder-'son's! ' < house on tho; banks of , the' Hudson' River, ■..■-.; United States, has done much;tb restore ; Dr. , t John's health.v • Just-'before'.leavilig. -Yon- ■ ■

kers a deputation of;'aboutr 20;' gentlemen representing 1 ' forfeign" • missionary boards of American 1 l'ro.testarit .Churches waited [-upon ,- Dr.: joli'n : to :^vish'' him' Godspeed '.ori'- his dpproaching r'cturri to Hankow, and' to: present' an address, to the veteran;•. whpse praise as ovangclist,brganiseri', tcacher, rauthorji, 'and; ,trans)'atdr':is in . all ■ the ChurchesV . Dr. 'John in replyiiigi declared. himself-'incurably. ,; hop<y!'; ful as to .China's,"future,' and 1 expressed him-!; ' self as sure that {"old Carlyle would'.nbt'hfvai been ! sucli. a 1 pessimist if he had.'beeii ! a"missionarj'' and China :'aiid;se6h'"what I .. ■have .seen:" . . ; ;'' . One of the .speakers; at: the, Ripon Dioco san Conference •in .England' said recently, that-the ordinary pabulum served ;to Sunday school children ■ was -f. ".the most :'childish' , piffle," and the Conference adopted a resolution favouring the anointment of two masters of method to'iiistruct' Sunday school ' teachers. how-to do their .work... A ifeproscntative of the ."Tribune" ■ subsequently,'l sought.jthe vi.Q\vs of some i.of' sible for .well-known, ' sations.He x Williams Butcher,, secretary .'of ■ tfio. Sunday School ..Union':.'., \ '.'It 1 is,'; unfortunately , true, as-' Sir- George Smithrecently * saidy' \ observed. Mr; Butcher,- " that ' the cultured . and educated people of , our' Church have... come to .'regard the Sunday- school 'as;.'a sphere for youth aiid inexperience,, afld' ;to,treat' it as if it were'the-lo3st. 4 importaht .ofc'j the Church's operations'.. The "future of ; the;v Church ais .a .factor.;of, our life,'no- • I. less. than. the.moral 'future'of'the nation, itr,.' self, depends, on tho' ; .Church 'dedicating' to this service .the best 'of.; its ■ talent;.'''; The;,aay ' has gone by .when -any: sort "of. building, will do for' 'al Sunday school.'' We are', hoping to be able..to appoint lecturers who will visit,; different 'centres arid givij demonstration.,, lessons.. We' , v «y?J7V' month,' which .are much used, in many.'cir-. cuits,. and there .are preparation the 'teachers don't attend thfem.:" 'From'..a", country, school recently a young* man 'wrote ;, to me and,said:—' How am.l;to: teach them? .' Nobody,, is able' to' keep' oy'der,'.'and'.out; of,, the whole: staff only threo attempt t.oldb any . teaching. '. The rest read, stbryrbopks,..' , That, unfortunately, is, not an isjplatedrcase."

At - tiro- City-Templo recently,the Rov.-.-R. > J.. CampbelL.said .that :ha ; bad been asked ,■ raoro .than. once ;Lf }hQ hadiiany belief.• in .• personal, immortality;/.', at . -allf,~ ; "Let> me;.* hasten-, to assure you,";:he ' declared, '.'not ; only .-that, I. believe in personal immortality,, but that it; forms, a -basis-, ofcone's earnest«; desire t0.590.A0 Kingdom ; of s God .realised j on. earth."-,-,- .If .a .-man lived' ignorant:;and degraded' here,- ignorant and-degraded'> h« . would begin.on t-ho other, side.of,.tho grave. ■; If wise and noble, iviso and-noble would be : begin.. Tho principal reason ho.-' had.-.for-. preaching tho Kingdom of, God on earth-.wa*-; that every human .being ws immortal, r..an4', that the-, kingdom must begin, somewhere; V-\