RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

A GREAT CERMAN CRITIC. PROFESSOR HARNACK ON THE "ACTS OF THE APOSTLES." "Professor Harnack develops the positions laid down in bis monograph, on 'Luke the Physician' in his new book oil 'The Acts of the Apostles,' " says the "Glasgow Herald" reviewer. "That work created something like a sensation in critical circles on tho Continent by its vigorous defence of the claims of the companion of St. Paul to bo the author of the wc-sections of the Book of Acts. This supplementary essay, in its powerful and indeed triumphant vindication of Luke's authorship of the book as a whole, and its almost contemptuous refutation of a mass of recent critical pronouncements upon the subject, may well be regarded as marking an epoch in tho history of New Testament scholarship. "Sir AY. M. Kamsay and Dr. Harnack by no means see eye to eye on Luke's qualities as a historian. The distinguished Aberdeen professor has recently said his say oil what lie takes to be Harnaclc's shortcomings as an appreciate;- of Luke, and in thif, present book tho Berlin historian, while paying a handsome compliment to Ramsay's 'clear eye, powers of picturesque description, and great learning,' condemns him foi following a method which socks to extract from the sources more than is really in them. But Sir William Ramsay, at all events, may congratulate himself on the notable fact that the most renowned of living critics and scholars in Germany now Stands side by side with him in maintaining Luke's greatness as the historian of apostolic Christianity, if he does not even go beyond him ill affirming the creative significance of the author of the Book of Acts for the formation of tho New Testament itself.

"The book opens with an elaborate introduction, written in that strain of massive and glowing eloqueneo which lias been n characteristic of Harnack's later style, and which may be dated from tho timo of his famous Berlin lectures on tho essence, of Christianity. Here lie states his general thesis as to tho extraordinary historical genius of the author of Acts aiid tlio proofs afforded by tho book itself that the writer had taken a personal part in tho great development of apostolic Christianity. In the six chapters that follow he conducts a series of careful investigations with a view to establish tlio truth of his thesis, and in a coneluding section sums up his results and shows their bearing 011 tho present position of New Testament criticism with regard to tho history of the apostolic age. "With regard to tlio date of Acts ho finds very weighty considerations in favour of its having bec-n already composed at the beginning of the seventh decadc of the first century. In this respect, as in others, tho significance of Harnack's conclusions will- bo apparent to every student. If lie is riglit, it follows Hint,the prevalent representations of modern criticisms as to the history of the apostolic, ago will have to undergo an extensivo process of revision." THE MEANING OF A MISSION. ADDRESS BY BISHOP GOIIE. In viow of tlio Anglican mission of Help wliich is shortly to visit New Zealand, tho following statement as to flic meaning of a mission by the Bishop of Birmingham (Dr. Gore), made at tho commencement of a groat mission recently held in Birmingham, will bo read with interest:—Tlio characteristic meaning of a mission, said Dr. Gore, had nothing to do with tho particular colour or method of tlio appeal. It was a claim upon people to listen anew, as it were for tho first time, to tho niossago of the Gospel. lJeligion was always narrowing into routine and conventionalism, and tlien men were making the Word of God of none effect. Tho enthusiasm of 0110 generation became the superstition, tho'routine, the respectability of another. --.TliiS| was truo of all'-religious .movements 'and of the experience of innumerable human lives. Tho clergy, alas! had in their own lives and work the best reason to know this. They, who were always dealing. professionally with religious tilings, and using necessarily and constantly the most solemn and serious words, know that ultimately what was a profound consciousness of spiritual truth generated by use into routine and convention, and what had tho power of life became a form of words., Tho way to resist this tendency was by constantly "beginning again in accordance with a provision which lay very, deep in their human nature. Tho inexhaustible power of their religion was shown in 110 way more signally than in tho fact that they could constantly begin again —constantly facing again old familiar words and old and familiar truths. 111 its spirit a mission was nothing moro than this: that peoplo of all stages and kinds of spiritual experience wero asked to come togother again and put themselves on the level with those who were going to hear the Message of God, as if they had never heard it before. It might bo preached by ono man with great fervour and emotion, by another with something that would bo called simplicity of exposition, and it might be preached by another man with intellectual coherency. But the point was that tho fundamental message should bo proclaimed again by new voices, ill fresh circumstances of solemnity. They asked that peoplo should not remain satisfied with their present position, but should ask themselves whether they were getting 011 in their religion, and should so como to listen over again to the meaning of the great Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of tho Holy Ghost} and what was meant by Baptism and Confirmation, and penitence anil forgiveness, and what it was to be a Christian. _ ,1 During the mission tho methods for attracting, interesting, and scouring tho presence of those outside the Church's influence were almost as varied as tlio districts ill which they wero employed. Processions, with torches or other lights, nightly out-of-door in-caching, addresses during the dinnerhour in factories, and visitations of common lodging-houses—all had a part, oven the boards of the sandwich-man wero pressed into tho service of tho mission.