RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 19

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

THE CHURCH AND MODERN PROBLEMS. ADDRESS AT ANGLICAN CONCRESS GREAT WORLD MOVEMENT. The Archbishop of Brisbane (Dr. Don-, aldson), in opening the Australasian Anglican Church Congress at Brisbane, dealt with modern Church problems. In the course of his address Dr. Donaldson said: —The next twenty years are big with great happenings, and wo may well thank God that our lot is cast in so great a time. What does the future portend as wo seek to read the signs of the times? And lirst let nie lorestall criticism by confessing that Jlodernism is not one of them. Modernism, as I understand the term, is not a movement at all, but a phase of human thought, great and important indeed, but not directly concerned with the liold of action. Modernism is the twentieth century phase of an ever-present controversy, which is as old as Christianity itself. It is simply the spirit of inquiry which seeks in every generation to square what it has learnt of Christ with the development of modern thought; and although this self-imposed task may take us in some respects beyond the ways of thinking to which wo havo been accustomed, yet the changes will not be different in kind from those, through which past generations have come; and we whoso experience has assured us of certain fundamental things are not to be lightly disturbed,. hut rather stimulated and helped as wc step aside to watch tho process. The Renaissance in Asia. The renaissance in Asia may well prove to be the greatest movement tho world lias scon for centuries, but we have 110 time to look forward. The problems of tho present which it raises are sufficient to tax the anxious consideration, not unmingled with fear, of the otlicr nations of tlio world. For it raises witli menacing acutencss the question of colour. Japan lias vindicated by forco of arms her right to enter upon equal terms tho counsels of the great Powers of the world. Docs this carry with it the right to claim for her citizens free immigration into the territories of other great Powers? European nations freely admit one another to the privileges of citizenship and naturalisation. Are they going to refuse tho privilege to nations who are their equals in civilisation and power on the grounds solely of race P. America has answered "Yes," while the world held its breath. But that is not the Not Japan and America only, but nil Europe and all Asia will bu involved before the mattor is settled; whether it is to be diplomacy or by force of arms depends upon the spirit not only of the Governments, but of all the people conporncd. Here, then, is the work of the Church. It matters more than human calculation can say what is to be tlm religion of Asia in future days. If tho colour question is to be settled peaceably—to take tho lowest ground—there must bo Christian spirit 011 both sides or Asiatic resentment may precipitate trouble; but on higher grounds than this we are bound anxiously to consider our ways. , x The Labour Movement. Second only to the renaissance in Asia wo must rnnk tho recent emergence of tho Labour movement. Liko the movement in Asia, it is still in its early stages. Its powers are undeveloped, and its effects upon the civilised world arc an unknown quantity. But I must at once make my meaning clear. There is a distinction to bo drawn between tho Labour movement as a whole and the incidental expositions of it, with which we are so familiar in tho political world. Tho confusion between tho two has been disastrous. For, missing the greatness of the world's movement, men have confined their attention to local political programmes, and so have allowed themselves to fall into hostile camps, in accordance with their political prejudices. It is time that we recogl- - tiiat tho movement as a whole is a far greater tiling than tho present political aspect of it. As to the latter, there may of course bo acute and even violent differences of opinion, for no oiic political programme will ever be accepted as the panacea for the ills of society, and those who seek society's regeneration in the highest sense will not look primarily to politics at all. But there can hardly, I think, be a difference of opinion when wc enlarge our horizon to contemplate tho movemelit as a whole. It extends far beyond the. political world, and its rise will probably be found to havo marked an epoch in the world's history.

Nor will tho movement' stop here. Surely thero is a boundless hope in it for tiio best interests of tlio civilised world. The nations of Europo have reached a period of weariness. Under our breath wo whisper tho word "degeneration," and sc-cetly wo question iii fear whether the experience of tho l'oman Empire may not soon bo our own. But in the Labour movement the civilised world may yet renew its youth. ho knows whether the next century may not see a new outbunt of literary, artistic, and all manner of other genius when the newly-educated classes have fully come into their own? Truly this movement is mighty ill possibilities, and tho hope is great. But if our hopes are to be realised thero aro weighty questions to bo decided first. It is natural of course that the first object of the Labour movement should bo to secure for itself that measure of material well-being which is necessary for tho development of the higher kinds of life. Everyono will concede the justice of this claim. But if anything like.the development 1 havo pictured is to follow, wo must even now look below tlie surface and estimate tho real aspirations of the peoplo. Leisure and ea6.y circumstances do not- greatly benefit \ man unless ho knows how to use them well. Good wages and short hours are good things in themselves, but they aro not by themselves going to bo tlie salvation of society. Thero must be intellectual interests, there must he a development of the spiritual side of life. Hero is the question of questions. Is tho Labour movement going to bo Christian P Is tho strong young life surging up around us going to rise above tlio materialism which threatens to blight its promise?, 1 confess that the immediate outlook in Australia is not reassuring. Tho Church of the 20th century is tho same body as the Church of the Homnn Empire, and what she. has done oneo sho can do again. But, nevertheless, to-day she is on lier trial. If she has not the vision to see whither this great movement is tending; if she fails to welcomo and foster all that is good in it, she wilt alienate many of her noblest sons, and will without doubt herself suffer irretrievable loss. The New Spirit of Reunion. Hardly less significant than those two movements outside is .the stirring of which we are conscious within tlio Church itself. Men's minds pro turning V'ith a new urgency of longing to tho thought- of unity. , All that is deepest and best in our Christian life everywhere ,is crying out in daily anguish at tho present distressful anil disastrous condition of things. In tho faoo of au unconverted world the trouble is grievous; in the face of the ancient and critical religions of tho East it is intolerable. But even at homo the question is acute enough, for everyone feels the deplorable overlapping and waste of power, the overwhelming shame and disgrace of our divisions in the face of a frivolous and scornful world. We need one another, ami the best work we can do for reunion at present is to study the principles for which we respectively, stand,

and school ourselves to expect reunion not by the conversion of all who differ from us, but by the'merging of ourselves and them in the larjjor Catholio unity which for the time we have lost. A writer in the volumo of Oxford Essays from which I havo already quoted describes the two great schools of Christian tradition which we know respectively as Catholic and Protestant, and shows eloquently that tlioy are not mutually exclusive, but complementary to one another and mutually necessary to Uie v ftilii<!ss of our Christian stature. Would that those who use these names as party symbols within our ' Church would lay this teaching to heart. Havo those members of our Church who cali themselves Catholics really, leamt all that the word means when they deny it to their follow Churchmen P The word is too great to be used as a,mere party name. And yet, would it ever lmvo been thus degraded if its real meaning had not been lost on the Evangelical side ? Thus Separatism is pernicious to both sides. And yet even from theso apparently incompatible forces in our Church, 1 believe that we may draw inspiration and hope. Nowhere else in Christendom do wo find the Protestant and Catholic elements of tho Church developed to so full a maturity. Elsewhere one or other element predominates to tho. frank exclusion of the rost. With us they stand sido by side, illogicall.v if you will, a very paradox of diversity in tho name of unity. First it is the Catholic Church and nothing loss than we seek to build. Our hopes reach out to tho ultimate goal of a national Australian Church, and although the goal bo far off wo shall ha anxious meanwhile to remove any fetters which may hinder our further dovclopment in that direction.