RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

BEFORE THE GOSPELS. WERE,

i "Ye are witnesses of these thingsl"—Luke . ' ■• ■ 24: 23. Long noons and evenings after He was gone, Mary tlie Mother, Matthew, Luke, and John, And all "of those who loved.Him-to.,the,last,.,. ■ Went over all the. marvel of the'past—; Went over all" the old. familiar -ways ' ' . With.tender, talk of dear remembered days, ' .. They walked the roads that never gave Him rest— ■ • - , ■'; ' y Past Jordan's ford, past Kedron's bridge, : r , Up Olivet, : up Hermon's'ridgei ' . v ,To that last road, the one they loved the best. The way He passed with Jairus, this the place He called the light back to the.maiden's face—' A slow strange light, as. when the,dawn fills up In her first hour, a lily's pallid cup. , There was the shadow of the cedar tree, Where he would sit and look on Galilee, And think on all that had been and must be. Awl yonder was the secret trail He trod "here birds, were feeding as 'the- guests of ; God; And where the lilies, lighted, by : the sun, Made dim the glory of King, Solomon.'. : .'* And then Jerusalem, where, once He came, " : . -Hi's words all sword and-flame ■S? r those who buy and sell the Holy Name — Twas there He lifted up the. little child,:' . ' In.heart all wonder wild;, , (^« s > lifted up a child for all to see v the secret of the Kingdom that shall be. ■ ' ,§°>. -huddling, often by the chimney blaze,'- : Or going down, the old : remembered ways ■ - :On many a. lingering, walk, •: ;'.'. They .held- their- Wonder-talk) ■' y'. Minding each other of some, sacred- spot, y Minding each other: of a. word, forgot; .. 'rir i aJI the whispered'words .■ V:?nt to the four winds like a flight of birds. -. —Edwin'Markham. PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFERENCE. ! , PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. .. The New Zealand Coiiforcnco of the Primitive. Methodist Church'bommehced .its-.sit-' : ; wngs iij the E.den Terrace Church, Auck-: land' on Thursday last. It; is composed of: r ministerial: and ; lay . delegates, representing, tuo various stations and.* conference : com-*' .mitteos. - •'■ y-.-.-y ; lhe ■ Primitive Metho'dist;--denomination'! I ,® s , t0 the year 1811.-/ The. founders Ttr-Vr 9J? urch wero : Hugh Bourne ,and ! Uuliam Clowes. The .farmer, though X:the : Wi°V 8 - was a' hiaivbf'^considerable i-Jmgual and literary attainments: i He was yyemarkable for his : zeal, ; s df-saerifice' andlnaomitable perseverance in "seeking the.'-wel- ■ ?T 6 _of his fellow-men.; His colleague yyyis chiefly remarkable as a preacher, and never failed to attract, and whocame under his'ministry. • "X - •i The outstanding theLwoTk^f. i thb . early Church. .were its;,-enthusiasm for eyangehsm, the powerful, fearless preaching of-, the Gospely B by ; its "preachers,- open-air work,: and an:outburst '6f;,sacre'd : ysohg. y The Church grew, - and; extended its-operations to America,-: Canada; jthb; Australasian.."colonies,' and .various parts of Africa...-Its; mission in- -.the,, centre of-,- the - Dark ,'Continent - has been . carried, on, at.,a : greati. opst; . Some. of,- ■,® ••.^.?®''^ a^??»>'^w,^!-fcwW™g'-: .'-'aiiiongst cannibals .and in deadly climates,! have diedspirit " of' martyrs.:. In Aliwal North ."-rthe scene of operations . during the Iloer success,has,;been :achifeved,■ ■:MA. ',% ie are", over'; 1100' '.memhersj^chiefiy: : natives. .;.i ■■ .. v ; ;-y ' Church:: ; iwai:■ intro'duced Z' ihtb-'"tliis Dominion in :1844 by the late;Rev.;-R;;. WardV ■ a;-man;, of- saintly life, and heroic spirit. 'He ;laboured'.first'm.;lsVw.^ .he .visited Auckland, ' at; the;' request .of one James' Harris. -Mr. liad to travel jha ichooner, the voyage from .New: ■ Plymouth -to v .Onehimga - seven d&ys'.-vOForr many -years tho;Church did-not'make-rapid; progress; in .the Dominion;-but of .-recent yvbars i i i !®.' ! P^ii^.'-.h.a's-v'b^- 1 There areytow 7o churches' and iB9-other -preachihg-pls^s.;-v,',Th.e:;,churchesj-53 "par-' soiilgesva-re valued '•at?-£Vp, 000. yTherbVare-, 39 -.ministers and: nearly menzbers. .•There;'are ,83- -with .' 613 feapliersVanii' 5500 i'qholafs.j;;The,;Ch.urch : 'has -.niajifefs,;; aiid,'- has .done- hefoio.%bi-k : iii ; :'ti(e ■ •ca'use'. of ; total abstinence. - ■, -y; ' f-The of the. - Church 1 ;-r's- ' !; .'liberal.-.;. The- ministers and ;• "laymen .jequal; ,voice ; artdyvote3ri.fall yChurcli ; ;coui i tsi; Tts System 'of- Church 'government .is'substaii7.'| .tially -PresbyterianVybut gives a-Jarge; place ito-. the 1 laymen..-.-.The conference. is composed, ,of two;laymeU;.to ;one .ministerj' . ; ahd;- any .president. ' -Its .'.ministers; are;- iotT compelled' '*^y' l *he-:{ls£wr i mdve,.at'>any: given; time;, three; years •is supposed l , to' .b«: ihevusual tinie,_ but, there : is "reallv, -nothing Dto-prevent : a 'cirouit, : though ho is only stationed yearly ,by; the!,conference;. ;:AtHthe. ; pfesj?nt ■iimei'the denomination; is'.the second Methodist Church'. ;-iii; the. :ahd: its ' colleges in. England are''amongst'''the -fihesV, institutionsiii the Old Land;' The Theological .College' in JVlanchbster.-has ! beertyenlarged from time to iim'e, ' riiainly through':.the,-, generosity. of Sir 1 William P! Hartley,, a prominent-layman; of tho denomination, . and .is ..now the largest-J college in-'Englahd ibr: the; training' of- minis"- : ters. its,:orphanages, its ;,hbmeV andforeign missions, its:• • extensive; publishing-' house iii' London,' ahd : other- institutions,' it; is :ari educational force that must, tell greatly, ;'in-the interests! of morality'and' religion.

i/O'v. ' —: —■ —- —— .v - '■ THE CIFT OF HEALINC. ' AN INTERESTING CONFERENCE. : A, subject. which, has -received. a . good - deal; of • attention froni Bishop rWallis, of Wellington, arid Bishop Julius,;of .Christchurch,' was •discussed at an Anglican conference-on ; -men-.. taiy o s'piritualj;'arid;^ don last month. •.' . -v: ■ -•'-- ■;Mr. J. M. Hickson, of the : Spfciety '.of;; Emmanuel, ' which.] was ..formed three years , ago, and of,-which the:-vice-president'-.isSßishop' Mylne,\ ! explained that ;■ the " work -' they"- were'; trying to to; revive-in the ChurQhthe gift. .of .healing.' ...They 1 were,, ho 'said,-in. . syiripathy. jwith all kinds, ,of ;healirig.:They; ■recognised that;the.' doctor was. God's in'stru-,' .irient,! but they .urged .the desirableness of the .doctor - Realising that . f act a .little ;more—not only, to 'givo medicine, but. to pray to God that' it ;niiglit .'te; blessed. , ..They wanted. amore; spiritual''atmbsphore '; around'; tho -pa-, tierit, and thai the nurses- .might ' not -be ■afraid to kneel .'down and ask God's blessing, on the . remedy they , were ;; administering. Thero was too little of this prayer in hospitals. , .- '■■■-. - Tho .Rev, jCi.^O'Flaherty—who : is... : also : . a; qualified: meilicil man-i-gave- -the gathering several instances of spiritual vhealihg..'-.-These and other eases, ho said, had naturally raised the question:.' What was the limit of healing? From the religions point of view they might ;'siy ' that healing : depended: on.' .the. iaitli of! ■Mie -patient and the doctor, in' tlie .'will ;.:':bf God.

' l;. The Dean of Westminster said that people: .wore : constantly ■ asking liis opinion you ; . the., matter. He •' was a. believer in. healing by Divine /intervention,; and. in, tho,\jmiroples .worked at the shrincj of St. Thomas a Becked; but- ho 'doubted, vif 'the;-shrine" ivere ' how' .thrown, open, if similar results'would' follow. Jfo was perfectly prepared to believe in tho things that, had .been alleged: lie was nbti.'sceptical, biit it . was their duty,' for. tho sako.of-.the honour and' credit of the Church of Christ,, to proceed at; least as carefully, as .tho.ltoman Catholic authorities had donoVin ■the dealing' at .LQiii'dcs. • f ■ A, very. : .strong commission was needed which would investigate and try to bring together a • sufficient .amount of information to justify., them in going forward.. ' , ' ' .The coufcrence-.'eventually . .resolved .tliat ,"the time lias come to form a Central .Church Council for tho. consideration ■ oL questions connected with healing by. spiritual meaiis.". . • .

: .Mrs. Bramwcll Booth,' of tho Salvation. Army, ' lias' beeiv .visiting. Belgium,., accompanied -by her eldest'..daughter,. Captain Catherine Booth, and Colonel "Mil.dred, editor of tho "Young Soldier." Captain Catherine has commanded corps at Bath'and Valthamstow, and, is at present attached to the ."Training Home Staff" at Clapton. Slio is" said jto: have, much \of tho. personal charm of her late-grandmother,' Mrs; General Booth, and is lovea by hor comrades everywhere.

. EAST LONDON PROBLEMS. • i ! THE DUTY-OT: THE' CHTTRCH. • Tlio Bishop of Stepney and Archbishop-<So< . signate of York' (Dr. Lang) presided recentlj at a "rally" held at the Shoreditch Town Hall in connection with the East London Church Fund, .'and at. the conclusion of the meeting made. a speech, in which ho made ■ reference to his new appointment.' He hat?, sat up, lie said, until 2 o'clock that morning opening 200ietters, and there "were"4oo mora awaiting him unopened at home. Daring the whole day lie -had been engaged . with. his : brother archbishop in considering how far the : Church of England, without sacrificing her .■•■■■■ great principles, might take her part in bringing the long and difficult controversy over tb* schools to-and end." Passing to the subject of Church • work is East.Loudqn.vDr. Lang said ..they wcre.:.surrounded in. the- East-end of London • by. what .•. * he .would call moral drift. No one roultf .v move about in -tho region of Hoxton withoul feeling what an enormous, "restless, moral drifting was going on. All around them .was.:., " amusement?! .in plenty, but dittle'real jqy-.: ; -. If. lie had to work like the'people of tbcs<j •, . districts.be,,too, would!be foundat nightv.int * > the publichouse or the music-hall ;' for, indeed t '. the people must have something: to lift'thi dead weight of monotonous labour. God made them .for 'joy,. and .if. they could not get it.. • ' ■ in;..tjie right, way -tHey .would get 'it : in-. : wrong.. The of .the' Church was-tO::«-show .it possessed the secret of joy. Round ', about them',' too, there were so many people-J;-;, workless—people who walked: about .day. after day .with;the. haunting, hopeless, sense;' that-,- 1 ' • nobody' wanted 1 , them—that they had got no : - work in the.world to' do. His heart .bled; for..; H : the';li()uest; nian'..who:'faced each.day with- the ' thought that'nobody in London wanted the work lie was willing to do.' One thing which'*, caused him more sorrow than he could ex-.! „ ■ press .was; that',,he 1-was leaving the if;'; : ■ 'of London -,without. being sure: that" he_ knqjv,-, socially or economically, '-how.!'its-.falling off.. V,;." was '..to "be. stopped; There it; was, however. '■ In tlio midst of this falling world they would ■ have .to. show tlie power- of a rising Churchi i'• '&/' .The task and the opportunity were.great, an? : .the struggle would'demand great courage. H< ' - left' it in their, hands, praying, that theJU Vv -might never lose heart, and that he, weak ; -and -inexperienced; might go to render some*'. i :good. service; to _tlie. Lord. and to his' Church."v'; I'MISSIONARY MOVEMENTS. ■ r- Dr. R. A. Torrov has been engaged onalf : (-"evangelistic 'campaign at- Sherman,.- Texas/ ,: ". and is now conducting a mission at Los Angeles.: . ; The' fi Chicago .'.'Advance,";..which 1 "at:! 1 ;; ;:j\ ; • orie'time devoted whole pages to Dr. "missions, : dismisses- these',. twocampaign's} four lines' under ; the heading:, "Ministerial Personals " • Dr. Wilbur: Chapman and Mr. Alexander;- >v ; .who have been: holding a chain of- confer- 1 -! " cnces,'.. travelling. 3000' miles, conducting thirty, meeting in 'ten; cities. ■going- to Australia in April (says the "Chris- '■ V.ye'ar.Tn Rev. .Thomas-Law had arranged for the Rev. ' . •, P.. B. : ileyer . .to'; arrive in.' Australia ; in. J&y.j?'-;! •: ■ ■Cables'-announcing -the visit 'were, receive#''';':'' sim-ultimeously. -fiy -the •Australian ( Gommitteet '•? wiicb^ho'pedVto-make': afrangemehts for ; - Jleyer' to work in connection with the Chap-man-Alexander -party. • 1 . .Mr;: Meyer's . pui>-« ■. :lished itinerary for the year,-, which appeared? • in this column last week, omits the Austra» , lian ; visit. v • .: -Tho'Rev. Charles Stelzle,'.the Americans • . evangelist," who has .'specialised on Labour'-, ,problems|i' hal lately' .been iwmdpdang-' a • mistbi-n '.sion - employed'; . Chicago*]:-' ?■'_■ ■'Hisv''siuad of! revjvalists," con- -': ; sisting ,dfafiout .thirty, ministers,-have turned,' v •; •tlie,'ipeMi?and^ ; cattle;'..ehdbsittesv'into , 1 pulpita' . at" "luncheon time.. : : '.-'V - '. Dr. Campbell ■'Mprga;n-ias' just finished month's tour in the .English provinces in 'thar ; '■' 7 ' interests of foreign, missionary work. To a. ... ' 'Daily News";■ representative he gave som'« .. . ,impredsi6riS; of'hisj.toiir; v.''lt';has}.:been;.:"oh9;i: of., the most ' ■ pieces of'. work'-thatrV ha-s : bi^'r-'fallen'to iny lot. . In • Scot -land •I- • Perth,' Dundee; Aberdeeny.?. ,C ■ Glasgow, Greenock, and Dunfermline; and in': ' ■ /England, Carlisle,, Leicester,; •Xorthampton, St. Ives (Hunts.); and' King's.. 4 . Lynn—.wmle'rl.; spent 'on&- Sunday.Mil'Wd^y:' 1 preaching m:Morriston, Landore, and Swan-.. . . sea.; Tivo7pric6iparimpressioiis are.' left upim"- -' "- ;.my.' ; mind'.'. The .first is .that of,;, the ignor*; • jance .of the vast masses of Christian peopla on. tlio-wliolo question, of the Church's missionary responsibility.'- Tho second, which-ia •' . ' equally profound, is that.ofrthe readiness of , "Christian 'people everywhero to listen, and •■■■■•:■■; ■■to'-act under direction. When I speak of the ■■ ignorance, I do not desire- to- use the word Offensively at "all; but, I mean to say that the whole question of . missionary responsibility, ; missionary r enterjirise, and missionary.' oppor- '. 'jtunity at; the:Vhour" is out of the' people'if. . ' would please me ter,. if it-were; ;.be ■ set free;;:;; ■ ■ from ievery obligation'-for a whole yean" ■ ■ in! order'to go through the length and breadty .-,;-' : : of .tlie landron.this great question."

THE SUPREME ROMANCE. . ' In - an article ;in' the " Commonwealth :dealing witbi-Mx;"ti.K.'Chesterton's took otfV;,, "Orthodoxy,"", 1 the Rev: J. Neville Figgisj-.\-■of'.the Community.'.of - the .; .(Anglican),l'i^rites: It-V'."Lastly, "and most... ' sfilfejididly ofalljSir.' Chesterton does .welL, r ; ; : -iii .treating:' orthodoxy^; as the' supreme ro-~:; mkncey ' .lt v .is' the arii.izing 'superstition t of Z''. culture whjiih'thinks of.religion as dull,- and:' -. .;' colqurjess, .whereas 'its appeal - rests on the. imperisbablo -fact tint lifo is.an adventure, .. -. a real .live,''adventure,'.'with its :hopes and. its ;• . ; " ;,fcars, "it 3' pains arid' appalling risksj ..but .its, 'r' :0. pearl of great price' for the winning. Dull indeed 1 It is-tho cultured and nervous 1111Believers who are dnll,_ worn out witlr th& daily effort to keep Christ oitt of- their' live'y; { ■ ; ■and;"wearied with \ their .' lectualism;". fatigued . even by <;their;:; elabqrri; /. ated contempt-foiv us poor Christians ■ (you - cair see iti'iii;..'their. faces); :. v% • Christians-r-havo no; need to ;-, bo drab or: ; ■ dowdy. in our;.souls.' Christianity, is not brily'4J :, the noblest, it'is also the gayest and most . grticio'usydf gifts to man. It is b.ettei 1 : else;.and as Mr,' Chesterton puts', it, is not. respectable, and never will be.. The Faith is difficult to bo-.. :i . ; 'lietVe," but- more .' difficult. to .(disbelieve, hard ' to.'fight-for,' harder-to fight against; baffling/''"7.7", : inscrutable,contradictory—-an ' eternal ;;:odd-.; - lty:-'. But- then we are odd:. That is the ... ... •whole philosophy of religion." y?Zz ; r hi. Y.M.C.A. ' The year-book of the Young Men's Chris*" tian Associat,i6h i o'rgaiiisation; which'' : lias'ius't*'been issuedi : ,is;a ;yolume' of considerable .in-'.-. terest; if' only from tho pointof 'view .';of * /, .showing "how a'movement, small, and ir.sig.riificant; in..origin, .'can spread ' arid- extend ./i. Vnntil it covers, practically: tho entire;globe, may -be gaili-'. ,jc.•ered froriv the following figures:—' - . - ; 7-. • Centres included-in World's Alliance 7,6 < <t " Enrolled 'members • ... ...v ...-520,643 Associations • employing ■ wliole-tinui i 'secretaries'- '!'*•.•••■ 7 1,239 Buildings-ovmed by associations. ... 1,181-' Approximate yaluo of 'associalion . i, }:■ buildings . -... ;C10,207,810 -• ' ■ .The compilers of tho year-book si.ito that .at;; iio.'.period in »the history ;.of tli"'.Hri £ i, .. associations has tho outlook of tit, work beeii' so.bright as';rion% ' The; figures; lot; iijui for the United Kingdom arc:— . .. '■■' Associations ; ' ...' . 629. Gross membership ... . ... .... 110,802. •" Happily,; for many years, tho council m the j " ' ■Driited KniD:doiii/lias preserved its record of ~ V.; entire freedom, ironi .debt, but a consider-. 'able- addition to. the- present; income-, will bo'.' ;v[ 'necessary,, and' steps are being'taken by. tho,. : ' *:' 'finance.. comniittec v to. .sccuro.., this'addition..>! ;'• The current, incomc 'for the riiaiiitenance. of.;; '; ■ the general work of tho associations, wlulo somewhat' below .'the figure of last yeai : , still; :; considerably exceeds tile .average,, having ■.reached;a t0ta1;0f:£85,327.' Eight additions. • have boen made to the buildings owned by ~ d ^ciatipnß.-''inVtii«|.r . uiiioni'.- the.'i-prbpcrticaV--'' •% ■now 141, white the values have ' increased from-£728,756 to ■ £774,01)8.'.; llio'. gross debts upon tho... buildings' tiavo ■: do- '. ;' : creased from £148,422* to £145,066.

Tho Rev. T. L. Edwards, late.of Quocn'jr Park Baptist Church, Glasgow, has been asked by tho Rev. Archibald Brown, of tlie Metropolitan 1 Tabernacle,"' London,'', to>be- J come his' colleague. Mr.' Edwards -.is a tnnn of ■ wide' experience; pleaching power,'-'- refinement, ' and geniality. He' is still m his-' Drimo< ."