THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 4 March 1911, Page 6

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD.

INDIFFERENCE OF THE MASSES. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. SPEECHES AT THE METHODIST CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christchurch, Marcli 3. At the Now Zealand Methodist Conference this morning in tho Durham Stroot Church a deputation, consisting of tho Revs. Dr. Erwin; J. Mackenzie, W. J. L. Closs, and N. Henderson, waited on tho Conferenco to convey tho fraternal greetings of tho Christchurch Ministers' Association. In replying to the welcome the president, tlio llev. W. J. L. Closs, on'ered the Conference the Association's hearty felicitations on the success of the past year's work. Ho said tho Churches wero learning that competition did not pay, and that co-operation would make lor the upbuilding, of the Church and Kingdom of God. Blessings could not como to ono Church without coming to others also. Nothing was foreign to tho Christianity of Jesus Christ, and the time had , come when it should bo taken to tlio Legislature and the business and national relations of the 'country. Mr. Closs expressed the Association's deep appreciation of the meji tho Methodist Church had sent to work in Christchurch, and concluded by. expressing a hope that tho day was not far distant when the denominations would blend in one glorious whole. Tho Rev. Dr. Erwiu congratulated the Methodist Church on tho success it had attained in God's 'work. Referring to irrelevant criticisms' to which tho Church was sometimes subjected, ho said that there was a danger in this respect, namely, that they might look to the wrong soufce for tho regeneration of society in the mass, but they would have to do it through; the individual. They might have a society freo from the public-house and the totalisator, and then not have a regenerated society. Whilo they should not relax their efforts to get rid of tho evils mentioned, they should not relax their efforts to spread evangelism and to regenerate society. The great problem the Church was face to face with to-day was the utter indifference of the masses to spiritual things. Ho would not say this was growing in breadth, 'but it was growing in intensity. Thero was not a larger proportion of indifferent people than in . tho'ages past, but the indifferonco was becoming intense. Dr. Erwin went on to mention indica- . tions of tho stato of things referred to. He said that when he came hero moro than thirty years ago there was an almost universal sense of responsibility among parents that they should send their children to Sunday School, but that feeling was not so universal now. For witness, let them look at the tramcars crowded on Sundays with picnic parties. Then again the extraordinary efforts put forth years ago to reach a proportion of tho indifferent were growing less possible now. They knew that those extraordinary efforts were reaching fewer of tho indifferent owing to the lino of demarcation becoming more strongly marked and moro difficult to cross. Dr. Erwin said ho was speaking of tho Church of Christ and not of tho denomination. The Church was maintaining unimpaired her own life, but it was not reaching, and was not gathering in the, masses to any large oxtent. Yet that was ,tlio worcl.givcn by God. The Church was here in tho world to extend tho Kingdom of God and gather tho masses into it. Dr. Er~ win went on to say that ho had considered this subject seriously for two years past, and the question aroso to him whether they were not looking ' in'''tho " wrong ■ direction for the solution of tho problem. The Church was the God-appointed agent for this work, and lie held that they had not sought to hurl God's fighting force on tho indifferent mass. God wanted a living Church, a holy Church, a Church that would bo tho supremo demonstration of the power of His grace by which to convey His graco to men, to bring them into His Kingdom. The speaker asked whether it was not true that- much ol the membership of tlio Church savoured of the "Salt of the Earth." Multitudes of Christians inthe clnirelies lived lives so secularised that there was little possibility of distinguishing them from worldlings except from the fact that they boro an inscription, just as some sacred buildings did that he had seen in tho Old Country,, and which were now devoted to secular '■uses. If they wanted to convert tho world they must set to work, to convert tho churchcs. They should concentrate on elevating the spiritual life of the churches before they could tell to any extent on the indifference of tho masses. (Applause.) In replying briefly on behalf of tho conference, the Rev. W. Slado said that the Methodist Church held, in common with tho Ministers' Association, that tho Church should; stand for a very positive theology, tho need of salvation, the salvability of race, and the fact that ill Christ they had a Saviour able to save all that came to Him. Mr. Slado agreed with what Dr. Erwin had said about the need for individual salvation. 11l coming to tho Methodist Conference the deputation was coming to a body that was a strongly optimistic one, that beliovcd in the ultimate triumph of righteousness in the world. It might be, however, that what they' required was to be a little more flexible in their methods, to try to meet the changing needs of the time in a different way to that followed in tho old days. Tho Methodist Church was beginning to feel that perhaps one solution of tlio indifference was the better care and management of the Sunday schools. They had seen that in one great country tho growth of tho Church population was greater than the natural growth of tho population as a whole, and they thought it duo to the work done in regard to Sunday school.-,. Mr. Slade concluded by remarking that ho remembered Dr. Erwin standing on the platform eight years ago and making an offer of marriage. (Laughter.) Liko so many other similar offers, it came to nothing. (Laughter.) A great gain would como to tho world if they could get away from the losses and inconveniences caused by the present divisions, and it would be better for the world if they could agree oil matters that were essential. He hoped ho would live to see Dr. Erwin como again with an offer, and that the Congregationalists and other denominations would, come too. They did not- mind going in for bigamy, or polygamy, to advanco tho ' work. (Laughter.) Mr. A. Peak (Auckland) responded, oil behalf of the laymen. A resolution moved by the secretary (the Rev. S. Lawry) and seconded by the Rev. W. Baumber was carried, expressing appreciation of tho visit of the deputation, and desiring to co-operato heartily with the ministers of other churches in tho work they wero doing. '