CHRISTIAN UNION CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 19

CHRISTIAN UNION CONFERENCE.

THE CHURCH AND SOCIAL PROB- ,, . LEAIS. ' . "NOT ENOUGH 'DO-ERS.'" At the Noiv Zealand Conference of tho Australasian Students' Christian Union, addresses wero delivered by 1 rofeasor. Picken, M.A., the Kov. J. H. Rogers, M.A., the Rev. J. Mackenzie, M.A., Dr. M'Laren, M.D., Missionary Sccrctary for tlio-A.S.C.U., Mr. H. D. Bedford, M.A., L.L.M., Dr. liuther,ford AA'addell, M.A., D.D., and tho Itcv. H. B'. Grey. Professor l'icken, taking -as.his subject "A Personal Statement of Christian Belief," gave tho practical Christian philosophy,- emphasising tile facts that no; life .reaches. ,its,, highest achievement, s?vp in Jesus . Christ, and that in accordance as a Christian brings liis will into' agreement'-with tho will of .God,- so do tho possibilities; of life increase in a niarvellous way. J lie aim of a Christian: should be to consecrate" tho whole of bis life to .the service of God. ..... t In the addresses on "Missions ' and ' 'The' Churches'- -obligation to Evangel--iso the World," Dr. M'Laren_ pointed out the present crisis ill the missionary progress of the Church. He urged tho necessity of choosing onefs lifo work solely with the view of best serving tho. causo of God, whether at homo or abroad: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of G'od and His Righteousness." The Rev. J. H. Rogers dealt with, tlio ' subject of. '. "Biblical ' Criticism: What it has.given us,_and how.to interpret the Scriptures in its light," m a very instructive "manner. "He ' distinguished between three kinds-of revelation.in the, Bible:. (1) Historical, in which the 'guidanco of the Holy Spirit is shown in the -collection .and preservation of records; (2) Moral, through which moral truths are taught, though often blended with the personality of -tho'writer; (3) Spiritual, dealing with God's relation to .man, wliiclb relation is always directly inspired. The Hov. J. Mackenzie, speaking' on ."Rallying the Missionary Forccs of the Twentieth Century," gave a graphicaccount of tho work he had seen ill India and Syria, and of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, its groat men and its great investigations, picturing the urgent needs of the missionaries and the present opportunities waiting to be used. Tlio speaker appealed to "the. delegates for a deeper, sense of their obligation, in this matter, - that some progress might -bo ni'ado in awakening tho Church universal to-prayer, lie showed that answer to prayer depends on tho character, of .those-ask-ing. It .was useless to pray for rainunless wo, show by our lives that wo will make proper use of the bounty— .it was -impudent -otherwise to invoke God's power. ''Natural laws" worenot immutable, ii'ut. subject to_.cqnti'ol, to change, even by man. Thero were no absolutely fixed immutable laws. 1 Mr. Bedford, addressing the conferelica on "Josiis Christ.'and Social Questions," showed that tho • method of Christ in, social reform ; was not b> means'of any definite projpagarida, but .was .through internal i change of the individual, He showed that- whenever true progress had, been made Christianity had been responsible for it, and .that. true progress could come only along- these lines. The Church was not making this condition of social scr.yice/explicit enough—thero wero too many . "patrons" and hot .enough "do.ers.'': ;'Mr;,'ißedford ; ; j''cdne]udeil with a /s'trong: appeal to students 'to' tako up the' : £tufly of social probleltis- and service in the work. V , Dr. AVaddeN gave, a deep' 1 address'on "The Objective ■ A r alidity of Other Meetings." . ' a- - •