RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE UNITED STATES. PROPOSED CHANGE OF TITLE. At the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal (Anglican) Church of the United States held at Cincinnati in October a proposal which overshadowed all others in interest and importance was concerned with getting rid of the name "Protestant," says the correspondent of tho "Church Times" (London). Under the leadershin of Mr. Frederic C. Morchouso and the Rev. Dr. C. B. Wilmer, a pro-Convention' Conference was -lipid, attended by leading Churchmen (clerical and lay) of diverse types, tor the purpose of coming to a frank understanding touching the policy to bo advocated in re the change.of name, the Articles of Religion and the Preamble. I lie result of the conference was splendid, m so far as it removed much mutual suspicion and paved the way for advance on Church lines. 'fhe conference authorised Mr. Geo. Übarton Pepper. to introduce certain proposals-.to the - General Convention. Ine leading one, concerned with the change of name, was introduced by. him in tho Lower House on Monday, October 10, and was debated on the following Friday and Saturday. The proposal was to amend the title-pago of the Prayer Book so as-to r.ead:— , Tho Book of Common Prayer ■ Administration of the Sacraments and Other Bights and Ceremonies of . the. Holy Catholic Church according to the use of that portion .thereof known as the Episcopal Church in tha United States of America together with tho Psalter or Psalms-of David. It will be observed that the -moderate Churchmen- hero concodo a dropping of tho name "Protestant": while, m view of existing feeling over'the alleged partisan connotation of the word ' Catholic," tho High Churchmen conn e 'li t°,, w ?' vo tl,e nanl ° "American Oatholic in view of a clear assertion m the proposed title of the Prayer Book,-that-this.is a part of tho Holy Catholic Church. '-. ■ In tho ..debate, the- chairman recognised speakers from the opuosito sides m alternation, and tho best "feeling was preserved. Tho opposition came chiefly rrom old delegates. ' The vote was taken by dioceses and orders. Had it. been by "orders simply, ttie motion would have been carried by a fair majority, in both orders. ; But eight of the dioceses .in tho lay orders were divided—having tho effect of a negative In spito of .this, tho motion failed only. by ono vote. The ballot stood as follows:—Clerical—Aye 42nay, 15; divided, 10-a clear majority in favour. Lay-Aye, 31; nay, 24; divided 8. Had the divided dioceses been distributed, there would Have been *> ,ayes. As it was, 32 votes were needed, and only 31 were given. ■ The motion was lost,"Tho result cannot bo called defeat " says tho ".Church Times" corrcsnon-fi-i '! A ma i ol % is clearly in favour of the change of .name, andthe mutual confidence now. established between former opponents guarantees that another convention will -tell a different storv Ihe situation calls for patience, but 'is most encouraging." THE BAPTIST UNION OF VICTORIA. ALTERATION IN THE CONSTITU- , TION.. . The 1910 session of. the Baptist TJni.iou- of. Victoria passed off very happily. Ine meetings throughout were well s>ttended; the debates "wore conducted with good spirit and fine temper, and the business war, cxpeditiously but thoroughly carried out. The retiring president, Mr. Charles Carter, reviewed his busy and delightful term of office, and installed as his successor tho ltev A. Gordon, M.A., whose election to the presidential chair was very popular. Mr. Gordon's address was on tbe subject of "Iho Passion for Libertv." l'ho missionary meetings were particularly interesting. The general report submitted by the Rev.- W. H Holdswortli was satisfactory, the contributions, from the churches-showed ah increase, and the Junior Missionary Organisation was shown to be in a healthy and nourishing condition. .In connection with the representation ot the Baptist Union at the World's Congress to bo held at Philadelphia next year, it was decided that the delebo the Revs. A. Gordon ?« d F. J Willcin, Messrs. G. H. and ?-?™y ./"KIW.'G. Stephens. The report and balance-sheet was presented by tho honorary treasurer (Mr. G. H •Ooery) Uhis showed that tho receipts (including a balance of £39 brought torvanfrom the previous year) amounted toi £o-10, which left a credit balance of

Tho establishment of a church-house as recommended to the Assembly by tho executive committee, was one of the most important matters dealt with iivontually the matter was referred to a special committee for report An alteration in the constitution, moved by the Rev. W. Clark, and seconded by tho Her. H. H:\Jeih, was earned.. Lndor this alteration section o or the constitution will be—-"The As sembly shall; consist of: (1) Officers'of the union': (2) ministers of the union in pastoral charge of churches of the union; (3) ministers engaged in special denominational work by' appointment of tno Assembly." .JM f ° ! !°™6 resolution was passed: lhat this Assembly endorses tho forward movement and policy submitted by the superintendent of the- Homo Missionary and urges that steps bo taken to secure the co-opera-tion ot tbo associated churches in carrving it into effect." •* PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UNION. Under the auspices of the Church Union Association a public mcctiii" in favour of Presbyterian re-union , in Scotland.was.hold in Aberdeen recently. Lord Reay, ex-Governor- of Bombay, presided.. Resolutions wore adopted . deploring tho diviisons that exist among tho Scottish Churches, especially among those having the same doctrine discipline worship, and government! Among the speakers were Principal Iyerach, Mr. JWligan, Advocate, Lord Haddo, Proiessor Co«.i!i Mr Esslemont, M.l'., andl Mr. George J. Shepherd Lord Haddo, m his address, conveyed a message from his father (Lord Aberdeen), who desired to offer his earnest' and heartfelt good wishes for the success of tho meeting, and the movement which it represents. Ho yjS?, 1 ' 011 ! , ' 1 ~* so lo "S a S° as the vear 1583, when his father was Lord High Commissioner, lie arranged to bring together, for. private conference several of the best-known men of the then three Presbyterian Churches, including the late Principal Rainy, the late Principal Cairns, Professor Caldertvood, and Lord Balfour of Bnrloigh.

MR. HALDANE TO PREACHERS. STRAIGHT TALK AT EDINBURGH. Tho Now College Theological Society, 1-dmbwgli, had its session opened on October IS with an , inaugural address by Mr. Haldane, the honorary president. Ho discussed sermons from the point of view of the man of the world who had tho opportunity of telling what .he had found helpful, or the reverse in them. HJs-subicct was "The Calling of

the Preacher." All was not right in preaching, ho said. Many sermons fell flat, and were it not for a vague,.but very evident desire for association in sonic sort of spiritual community, ■ congregations would bo smaller. We had passed out of tho- influence of Strauss and Bradlaugh, the opposition of the dogma of unbelief to the dogma of belief, but men were not stiraed now an they once were by religious doctrine, what was needed was that the language in which preachers- endeavoured to give expression. tn the creeds should bo of a character to awaken belie* among the great mass of the people, not less,than among the learned. Theru was a general distrust of abstract propositions. . From mathematics to biology everyone seemed afraid of saying anything without at onco qualifying it by adding that the assertion was provisional only, merely a partial and fragmentary effort to'express the truth, and was to bo taken as nothing else. Ihey had not the power of moving their hearers that their -forefathers had because they'were; , not themselves convinced, as their forefathers were. The preacher must gain for himself a wide outlook if he was : to teach those , who learnt from him to have one. : WESLEYANS' RECORD. £26,000 RAISED IN A YEAB FOR ' EAST END MISSION. ' Wesleyan Methodism lias achieved a record in raising over £26,000. in one year on the appeal of a single circuitthat of the East End Mission inaugurated by the late Rev. Peter Thompson. A* hen Mr. Thompson died last year this amount remained as'a debt on the new buildings, which cost £37,000. Conference then appointed the Key. T. 15 Mesterdale to take charge of the effort. • At the anniversary meetings, at the Stepney Central Hall on October 17. it was. announced that the amount had been raised. .'. . . ■ ci Presiding at a luncheon, Alderman Sir Charles C. Wakcficld paid a' warm tribute to the memory of the .late Peter lhompsou and his work among tho poor people.of the East End. Speaking of tho effort to raise the sum of £26,586 the Rev; T.: E. Wosterdale said that amount included sufficient to cover the current expenses of.tho mission. M except one item came from Methodist sources. , . The president.of the conference said ho had not known a fund in Motliodism which had awakened the same sympathetic interest. Tlio result of 'the appeal was a revelation of the loyalty and self-sacrifice• and devotion of the people, and a tribute to the character and work of Peter Thompson. In the evening a great thanksgiving meeting .was held under the presidency of Mr. Thomas R. Fcrens; M.-P. for Hull. NEW DIOCESES AND BISHOPS. In all tho trials under which tho Church.has to suffer at present (says tho "Catholic Times") whether from internal enemies in tho persons of Moqernists or external ones in the shapes or irreligious Governments, the number of new dioceses and 'apostolic vicariates which the Holy See finds it necessary to erect in .various parts of . tho globe ought to bo :a. matter of-the greatest consolation for Catholics. Now it is in North or' South' Africa that a step of this kind has been-taken; now in Australia, Asia, or in island groups. Scarcely a* month passes without a list •of new foundations appearing in the ''Acts Apostolicae Sedis." The latest issue of the official publication brings news of-the'division of the; vast.diocese of St. -Pietro .di Rio ■ Grande, SouthAmerica, into the three dioceses of Pclota,, - Uruguayana; and .Santa Maria,, The old dinceso itself. will change' its name and form .tho'inetropolitau. Eeat as head of the new ecclesiastical p-ro-vinco erected *iu Brazil. In the Congo a- new Prefecture Apostolic has been constituted to take in , the territory of Katanga. The Sacred Congregation o f Propaganda lias confided tho care of tho new Catholic domain to Benedictine missionaries of tho Brazilian Congregation. Among the episcopal .appoint- 1 raents approved of; by tho Holy 'Father is one of special interest to readers of the ''Catholic Times"—the promotion of Mgr. Gauthier, Bishop of Kingston, to tlio Archicpisconal, See of Ottawa. Y.M.C.A. NOTES. '■■•,-" x (H.N.H,)' Reno (Nevada, U.5.A.), ; , which . hasa reputation as a "divorce centre," and which was , the scene of tho recent prizefight, has, 'in-ten days, secured £23,400 for a Y.M.C.A. building.' This is the first Y.M.C.A. building in Nevada. •The Y.M.C.A.'s of -.North America have well passed their half-million mark in membership. . : The membership of the Hong Kong Association has been increased in three weeks from 216 to 1137. ■ Tho Natal Government , , through their ,Education Department, have given £200 to tho Gymnasium Fund of tho PJctermaritzburg Y.M.C.A., Over £21,000 was secured in Johannesburg from' a shor,t period building campaign, conducted by- Mr. J. S. Tiehenor, organising,secretary for South Africa. .. . , . .

;. Mr. .Herbert Kaufman, the famous cartoonist of Chicago, has written some remarkable paragraphs which strikingly advertised tho Chicago Y.M.C.'A. in their ■' recent campaign for £20,000. It- is. entitled: "Suppose you came to Chicago.with yoiir heart , full of honiehunger and your mind fixed, oh the rainbow—a boy on, tho doorstep of his maturity, unknown, 'unknowing, whero would you go—what would you do — how would you pass the nights ? What would it mean'to join heart and hand and liopo with a thousand other cadets of fortune—to avoid tho . white light mirages—to keep from the lures of the street? What would it mean to bring your tired body to a cosy..room, or lose tho day's weariness ill a'glorious, plungo and then, refreshed, attend an educational class or minglo with-ciders, who regard their life knowledge as a stewardship for the next generation? The Y.M.C.A. could do this for you—is doing it for thousands of hoys" who come to Chicago to. win or lose their lifefiglit. It is making them strong enough to succeed by keeping. them from growing, weak. . It is raising tho level of Chicago's citizenship—forming a yeast with which to ferment her to-morrow with . betterment. Its work is a groat work, but its funds- arc n not great enough to carry it on. It must raise money. Now! Much!" . ' /

"With great faith,' says the ''Messenger," West Australia is proceeding to form a Diocese of Kalcobrlie for the Roldfiehls district. This will make the fourth diccese in tho State,;with.Perth, Bviulniry, and the North-Wcst. '.'■

Tho Japanese look a ■ long •' away ahead, says . the- • "Endeavourer." Their ■ Endeavourers have sent to Dr. Clark and the World's C.E. Union aii invitation, to hold tho-World's Convention i there' in 1917. A great Industrial Exhibition is to bo held in Tokio that year to colebratq the jubilee of the Emperor's coronation! ,'i'he invitation is likely .to be. accepted; but the World's Convention should meet in Australia before then.

Mr. J. .'P. Laivton,' who-has acted as travelling secretary to the Australian Student Christian Union for tho last two yeiirSj', has resigned his office, and has accepted ■ the charge of tho Theological College departmout. The next summer conference- of the A.S C.U will ■bo held at Blackheatb, N.S.W,