RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 253, 18 July 1908, Page 12

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

1 MANCHESTER DIOCESAN MISSIONARY DAY. SPEECH BY BISHOP NELIGAN. For the third time tho Bishop of Manchester recently gathered together many of his clergy and femalo laity for a Day of Prayor and Conference in connection with tho missionary work of the Church. The first time it was at Whalley, twelve months ago at Manchester, and this year at Preston. Tho day began with tho Holy Communion, followed by a special' service in which several prayors and thanksgivings for missions wore introduced. Tho preacher was tho Bishop of Perth, Western Australia, who, as former Vicar of St. Paul's, was greeted by many former friends in tho street crowd. Taking as his toxt Isiali xi. 12, he preached a homely sermon on tho duty of keeping the flag flying in the religious sense. In thoafternoon a Conference assembled in a hugo tent in Ashton Park. The Bishop presided, and the Bishops of Perth and Keewatin spoko. Both Bishops gave touching accounts of tho keenness of their scattered llocks to attend tho ministrations of tho Church when tlioy wero provided for them. One catechist travelled 200 miles each way on snow and sea-ice to mako his Communion, and twenty to sixty miles was not an uncommon distanco for the Christian Indians to traverse. ' Household prayer in tho Hudson's Bay area was practically universal, and most of the Eskimo were now Christians. The Bishop of Perth touched tho chord of Lancashire humour by telling his audience that when lie arrived the Rector was preaching from the words, " When they saw Him they besought Him to depart out of their coasts." He gave a remarkable account of the new goldfields region of Kalgoorlie. Thero was a large evening meeting for Prestonians in tho Guildhall, presided over by Bishop Welldon (Dean of Manchester),' who, referring to "religious animosities" at Home just now, testified that in presenco of the heathen the difference between ono Christian, body and another tended to disappear. In faco of the awakening of the East the future of the whole world depended upon tho forco of Christianity being powerful enough to mako a bridge of peace and progress with the West. The Bishop of Auckland claimed- that tho Anglican Communion stood for tho principle of giving tho fullest, freest, most permanent, most splendid and honourable expression of the na--. tional life of any nation in tho world. Ho spoko of tho oncoming nations over the seas. "Colony" was now a misnomer. What was wanted was to begin '.o spell. "Empire" fn terms of Christianity. The "second-rater" packed off from..England was doing harm to tho Empire. The -religion of tho white man in tho British Empire was tho biggest question of missionary interest to-day.. Hence tho need of getting back tho Bible into the State schools of these young nations. They had seen the evil effect of secularism after thirty years of it in tho schools. If tho security of the Empire rested upon religion, tho security of religion in national lifo depended on it being a familiar eupcrienco m the lives of the children of tho nation. The Bishop of Pertli in his speech said that in Western Australia the denominations had the right of entry to teach the children at' the wishes of their parents, and this wish wns universal. But in a neighbouring Stato the Name of Jesus Christ had been cut out of every school-hook supplied. PROSPEROUS MISSION WORK. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SOCIETY. , Years have. elapsed since tho annual report, as a whole, of the British and Foreign Biblo Society jiresented so many cheering features as . that just issued. Three additions have been made to tho Society's long list of scriptural translations, and there aro, now 412 different languages in which it has promoted the translating, printing, or distribution of at least somo part of the Bible. At.the present time the Society has in hand versions or revisions of tho Scriptures needed for. their Work by' forty dilferont missionary organisations. These missions represent nearly all the communions of Re-, formed Christendom—not only in Great Brit-' ain and -her' colonies, but in France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the United States. The year's issues now to be reported amount altogether to , 5,688,381 volumes, being 272,000 copies above the output in the previous year. Of tho Centenary Fund about £100,000 will be spfent in securing sites, depots, or other premises for the Socioty at important centres, mainly in the East. These centres include Shanghai, Hankow, Tientsin, Canton, Nowchang, Kobe, Seoul, Singapore, Rangoon, Colombo, Madras,. Lahore,_ Simla, Capetown, and Johannesburg. Considerable sums have also been votod for new versions and editions of tho Scriptures, and for extended colportage in South America and in tho Far East. The total payments from the general fund for the past year havo been £226,493. This is an increase of £-4884 over the total of tho previous year, but it still falls nearly £12,000 below the expenditure in 1905-6, and nearly £27,000 below that of 1904-5. Tho committco have spent- £100,187 m producing editions of the Scriptures. This item is £2762 more 1 than in 1906-7, but it still stands £15,000 below, the corresponding figure for 1904-5. On the other hand, the general fund receipts last year roso to £239,550 —a growth of £6642 over tho figures for 19067. Among tho free contributions from auxiliaries aro mentioned £1270 from Africa, " tho splendid sum of £1800 from New Zealand," a greatly increased contribution of £3633 from Australia, and no less than £5140 from Canada. Tho total free contributions aro £5778 above what they were .two years ago. Indeed, they have only once stood higher. , CHRISTIAN UNITY. Tho Bishop of Connecticut (Protestant Episcopal) recently asked tho clergy of his Diocese to como together to listen to an address from the Rev. Dr. Newman Smyth. This ominont Congregational divino, well known for his ethical and theological writings, in retiring lately from tho activo ministry, gave utterance to his ■ conviction that Protestantism was, passing away, and that a new Catholicism was rising, aud- lio expressed the liopo that the appearance _ of ( Modornism within tho Roman Communion might indicate that a preparation was making for some groat advance towards Christian unity, suggesting also that the Anglican Church would be able to exercise no little influence in'the matter. Bishop Browster, referring to what Dr. Smyth had thus said, invited him to prepare a paper on tho servico which ho thought tho Anglican Communion might render in tho matter; and it was to hear this paper that he invitod thoso of his clergy who could easily como together.It noed not be said that tho essay—for such it was —was scholarly and earnest.' It suggested that tho Anglican Church might grant to thoso of Presbyterian Ordination a hypothetical, or supplementary, or confirmatory Ordination, such as Archbishop Bramliall administered and such as Bishop CharlesWordsworth wished authority to bestow. The Bishop spoko earnestly as to the serious importance of tho questions raised in tho address, There was no discussion, only a Divinity Professor from tho Bishop's own School of Theology and a Professor of History from Yale University acknowledging tho cdurtesy of the speaker and tho Chairman. A GREAT PRESBYTERIAN. DEATH OF PRINCIPAL HUTTON. Tho Scottish Assemblies havo not for somo years passed without leaving somo melancholy ovent to record. Tho Assembly of 1908 will bo momorablo in the history of the United Free Church for tho almost tragic occurrence of tho death of Principal Hutton. Thus passes another stalwart—mentally, if not physically—of the denomination. Tho Principal wns well known to tho ecclesiastical world as tho uncompromising and redoubtable champion of Disestablishment. To tho end ho never wavered in his opposition to the principle which embodies a working connection between Church and Stato. Within a day or two of his death ho mado his last public deliverance on the old familiar topic, and it now seems appropriate,

in view of his life-long contention, tliafc oa that occasion ho should havo summed up and so closed the debate of which in former years ho was invariably the opener. Even subsequently to his last public appearance, however, ho upheld the same policy of opposition, and was quita anxious that a reply to tho overtures of the Church of Scotland upon • co-operation should he answered at once and in tho negative. An ecclesiastical statesman (says the "Christian World") he could not bo called, but hia manifest integrity of motivo,and the unalterable strength of his convictions made him a polemist 1 of tho first rank. In this respcct he has loft no successor in the Church ho served so long and faithfully. Dr. Hutton was Principal of tho TJ.P. College from 1892 until 1900. As a minister, Canal Street Church, I'aisloy, was his one and only charge, and ho held it for fifty-seven years. There is somo pathos in the fact that a colleague and successor had just been appointed and all arrangements .made for his induction. Tho lato Principal was cighty-threo years of age. ■' EVANGELISING LONDON. NEW SCHEME FOR A GREAT WORK. With the. object of considering fresh plans for ' evangelising London, Mr. D. Cooper Appleby presided on Juno 1 over a conference of workers of all religious denominations, held at the' Mends- Meeting House, Bishopsfcate. .. .. Mr. W, R. Lane, an evangelist of the National Free Church Council, said that London, with its vast and ever-growing population and its awful spiritual needß, was simply bewildering, and ,the thought of evangelising it as a whole seemed to him utterly impracticable. Tho Torry-Aloxander mission was the strongest organised movement to reach' London with the Gospel; which this •generation, had scon., but there was a widespread feelingithat the abiding results of tho mission were seriously inadequate to the enormous outlay of labour and money. This, involved no reflection on anybody. ■ The question was one of - methods, not mon. There was a general feeling that there should bo a solemn council of war in tho presenco of their great commander as to their fnture methods of carrying out _ their inarphing orders.' He suggested the division of London into "areas," each' divided in ten ■ "districts," in which missions should be held simultaneously. Existing buildings should be utilised. The movement should bo m the reai sense catholic and inter-denoffiiii&tlXHial, and should seek in the spirit of true comradeship to'get into touch with every Christian worker of whatever name. They wanted open-air l ajid house-to-house, evangelising. It was/not the : big preacher who would be wanted so much as earnest men and women in or out of the 'ministry. Tho greatest difficulty would be that of finance. He felt it to bo almost vital that the Gospel in many of ■. tho districts should be offered The Rev. Russell Webster urged that the evangelists should be natives, and not from Amorica and other places. They wanted men who were known to have no financial interest. . '■ ■■ " The Chairman explained that_ the meeting was only for tho purpose of ventilating views, qnd that it was not proposed to do anything definite that afternoon. JOTTINGS. It is officially announced that the Rev. John M'Noill has conditionally accepted the pastorate of Christ • Church, Westminster Bridge Road, rendered vacant by the retirement of tho Rev. F. B. Meyer. The conditions of the appointment that Mr. M'Noill will undertake the duties of the pastorate for twelve months, from the first Sunday in SeptemberV next, without auy binding agreement on either side. If, at theend of tho twelvo months, there should bo a mutual desire that he continues in the pastorate, ho will then accept it as 3. permanent arrangement. The appointment (states a London paper) is therefore of the nature of an experiment. Mr. M'Noill is well advised in making tho arrangement tentative. His _ experiences at Regent-square havo made him suy of' an fxtended pastorate. His peculiar genius lies in evangelism rather than in the raoro restricted sphere of a settled njinistry. It is truo Westminster Bridge Road is not 6quare, and tho congregations are ontii'ely 'different. Whether Mr. M'Neill will be übJe to take up the threads dropped by Mr. Meyer remains to be seen. ■ If not, lie. will be übie to strike out on a lino of his own. It is understood. that tho Pope has drawn up a universal Encyclical recommending a more rational intrepretation of the principle of love for one's neighbour as the only means by which tho brotherhood of nations may be maintained and consolidated. In this jireat appeal will be the Pope's Jubilee Encyclical. Tho Rev. T. W. Dearnley, who resigned the curacy of St. Luke's, Liverpool, in January last to become Vicar of St. Peter's Church', Parr, St. Helens, carried out ono day recently an unusual experiment when he worked from five o'clock in the morning until throo in tho afternoon as a collior in a mine which is within sight of his vicarage. His object was to be able to understand thoroughly tho work in which a large number of his parishioners are ovory day engaged, and so better to enter into their every-day life. Mr. Dearnley took part in a full day's coal-getting,' and, in company with two collier members of his flock, succeeded in sending to the surface as many as sixteen boxes of coal—about, four tons. Speaking at the anniversary of the; Poona Mission, the Rev. P. N. Waggett said that tho cause of tho decay of Hinduism is tho State undenominational teaching of English culture, which has broken down the old spiritual and moral energies of tho Hindus. A powerful Christian attack t would have put Hinduism on its mettle—havo induced it to pull itself together. It would havo been improved in the process; it would havo reformed the family, and in various ways havo grown stronger, and therefore better worth fighting; and "then it would be as a ladder for missions to go up by the obstacles and difficulties it would raiso." To some this novel view may seem- paradoxical. But Father Waggett has experience on his sido. In Poona the Christian mission is strong, just- because Hinduism in Poona is strong. It is the interchange of hard hitting that! establishes truth. Tho reccnt visit of a small army'of- German clergy, of various denominations, to England was an'immense success. One effect lias been, it is assorted, to draw together preachers of all denominations ill brotherly intercourse, and,' indirectly, it has helped to further the cause of peace. Tne pastors saw 'London in its. full summer beauty, and enjoyed a hospitality for which their chief' representatives have returned cordial thanks. They were received by His Majesty the King; entertained nt a garden party by the Bishop, of London; were tho guests of tho Uuiversjty leaders at Cambridge; and lunchcd with the Lord wlajoi. Almost every waking hour of their six days in England was occupied with banquets, recoptions, and sight-seeing. ' Tho guests, in giving their impressions, state that they woro charmed with tho English Sunday, and especially with tho peacefulness of the Sundav morning. The English Sunday is a Continental bugbear, a synonym for intolerable dullness. Even Gorman pastors had fears that Sunday might provo drearily, langweilig, but they have gone away deeply in lovo with tho English national rest day. The West China Missionary Conference is appealing for 1500 more missionaries to met the noeds of thrco provinces in which there are 80,000,000 people. At present Hie missionary force is not more than 360 men and women. Tho appeal is signed by Bishop Cassels and Rev. Joseph Taylor, of the Amorican- Baptist Missionary Union.

The only women in Europe who can walk arb the mountaineers, but all Eastern women have a gracoful and clastic stop. If our women realised tlio extraordinary beauty proper movements givo they would carefully study tho Easterners' gait.—"Mattmo, Naples, Ho tried Port Itaclcing after fish, But only caught a cold. _ He said, "Atchoo! By jovc, I wish I'd done as I-was told. This is indeed a Hacking cough. Good namo it's got, Im sure! v But next dav he was right enough Through Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. U