REV. R. J. CAMPBELL'S AFFINITIES.

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

REV. R. J. CAMPBELL'S AFFINITIES.

NO BRIEF FOR PROTESTANTISM. The Rev. R. J. Campbell, addressing a meeting at Manchester College, Oxford, 011 the aims of the New Theology League, emphasised its spiritual side, and said that sureiy if their Gospel was to bo indeed an evangel it ought to be a spiritual movement —an intellectual movement only incidentally. Liberal Christians ought to show that their spiritual results wero equal to any of Christianity expressed from the other standpoint. Some had said they were practically denominational Unitarians. They would not allow the movement to be labelled as of any denomination. Something vaster and nobler had appeared than denominationalisni, or than Protestantism. Ho held on brief for l'rotcstantism. There were elements in the Roman Catholic Church with which 110 had affinity, and there were elements in the Church of England with which he had the greatest affinity. Protestantism in somo of its aspects was too bald and hard to meet all temperaments, lie observed that some of their strongest support was coming from tho side of tho Church of Romo and the Church of England. Ho advised tho members to remain in their own churches. 'Plio spiritual experience was fairly constant; it was tho theologies that changed. The league was projected last Juno and in the meantime they had registered nearly 3000 members. They had over sixty branches, and their members were drawn from 200 different towns. The spring meetings of tho league are to be held at Oxford, probably in Whit-wee!;.

Tho Rev. li. Meyer, in a recent speech, said lie thought the present century was {loins to be one of the most revolutionary in tlie whole Christian era. No mail could ileny that humanity was awakening' as from a sleep. Tim purpose ol' God was to uplift, and it must be admitted that tliero had been a great uplifting through all classes, lio knew there were some things in tho upper classes that wel'6 beastly, and in the lower classes tilings that wcro none too swoct, but through tlio whole there was a loavouing proccss going on.