RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1252, 7 October 1911, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

OBITUARY.

WESLEYAN PASTORAL. •A.N APPEAL VOIi. COIiPOKATE WOliSllir. The. annual addrc.-.s. of the British Wesli'yan Coi)li.'ii>nce tn the MclhbiHst people h:is brvn i.-.-iii-:l. Methodists are urged to rc.Mvl all I'lVorli'lo make the Sabbath common, and specially to guard its sierednoss bv their own examples and in Iho regulation of (heir households. Tho subject (if the decline in mombnivhip, for the fifth successive year, amounting this year to .'Will members, engages serious attention. "Wo are not disposed'to blamo anyone but ourselves," runs tho address , . "In Win. ■■iiinlysis of the many varied factors, we have discovered in our own life and ministry defects which .we propose by the Kj'aca of God to correct." At tho earao time it. is urged that tho phenomena, are goiural in almost all tho Churches and not specific to any distinct form of organisation. tho view that these disquieting features signify the decay of the Christian. Churches, the collapro of tho dogmatic empire of Gliiistianity, and the disintegration, of the Christian i'iiitli, it is contended that, in tlio life of to-day tho e-xUtonce of God is more widely accepted as a postulate; tho Christian faith is l>eregarded as mi effectivo rule of coiuluct for tho individual and an unfailing .instrument of social regeneration; and tho rising tide of the world's thouglit is unmistakably favourable to a religious interpretation of life. Other characteristics of current thought are said to be the high appreciation of Hie person and teaching of Jesus Christ', variously interpreted; and the prevailing regard for personal religion,, co-existing frwuiently with tho entirenjglcct.of.the attempt to"express surih religion in -corporate, woifeliip or united action. Hence Hie address an?ups tliat tho phenomena, of the Churches to-day are, not rightly interpreted as a sign of general religions decadence "It is not religion proper that is losinp its hold upon tho hearts of tho people, but merely institutional religion, and not so much the theological pre-suppositdons as tho obligations ami benefit of traditional forms under which men ore aggregated for worship and service." From evsry point of view, it is urged, abstention from public worship is a blunder, injurious to the development of tho individual soul and to the progress of tho Christian community. Tho attention of all Methodists is earnestly callpil to this weakness of tho ronciousness of "churchly obligation?.," and they are urged for the sako of Christ, for the perfecting of tho individual in experi-ence-aud work, to make their membership of tiro Church actual and real. The charge closes with a renewed. appeal for family religion and constant prayer.

"BISHOP IN CAMP. ■ '

UNCONVENTIONAL WEEK-END AT ALDEESHOT. -Thoroughly enjoying his week-end in camp with the London Hifla. Brigado at Caraberlev, the Bishop of London was discovered on a recent Sunday afternoon clad in an old black overcoat, with a purple scarf round his neck, sitting in a deck chair with his feet on his hat-box, gazing dreamily over tho bread expanse of Oakdeno Common.in front of the camp.

"I feel as fit as anything," ho said. "I slept like, a top last night from 'lights out' at ten o'clock til).'reveille' at five o'clock this morning got mo out of bed. This is the loveliest place- I've been in for camp, nud I've been out for the last ton or twelve years. The' worst of this place is the dust." Here the Bishop willed his eyts. "You get covered with it, ho said,'"and I liavo to go and wash every ten minutes, but the Tiew is gorgeous. " I ■ ■ "Wo had a little service in a tent at 7.30 this morning, and morning service in flic ppsli lieyond.the' ca'm'piat.lO, at which .1800 men I hope, it wasn't for much'. , more than a quarter of. an hour or twenty minutes. They aro a splendid lot of men in my corps, tho sth, tho London Rille Brigade; They are nearly, nil men in the city. "This afternoon I've been round to liavo a chat in tho sergeants' mess. I always go and have l a,-J9lly, l ,ha]f r hour with :the'm:'Lht(r,on-,Unuß!>iilg J'-WWU« visit tho i'or.t Otlico Corps, who are- always in oanip near us, and whom I know pretty ■ well. To-morrow tho men will bo doing company drill, and I shall l>o out to watch. I don't spend much time in my tent. There isn't room." A glauco in tho Bishop's tent revealed a small bed, wooden washstand, chair, table, golf /clubs, and leather trunks,' leaving barely room to stand up. His round tin bath, reposed outside.

; LENGTH OF THE SERMON. , A LEADING PIiEACHER'S. OPINION. The'Rev;' J. D.'Jonos, <M.A.-, 8.D., one of the' ablest, of ' tho ' Nonconformist ! " preachers of the Old Country, writing in his Church magazine,'- says: "Complaint about long services raises the question of the proper length of the. sermon. Personally, I am no advocate of long sermons. Modern congregations could not ami would not stand the two or three, hours our Puritan ancestors used to inllict on their congregations, , nor even tho hour to which Welsh, congregations to this day will patiently listen. Life is moro exacting in our day, and we could not stand the strain of the prolonged attention which our fathers apparently were able to bear without turning a hair. At the same time, I am all against tho short sermon. Preaching has always been tho central thing in our Freo Church worship. To retract horn tho dignity of preaching, or to relesato it to a secondary place, is to sacrifice the secret of our power. Now, I am persuaded that to reduce- the sermon to a mere snippet of speech lasting ten qr fifteen nnnucs is to sacrifice its dignity. It is to make great preaching impossible. For tho treatment, the reverent treatment, of the great themes of , the Gospel 'adequate time is required/ ; ]f' tho politician thinks ho requires an-hour-to-ex-pound his views on some' , tonic of momentary interest merely, and if people, are quite willing to listen to him patiently ior that length, of time, the preacher is not demanding too much when he asks that people should listen. ■ patiently and reverently to him for 30 minutes whilst he speaks to them upon tho most vital theme of all." '-

DR, MORGAN ACCEPTS 'iCHESHUNT."

Dr. Campbell Morgan Has accepted the unanimous invitation of the Governors to the Presidentship of Clicskunt Congregational College, Cambridge, on condition that tho college authorities will agree to acquire tho site offered them for a now building in. Trmupingtan li-oad (opposite tho Leys Schaol;, and . that steps are promptly taken iortho election of tho college. ' Should tlicri conditions be agreed to—as is likely.to bo the caseA-whcn the Governors meet'to consider 'them, .Dr. Morgan will begin his duties as President at thu opening of tho nsw session this month—immediately upon his return from America. Dr. Morgan would reside, in Cambridge, but eontinuo his ministry at Westminster' Chapel on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays'.' Tiiis U practically no' alteration- of tho conditions of his work at. Westminster, cance for (ho last t)u-c:> years ho has devoted t:he first half of each week In-evangelistic and-Bible-school work in tho country. This itinerant work will necessarily bo severely etiytaflMl by his now work at Chcshunt. No doubt Dr. Morgan will take a lead in rais-ing-I heifunds for erecting the hot college at Cniiibridge. Dr. Owen Whilchousc aful Professor Johnstono will eontinuo their work Hebrew and tutors. Dr. Morgan , has-no ide.;i of altering the character of Chcshunt. and it will'-bo" his aim to encourage the students to take the fulln?t advajitjige of the educational opuor.tunities prciunted bv the University. A'moii'i tho undergraduates- at Cam bridge Dr. Morgan has n largo number of friend?, and ho may establish o there on thn linos of his Friday night school it Westminster Chapel. . '

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. A 'conference of delegates from (.lie Free Pivfliylerinn -Churches of Xow South Walr.-v Victoria, and Soulli Australia was held recently in St. George's (.'liurcii, Sydney, presided nvcr by tho Jiev. S. 1 , . Stewart, of dm Miiiming Kivor., It was iiinniiuaiiMy rcfulvod that it was doMNilili! that tlio Fron Prcshyinrian riiiirchcs in the Commonwealth linlilins tlio (listinctivo (iriuciples of tho Disvuption Church of. 3843, federate under one supreme court. A basis of union,

conserving tho' full testimony of the'TYeo Church of Scotland, was'draftod, which will be remitted to the presbyteries and congregations for their consideration aud approval. THE EASTERN CHURCH. DEMANDS OF THE PATRIARCHS ON THE TOKISII GOVERNMENT. The special correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" at Constantinople gives souio particulars as to tho decisions come io by the .Ministerial Commission, comprising the -Minister* for Jtisticc, Public Instruction, and War, regarding the educational demands set forth in the three identical petitions recently presented by the Greek, Bulgarian, an<l Armenian Patriarchs. On the-whole, out of fourteen demands, only one, has been entirely rejected, two have been agreed to subject to certain modifications, and eleven hare been accepted as thev stand. Seven of the most interesting demands aro as follow:— '.-..• 1. The Patriarchs themselves may in future, draw up the curriculum of their schools. . , 2. Certificates as to the ability of tho male and female teachers,- which may bo granted by the Patriarchs, will bo recognised as valid by the Minister for Public Instruction.. 3. Such male teachers will, bo exempt from military servioo on the same conditions as the teachers at the State schools. 1. The Patriarchs are' empowered to. employ forfcign teachers, except in the elementary schools. . i. ,' s.,The diplomas for secondary teaching granted at tho examinations hold by tho Patriarchs will henceforth confer tho same rights as thoso granted by tho State, on the condition that the. candidate can write and speak .Turkish. . 6. Tho diplomas for higher education granted by the schools under the control of the Patriarchs will confer Iho same privileges in the matter of military service as thosa granted by (he Slate. 7. All decisions relative to text hooks which may be considered harmful,' or to teacheis who may be judged .incapable, not to be arrived at by tho State directly, but by the Patriarch's themselves after correspondence on tho matter with the Minister for Public Instruction. The demand which was rejected was to the effect that tho religious authorities should be forewarned of all inspections to bo made, by the State officials.

CHRISTIANITY IN BUSINESS.

THE NEED FOR MARTYRS.. .. : Rev. G. M'Luclde, at King Street Congregational Church, Yarmouth, in one of his sermons 'recently, dealt with the topic of "Christianity in Business," wliioli was discussed by his church members al their Midsummer .'Breakfast Conference.' There are to-dc.y, ho said, not a few earnest-minded business men who find themselves forced to ask the question whether it is possible to be a true Christian under our present, economic conditions- Here, for example, is'a man who iu his business, is employing young women, many of them. ten. hours a day, and is only paying thorn- a wage of a few shillings a week',, a., niiserablo. pittance, which is absolutely insufficient to provide shelter, food, and clothing, to. say nothing of anything, else. That is the problem of many a business man to-day. Thank God wo are not the keepers of his conscience, but if ho asks the question of a Christian preacher, "What shall I do?" surely (ho Christian preacher must reply, "Tru~.!>-youi- God, and do what you believe to bo-right, whatever it cosb."

"Ah," ho saysj.'ta.-me,.''under present conditions, that •would bo to break up, my business; it mightfey.eh. mean for me homelessness and starvation"/'. ToVWiat J have two things to 6ay. I say first of all'you have, no: adequate guarantee... that.'Lv'our fears are we.ll based, ?.nd I jay secondly, the man v;ho really wants and means to follow Jesus Christ must bo.prepared, if need be, for ilioinelessnesj t.nd. starvation: The disciple is not above'his Lord, and even the' Son of Man had not whero to lay His head. 'I want to ask tins question: Is it not'time that the Church of Jesus Christ began to. have some martyrs for the Christianising .of commerce f' Shehas had her ing of other aspfctsoJ^bm-many-sided life, vrhy r iibt : ajhfm6rco?.' : -Woiild not the blood of ,r 'o%r v martyrs'fce 'the seed from which would spring a much fairer and. more beautiful commercial, industrial, and economic system than the one. which wo groan under to-day? • ■ ■ ■

ANGLICAN RELIGIOUS ORDERS. GREAT INCREASE IN.MEMBERSHIP. An English contemporary stales tliat Hie various religious communities in tho Church of England liave increased greatly in membership of late, so that there are at present ■:same 200 men and. 500. women engaged in , religious -work under' ,vows of ( celibacy' and poverty. The ioi;. mer for tho•" most part are occupied-in evangelistic work, and in! tho training of candidates for Holy Orders, while the latter find their vocation iu teaching and work among tho poor. The Bishop of London (Dr. Ingram) presided at tho last annual meeting of tho community of the Resurrection, Mirfield, two members of which (Fathers Fitzgerald and lice*) took part in tho"recent New Zealand, General Missions The Bishop spoke in very high terms of tho training which tho Community gave to candidates for ordination, and said that he had never vet found a MMcld man who was, not well grounded in all respects. None of them, for example, had ever written to him expressing the desire to enter "H.O.'s," which, after patient research, ho had fotiTHl to mean "Holy ■ Orders. On tho contrary, they were well equipped for their office.

UNITED FREE CHUBCH.

Tho Commission of the I nited Free Church Assembly had "more business to transact at its recent rnip.rlery meeting than generally falls'to its lot. One oMio cliief items was tho consideration of the backward state of the Central Fund. It .was given to Dr. John loung, the exModerator,- to read the mcral of the situation, and he did it without lnincme hia words. The present decrease, as compared with a previous year, amountin? to £2S'2\, represents ?. deficiency of only about 15s. per congregation. Dr. Yoiin" declared that he was not alarmed at the decrease, but at the moral decay which it indicated in regard to the- habits of the church. Ever since tho union then? had teen a marked decay in regular and continual habits of transmitting money to the general treasurer. Ou July JO, a sum of .fcll.OOO had to be borrowed in order to make tho quarterly payments to ministers. A household that hid,to borrow money to pay its servants could not •1)0 hold to be in a very satisfactory financial condition.

Congregationalism in .Yorkshire is the noorer for the ■ death of the Rev. .Tames Lego, M.A. From ISO 3to 1890 ho was a familiar and prominent iiguro in nil that pertained to the spiritual welfare of Leeds, holding during these years the pastorate of the Headinglcy Hill Congregational Church. In 1898 lie was chairman of the Yorkshire Congregational Union. Though for. reasons of ill-health he gave up'active work twelve years ago, yet lie has remained ever in touch with the religious work of the city of his adoption, frequently supplying for'other ministers in the district., Mr. kegge was seventy-two, years of age, and during the last eighteen months his health has gradually failed. Tho' funeral took place at' Inwuswood Cemetery, Leods, and there was a large gathering of.friends at the graveside.