JOTTINCS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 17

JOTTINCS.

Dr. Campbell Morgan's recent clear and concise statement of the causes underlying the note of sadness in modern religious life, witli regard to tho indifference and:hostility of tho world, forms a startling indictment of tho Church of Christ. Dr. Morgan put tho matter tersely by saying that "the Church 1 that has lost tho evangelistic note had better close its door, and write over tho portal' ' Gone out of business.' " How many, of us, < asks, the " Christian," dare l'aco boldly Dr.; Campbell Morgan's three, keen questions:—: " Arc we recommending Christ to those pbout"us? Are we tiue to the great moral dards of Christ? Are we doing our utmost to win men to Christ—not' only tho hear, but tho far off? In a word, how far is tho paralysis of tlio Church the fault of her own children?" The organising genius of . Canon Savago has given Hexham Abbey-a greater glory than it has ever enjoyed since its foundation twelve centuries ago-by St. "Wilfred.' Accepting the incumbency ten years ago, the canon applied himself to projects of restoration and extension which have brought the famous abbey for tlio first time to a condition of completeness. The cost' has been £30,000, and in a statement at the consecration on: August 8 ho had tho satisfaction of inti-' mating that except for £300U tho whole sum had.been contributed. A number of interesting' letters from, leading churchme'n, on the. subject of union be-' twecn Anglicans and Presbyterians in Aus-: tralia, are published in the'" Church Family: Newspaper." Men like Dean Kitchin, of; Durham, Dr. Inge, Professor of Divinity at: Cambridge, Professor Charles, of Oxford, Professor Caldcott, of King's College, London, Dean Barker, of Carlisle, and others all writo with an evident desire for reunion,' and with more or less feeling that it is not-' impossible. Almost everybody admits that those who are now Presbyterian ministers cannot rightly be asked to : undergo fresh ordination, and, indeed, that learned authority, Chancellor P. V. Smith, says that; "many Anglican authorities hold that Pros-, byterian orders are valid, though irregular;" Many of the writers,, however,, feel—and: some very strongly—that the historic " succession" of Anglican orders is something valuable, which must not 'be surrendered or' in any way imperilled. Sir, Edward Russell, of tho "Liverpool Daily Post," is'all for re-, union, but lie has no . liopo. that tic High' l Anglicans, will be reasonable in the matter.! Dr. Ingo thinks that in all future ordinations both bodies should be represented, the Anglicans, of course, by bishops. This would make tho ordinations indisputably valid for! Anglo-Catholics', and'there'would: be, no sacrifice of principlo by thq.'Presbyterians.' With regard to already ordained ;Presbyterian ministers, Dr. Inge sees no way out of the diffi-, culty, but ho says they would naturally be invited to preach in Anglican 'churches; as distinct from administering .sacraments. : Tho World's Sunday School. Association as-' sembled in tho city of Rome recommended that the third Sunday in October of each, year bo observed by evangelical Churches everywhere as a day .of prayer for Sunday 1 schools throughout the world, and tho .Executive Coinmitteo was charged with the duty-, of publishing this recommendation. A cir-: cular has therefore been issued inviting all evangelical Christians to observe Sunday, October 18, "by engaging-in public and pri-' vate. prayer, to Almighty God. for a special blessing upon Sunday schools :i.n all lands." ;