CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1908, Page 8

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

THE LHUFvCH AA'D SOCIALISM. A deputation, consisting of tho Re\6. 1' W. Fairclough, J. J North, C. E. ward, and A. Jjewdney, representing the r eslo3'an, Baptist, and Primitive Methodist uluurhes, was introduced to the Congregationai Union (Jonturence jesterdity by tlic Rev. A. M'Donald Aspland. In addressing the conlerenco thu questio.i of the relation of the church and Eocialiain was raised by the bpedkeii-. Ihe Key. P. W. Fairclough stated that the city in which they wero assembled was \ery worldly, and exerolsed a numbing influence, over the churches. 'Ihero wero no longer the famo differences between churches an there used to bo at ono time. Many chr.nges had taken place. Socialism had coma forward, and it was time the Christian pulpits took cognisance of the question and adjusted thernsehes aud their attitude towards it. The atmosphere had taken the edge off conviction, and tho position oL-thc Christian minister. 'Oho hottest zeal invmany cases had evaporated on fads. Stfll, they had many counter influences- in those stirring times. The Rev. J J. North traced the gradual cooling of religious or rather doctrinal zeal. There were no longer the abysmal differences between tho various churches. People no longer fought about questions of dogma, and atheism and materialism had been vigorous in their growth during thcKc latter days. Socialism tinged with atheism was ripe on the Continent and in England under Mr. Blatchford. No church stood for any particular class without •'losing its Christianity. The primary rights of man ought not to bo overlooked by tho cliurch and left to Socialism. They should ba inscribed on tho banner of the church. The Rev. D. Hird, chairman, di'darod Iliut it was a temptation to lamrnt that the church had fallen on evil daj'b. It might be they had lost faith in rortiun articles of dogma, but tbis was due to tho'levelling of tho church. The great thins in tho Christian Church was to have a groat reach towardi a Christian ideal, even if their grasp was som&what limited.