FATHER BERNARD VAUGKAN IN AMERICA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1360, 10 February 1912, Page 9

FATHER BERNARD VAUGKAN IN AMERICA.

LECTURE AT TORONTO,

lather B?rnard Yaughan punched and Iretiiivd during Xuvninber in Boston, United Mates of America. Immense crowds listened to liim, am! his utterances have been widely reported, l-'jitlic-r \ iiusliaii went, to Toronto to preach Advent sermons and lias (says the "Catholic nmivO boon staying there a i: Ari-h----jishop s IloufO. Tlie Canadian Club entertained hnn lo luncheon. More th-n nvc hundred were present—mostly professional and business men, some Ining urangcinpn. ' In Hie course of a lecture to the member* of the club on ■'The Triple Allinncr. Kei gl( .n._ Philosophy, and Science," i'a.la-r \ angliaii said:—"DippiiiK intu the press of to-day, 1 find that the triple cord, not easily broken, is certainly in many places being strained almost to the snapping point. We iniigl heep our even own to realise our spiritual wlicwaboiils, and wo mii.st be ?o mmt of our moorins-, of the solidity of the foundations on which wo stand, that any shifting of our centre of gravity may k> out of all question. "A scientist of some rpiaito in a dnj Rone by asked the question: 'Whence come we? AVliithfr go we?' and he went on to say: The question d; ? 5 aVI - av without an answer, without even an erh'n on the boundU-ss .shores of the.Unknown.' very humbly, I submit," said Father Vaujlun, "that one reason why he met with no answer lo his question is that hc!_di(l not put it in thn proper quarter. Science as such does not deal witlf our wheiic" and onr whither, but with plicnomena, and with facts poneralisej into laws. Within that area lies its mission, and not beyond that frontier. To investigate the cause s and the sources of knowledge is the province, not of science, but of philosophy. It is the business of the philosopher to take up Hie lost link in (he chain of phenomena dropped by the .seientkt, to nrsno thoncr In (he existence of a First Cause.

Ml besidos bciuff a .scientist and a philosopher the ini|iiir«r is also » follower of Ilovclatinn, lip not only lookb;H'k tn liis origin, but dips into the future In find out his destiny; and liu nr:iclaiins.t;i all v.-lio come, to listen, in the words of riivisl'. 'I know whence I rams and whither 1 go.' "'J'lioro is, as you see, a strongly-formed J.riptc Alliance ix'fivoPii Science, Philosophy, and Revolution. Each of its l lii-pl' schools contributes its share, of iiu formation to man's stock-in-trade of (ruth. What lias Science tn toll ih'Mio says (hat this puny, petty islet, set ii\ the vast archipelago, on wliosc- surface man finds his temporary dwellingplace, was once a ball of fire; thrown'off from i ball Mill bipsrer, which sr.idually. as it rotated on its axis, nn<\ swept around the snn, bppin to tool, till there was spun and woven its present 'coat of many colours. "When Science wanted to know who it. was that first, of all started the big ball spinning, who was the Prime Mover of the first IMn? moved, she must anpea! to tlie Philosopher, who, with X?wton and Siemens, with Siownrt and Tat", with Iviralay. Clark, Maxwell, and BnvKcm. made answer, with }]ie {Trent Kelvin: There are ovpnvhi>lmin<r proofs of intellil SoiiCß and benevolent design around us, Jlio-ivins us Hiroii.trli nature, the infiueiice of n. free will, and teaching us that all living tilings depend upon an everlaMin" Creator and Kuler.' What Philosophy proclaimed. Religion confirmed. "Slandiu? hchvrp-ii Science and PliiloKopliy, linked hand in hand, the Christian exclaimed: Mil the bpginniii" Oorl ereatcd Jirnvon and earth,' lo 'whidi Science and Philo.vopliy answered, 'So bo it. Amen.'" A NEW AMERICAN CAMPAIGN. Tin-. MIA" AND KiaiOlOX MOVKThe Men anil lielijum Forward Movement n,-,w in jiiMsros in the United Slntfls ;s liie. bisect and bolder evnn-seli.-iie iiiidorlakin? hitherto planned in thai: pcimtryi writes Mr. .lames .lolm-tnii in the "Christian World." Judgiiiß by lircsont results, moreover, it. promisrs to be a movement of nniiMiol achievement. It is an eliort In reach the entire confinoui, and the basis of appeal has been widened by combining a cluster of great moral and rclit-iouj interests mid inakin" a unity of them. The inccuiion of tlic movement is due to men" of various ehurelits who have been stirred by a spirit of divine discontent with as ihpy are in ■ American church life. The attack is, in the main, upon men, and .in immense uhiokhl uf time, money, eiitray. brain<, and prayer has been d<vok'd in it. Tin soiMiuiial work is n'wI'-. Id. iiicludiiii piT.-uiuil evair.'.Hlism. social ii,;-,i-,!i->, buy* , n-.jrii, iym l j« Ut , -!udy. The !iiis?iyn extends from OcroIjit until May i,(\i, and nl'ter twenty (iioiith-j c>l rinpiiratir.n the wo'-U'i-s «iv nun in the n.'ld. Ti.ward- ui niiuiy citi-'s will be vi<iteii in the United £tateV aui\ f.'aiiiid;.. anil about a tliousaiid eontijnmu- vi!l;n;,.- Ihiouvh i-.iiiiiiinnitv s-.\-!v::-i.;i <-~n.M.itt.-;-.s. Thirty piel.-U men arc liicludi'd in t!,:> "Iviiins" lirawn frmii I hi- l.'nilcd .Stal.'s. Uiv.ii Britain, .ind South Ali-iiM. They are trained in a liivrii mi'thoil »ith a i»ivfii nie<--i«e Kaih "liviii" ri-i.ivseiit- one <,!' tlie-al«.ve-i.MMid live division-, workinunder the iniiit auspices ul MrollierliiMiil.-, Sunday Sclmii! Association-. V.M.C.A.'-, 111.-- Laymen'-- Mi.-siniiary Movement, ele . and (he whole body of evangelical churches. Several of these are- lending the nb!e.-t members uf l.hcir sl-ilf lor si'v-t'ii and enntiniiiiiK thvir salai'ii'-, nieauwliile. No reli«inus iiiovemeiit l>'.-i'v!iiii-ly hiw so u'l-ipp.'il'tin- fitifs vi-ii-(ml. uhile pa~t:rs and ehnrehes. i-.i-upcral-in,,' in Ilin larger nies-aie nf the (iospel uf .le-ii- flu-i-i, dec.laiv'lhemselve< to bt> -liiiiilins: at the breakinc; >il a new day in the history of Hie Church. The n-ftUvi'unirds are: "Grt: the nmn" mvd i'J'ack to tlxo ChuxdL,"- On<j of its fore-

most "liclnfrs says: "The evangelism' of tho past offered salvation t;> the soul and proiiiK-d heaven alter dentil. The evnnKelism of tin! future will offer fullness iif life to the soul now nnd horenfier, (lomniul (ho ralc-niption of flic social life of the nations from colk'ctivo sin, and promise the vcign of God on earth iu justice anil brotherhood."

THE ART OF SERMON-MAKING.

SKVKXTJJEX BISIIOPS. "I remember one warm Sunday in tho Abbey, when Ilishop (iuio was in tho pnlpil, nnd the people slept by hundreds and liy fifties. One time ) saw seventeen bishops asleep in the chnncel during tho reading of a pastoral loiter at the close of ;\ long eunvL'iitinn." So says Dean Hodges in the New , York "Outlook," blaming the physical conditions, and remarking that people aru often put to sleep in church not by the sermon but by the sexton. Jle goes on to say that where the preacher is to blamo for a sleepy congregation, the trouble is probably in the structure or in the substance of the sermon . Mo con(iimes: "The art of preaching culls for definite construction. Tho sermon must begin, mid proceed, and end. There is a lininilotic.il suggestion in the fact that whiil we, cm our railways, call 'switches, , in England they call 'point?.' The good siirmon makes its way by points. llere tin! preacher turns the thought of the people in a now direction, and by :i series ot such changes brings them steadily to the place where he would have them he. \u indistinct transition is like an open switch; the parlour cur nnd the day conchas are piled up in confusion. Somehow the engine goes on, but the train is left behind. The sermon proceeds ns if nothing had happened, but the congregation does not iollow." As to the length of the sermon, tho Dean says that "the preacher is in error when he imagines that he can make his sermon immortal by making it everlasting."

BRITISH CONGREGATIONALISM

The "British Weekly" give? (he official statistic-.? of British Congregationalism in advance of the Congregational Year book:— The total cliuveht-s, branch churches, and mission stations in Great Britain number 5021, showing an iiwreasc of five oil la-t year's returns. These provide dttiiii; accommodation for I,SIS,SIi-t persons, but it.must 1.0 noted that 17 churches failed to nmko returns to their county unions. There is a decrease of (HO in the number of church members, tho membership reported being 1!U,9-j:i. In tho Sunday schools there is a decivnse of 10,187 scholars,- tho return showing the present voll to number 095.854. The teachers number 71,201, an increase of 211. This chii bt> accounted for by the adoption in :\ larjo number of schools of ths "graded system," which nsce.witiitos the services of additional teachers. There are 11117 accredited ministers, a deci'fn*a of 10; and of thpse 230 sire reported as temporarily without pastoral ehiu-go, and -110, by reason of upo or illhealth, have retired from pastoial duly. In the 12 British colleges nnd institutes tlioro are 51 professors fliul lecturers with ;i7li flinlents prepuriiiß for tho ministry. The uiiinber of lay prencher.s is 5311, in addition lo 112-J evangelisl.-; ami !ay liastors. During the year one minister enteral the-Congregational Union from another denomination, and 12 loft for other communions, including four for the Church of England.