THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Evening Star, Issue 12067, 12 December 1903, Page 4

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

THE KAISER'S SERMON. At ihe banquet given on the 18th October at tbs nw Palace on the occasion of the confirmation of Prinre August WUhebmand f>cJir» iits Emperor said:—" My dear Sons, —Tkia day is in spiritual relation to be comi'.i;i.J with the day on which an officer or a srJdier tidies the oath of loyalty to the £•»-?. To-day you have, so to say, come of Kgc jn your beliefs. The weapons and the ; iiinr with which you arc to serve have b.,_.\ iaaght you and prepared for you bv iia experienced hand- The use to which Mm put all positions in life will henceforth be v.-iih yourselves. I speak intentionally in .a military sense, because I assume that ;.ou also know the beautiful allegory in w;uch the Christian is compared with a warrior. You will, of course, carry out what you to-day so beautifully promised in your vows. Your spiritual master, with justice, laid stress on the fact that vou are intended to be personages. That," in my opinion, is the point which matters most to the Christian in his daily life. For undoubtedly we can say with comfort of the Saviour that He was'the most personal personage who ever Avalked on earth cimong men. In your lessons you have read and heard of many great* men, who have elevated you and even inspired you. But in spite of all, theirs are only human words. ]Mo human words can be considered equal to any single word of our Lord. Never lias hvman word succeeded in inspiring people of all races and all nations equally to the same goal, to strive to be like Him—yes, even to give up their lives for Him. This miracle is only to be explained in the assumption that His words are the words of everlasting life. "Prom my own experience I can assure you that the angle and turningpoint of a human, and especially a responsible and busy life, lies along in the attitude adopted towards our Lord and Saviour. There can be no doubt that our Lord lives to-day as an entire personality which cannot be ignored. Of course I "am ready to believe that many persons are of the view that in modem life of to-day it is impossible that one should concern oneself so intimately with the Saviour or take Him into consideration as formerly. But the only helper and rescuer is arid remains the Saviour. I advise you from the bottom of my heart, toil and work without cessation ; that is the kernel of a Christian life. He who will be most heavily punished is he who does nothing, who goes with the steream. and lots o-rhfrs work. May each one strive to do '-...- b-:ct- in his province to become a per-!-v-"<\::e. and to grow up with his tasks accrrih;;; to the example of the Saviour. Sai.-o. in order t'nat what you undertake ■•':: bo ;• ]-:y '.:->■> your fellow-men, or at : :'. l-e. ci' :--.- T vl-e to them,. Then yon will •• ;■-::-'>:'.;.:':■:::>;; 15 hat is orpeeted of you. yr,\\ may v.c-l bo wanting in the help '■'■■•■] >:vwl of *he Saviour, to this let us :".i.'?7nAY H.ARVFSTr\ v G. ' ; ".-: ■-■i'o;>7-e!.T or othenvis* <J Sunday har- ...•: has \\iv-t year been emphatically ~'! i>y -he farmers of Cumberland and '■■'■ y--:-:c.>\\:..n-A. Saturday and Sunday (17th :■ :■> ''-'/-.h October) were the first two con- ■: .-.:;.f.c ii;:e day.: experienced since harvest b:;:::ji, aid the rHns in all directions on ; ; U!id:y_ presorted bu.'-r/ scenes. In. many pk"?s tne clover for; had grown so rapidly as to read! the middle of the stocks. The com was blackened, and had begun to .grow again, so that in many cases the crop was tit - it" spoiled. A good area of corn was jvarpered on Sunday, though practically none of it would be good for either sale or seed. The clergy have heartily applauded the action of the farmers, and probably one of the most noteworthy sermons ever preached in the diocese was delivered by the vicar of Plumpton on Sunday morning. It consisted of only three sentences. Takimr as his text the words, " "Wherefore it is ]?i\ful to do well on the Sabbath d;:y-v." the Rev. H. M, Kennedy said:—" The pk-.a hj thriw recorded. There is no pit in Piempton for lifo destruction, but the stiff of life is this year partly housed, partly lcrt, and part to-day in da-agcr. Go and help to rssews this lact, for yourselves and for yovr neigtibcri." The congregation at once separated, and during the day barvjvAi.T.- wxs general in the parish, HAS THE GOSPEL FAILED? At the final meethg in connection with the Church Congress at Bristol, the Bishop of London, addressing the assembly said he would ask them to with him the question—Ffcs the Gosp-il failed? He could picture to himself a secularist working man such as he had met in Kast London, if he wished to show tha Gospel hud falkd, pointing to Macsdooia. He would point *o twtr.'ry thousand homeless people who Lad been persecuted, wotno.n ill-treated, and children killed, and all Christian Europe standing by rendered helpless by their mute).!, jealousy. England could not move by iteeli, but when ho saw Christian Europe paralysed, unable to move hand or foot, -ritk sura a wrong before them, he then slit the sccuJarisx had. one point to the good. Ho -s-eald next point to the education" con-tu-Tersy. What churchmen w?ro contending for was that the children of England, a- part of their regular education, shouid be i:-.v?ht the religion of their parents-—?.nd '■r : .l'.t by those who believed it It was ;';l ro trap poor little Nonconformists into v-oming churclimen. The secularists -.'iirid. say that the fact that there was such :: cor.hiet between Christihns at the end of ,•:.' thousand years showed the failure of •:>.<: <. : o:;pel. He might further paint to the :a:.r. that out of every hundred people in f./i'.d.v.'j only 13 per cent, went to church ••■,' chapel If every man in Europe, howover, waii a converted Christian thev wotild tvym settle the difficulty of Macedonia. li '■;\jy man in England was a Christian, and if they were all dike Christ, the education e'rfitrcversy, so far as the religious part was uciMJ-ncd, would not last a week. Instead, too, of only 18 per cent going to they would &3 be Christiana. ~GLEANTNGS. jDt Barnardo, "the friend of the waifs and strays" of England and the founder of the celebrated homes, had a very narrow ercape in July, being a passenger by the train which was wrecked between Liverpool ;md Birkdale, hut he escaped beyond a slight bruising and the shaking The Rev. Dr W. P. Patersonhas been elected Professor of Divinity at i-idinbui-gh University. For the last." nine years he occupied a similar position at Aberdeen., previous to which he was the parish minister at CriFfL Dr Paterson had a brilliant career as a student at Edinburgh, and he attmded classes at three German Universities. A full-sized baptistry, in which adults may bo immersed, is to hj« placed in the new Anglican Church, which is bting erected at Soufchwick. npar Trowbridfre, Wilts., England. 'English Church Teaching' states that "the English Church fully a'lows, and even prefers, immersion, where practically desirable. A ceremonial washing with water is the, essential thing." The Prime Minister of England, Mr Balfour, on July 20. in the House of Common;;, refused _ to appoint "a, Royal Commission to inquire into the poverty of the clergy, and consider the readjustment of Episcopal and other endowments." He said the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were actively encaged in diminishing the evil. He expressed .also his intention to proceed with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Bill, by which a capital of between £30.0C0 and £40.000 will be withdrawn from the fvmb v.vrJlablo for augmenting small livings, in m-cer to increase the staff of the Commission.

A cable message from London, dated September 2, says:— "In pursuance of Dr B. > Trie-tram's decree, which was confirmel •»y the High Court,' and which "jxtSKne measures, unless the injunc&an was by a given date, a clean sweep wae rtUiidtinly made on September 1 of a number vi '.Litga.l ornaments in the Church of th* AOMnciation at Brighton, Sussex The :;cv2£ss[ul petitioner in the case, assisted by fesvy men, removed a cart-load of eonfessional boxes, crucifixes, statues, and other illegal ornaments, despite the supplimtioriß of the nuns, and the protests of the clemry. men." Splendid progress is being made in En*, land in the Sunday morning aduK school movement. It was reported at the recent National Council meeting of adult schools hdd in York, that during the last sis months forty new adult schools had been opened, raid many more will be started in the next &™r moDilis. Dr Graiam, Tsglor, of

Chicago, who vraai visiting England and studying gome of the social and religious movements, aid: "It was the most vital, vigorous, and effective work in England, and was specially valuable because of its reflective character."

The Brisbane bishopric has not yet been filled. A cablegram, was sent some days ago to the Kev. Bernard R. Wilson, vicar of Portsea, asking him if, in the event of a unanimous offer of the bishopric, he would accept the position. Mr Wilson has replied declining the offer. The Bishop of Wakefield, in an address at Leeds last month, dealt.with the subject of Biblical inspiration. His lordship said the Bible was hot to be regarded as verbally inspired. It was not an inspiration of pens, but of men who stamped their own characters upon their writings. Even educated people would find it a great relief to be told such elementary truths as> that the Bible was not infallible. The Bible was not necessarily literally exact. It was nob a scientific text book. The Books were not necessarily written by the authors whose names they bore. These names had absolutely no authority, except old traditions of the Jewish race. The old chronology, added the Bishop, was not inspired. The world was not created 4,004 years before Christ. Many of the Books were composite and embodied other records, like flints in chalk. Still others were admittedly compilations of various historical and" traditional accounts/ Once they realised these facts and understood the great purpose of inspiration, they would lose the paralysing fear of answering truthfully the direct, questions of children.

An illustration of what the Gospel will do for women in savage lands is given by the appointment as a class leader of the wife of Isei, the Methodist Fijian teacher stationed at Panaieti, New Guinea. When her husband is ill she conducts the services, and is probably the first woman teacher in New Guinea.

Some strong remarks on sermons were made afc the English Church Congress bv Canon Ainger. On the one hand he deplored the " conventional"' sermon, which merely goes over the old ground in the old phrases which have lost their effectiveness by their familiarity. On the other hand, he deprecated the " unconventional" habit of stooping to conqner by the use of jokes and slang The former method empties the churches, and the latter causes them to be confused with places of entertainment. Both extremes are, therefore, to be avoided.

Mr George Pearson, the Methodist lay nyissionarv, maintained by the 'Joyful News' Mission m New Ireland, one of'the mam islands of the New Britain Group, reported that he has received during the year 250 converts as members on trial" and that 190 others have been baptised and admitted into full church membership after three years' probation. It is unlikely that Mr C. K. Ober, of America, will accept the invitation to visit Australia next year in connection with 1 .M.C.A work. There is, however, a prospect ot a visit from Mr 1). Budire, of Montreal, a prominent Y.M.C.A. worker. Poparts from Odessa, Rnsa'a. state that hver.:Ly-ni<ie persorj resident in the town, who were chargt-d with belonging to +he sect knoffon as Stnscfets, have uilsucccs--fnllv appealed against a jndjnw.r.t o ? the loc?t governor. Thesr people had Ivcu in the habit of Twetiug in the pi one of their number to worship ai-cording \o the rites of thecr faith, upon "which tbvy ivere charged with being something more than Baptists. Twenty - s»veu of"' them w«.re ordered to pay a fine of 30 roubles each, cr jr. default go to prison for three months. Two women were acquitted. "I have something to a*k you," said a young csigk- to a learned owl. ' : Men snv th'-r-o is a, bird named Mercrs, who, when J ; 3 rise; in tlie air. flies with his tail upwaids. and 'lim head towards the pTctmd. la that true?"' "Certainly not," answered the owl "It is onlv a foo!>sh tradition of m-n! He is himse'f a, mcrr-ps. for ho v/culd Heaven wifchoet for a mf-meiit losing sight of earth."—Lvsshv.;.

The P,ev. John Uohe'.t-, prefer of St Mary's Church, Norfolk." U.S., has an-lioi'j-.oed to hi'-, conuTegaticn that in con-s-souene.e oi tho erpectora.ting habits of some of lils congregation, he. intends to employ a detective to attend tho services and arrest any member of its congregation guilty of spitting. Bishop Wilkinson announces that £2,3C0 has r.lr-eady been received towards the £'.'>, COO required for founding a missiurfarv b:-:hi.'p(ic in South Africa, as a ''tri'r.r.e of gratitude" to the native laceu fo»- ihs'.v loyalty end friendship durinj the war. A sum of £515,000 will eventually be required to fully endow tha bishopric," but a caia-m-'Micenient can be made as rxtc-n as the £5.090 is in hand.

A site of about an a/wa in eiix-nt has been secured at a cost of 33,000, in Tyr.dalTs Park, Bristol, for the. new Baptist "College for the West of England. 'Jho pivse/it building at Stokes Croft is said to have h*>c-;i erected from plans originally derigned for rwiTUioor Prison.

To complete the Twentieth Cew'.ury Fund of the English Wcshr/aa Mcthodwii there are balances standing from liV.) circuits asr.-rar-t-mg to £17,800, in addition to about £-5,000 still due hoax promises K'.t tha wippkmental fist. The Executive Committee of the fund has advanced over £3i4,C€o to t.o.e various administrative deixialments of Methodism. Tho total amount of cash received by tlio treasurers has exceeded £974,300. The headquarters staff of thi Salvation Army are already engaged in making preparations for the " great Congrras campaign " to be carried ovi in vj:xt suinmer. The mdu object is to gather together the responsible ofiicers of tho organisation from all parts of the world for conference on ntany questions which bear upon prest-mt opportunities, and en the measures which should be taken to secure the r>e'r:nanency of the work. The proceedings will begin about Jmw 20, and extend to the middle of Ju!v. It is anticipated that altogether 5.0C0 or 6.C00 officers from different part 9 cf the world will be present. Some intsrestiiig part.icu'.-rs have ivce'jtly b?eu publiahwl Tegar.ling tho work cf the Protestcnt Church in America among the negro population. There are eighty-five, colored clergymen at- present aad their communicants number 15.00p, but a large amount of tho work accomplished cannot be slated in figures. Sires mission work was started among the negrce3 of tho "United States 146 colored men have been ordained, and two bLshftos have been con»jo'i"ate<i.

Th'j Sim day afternoon receptions but recently inaugurated by Pius X., and exclu.sirely intended for the poorer and humbler class cf people of the parish?-? in and around the city of P.-ome. have become a great success. All formal etiquette is dispensed with; tickets of admission are to be had for the a "king, and they admit the hearer to the immense court of the Vatican, off the entrance known as the Cancello del Musco. There the peopl? foregather on Sunrlav afternoons, and there r:-<m comes the Pope, with but a small suite; he mounts an improvised throne, and from it adarerres the multitude with a inv plain, earnest words on the Gospel of the day. Mr Donald Macdonald, the well-known war correspondent, who is one of the candidate in the Corio electorate for a seat in the Federal Parliament, seems to be ing the clergy into a new union. At a meeting of hip supporters in Drysdale & resolution in his favor was mo*'ed by the Anglican clergyman and seconded by the Methodist minister. He has also received a letter from a clergyman urging 'him to fight the battle and "keep the flag flying."

Tho Prime Minister of the Commonwealth (Mr Bsakin) says that " the fine old warrior spi.' - "t," which has been historically associated with Presbyterianism —" that "sturdy spirit of self-reliance which marks Prei£>ytcriana everywhere"—has largely \nflutinced Australian development, and has set an example to the native-born. To that spirit Mr Deakin acknowledges his own indebtedness, for, of the half-dozen men who induced him to enter politics a quarter of a century ago, fire were Scotch Presbyterians.

To thaoa who think that it was a primitive custom to have layman in church synods as membere of these bodies, Dr Randall, late Dean of Chichester, feels disposed to give the reply of Serjeant Mereweather to a timid man, who once came to him and said: " I believe that I am speaking to Mr Hayward." " Sir, if you believe that, you would believe anything"" At Chicago on October 1 John Alexander Gladstona Ikwrie, LLJD., son

°* the "prophet," had his ears, boxed publicly by his reverend father. The fiery wrath of Elijah H. descended upon his son's head at a baseball game, in the excitement of which the young man had allowed his mortal tongue to express his mortal thoughts. The young man used the words: "You d fool." The father, with his strong hand, chastised his son. "May vou receive forgiveness from Heaven, but" from lbs., take that, and that, and that, and thatrhe said, as bis son's head shook beneath the John Alexander Gladstone Dowie, L.L.D., slunk away home. At the Chicago University he recently graduated at law. The Methodist Recorder,' the oman of the Methodist Protestant Church, recently contained an advertisement, written by President Gladden, as follows:—"This Conference need at kast three or four more pastors for circuit work, and anyone who can fill the following conditions will be welcomed, to wit: Must have small family, if any, and be able to furnish a horse, and come to charge unassisted ; no doubts as to call to ministry, not afraid of hard work, no hobbies, no place-hunter, sound on the doctrine of holiness, as held by the Methodist Protestant Church at large. He must be less than fifty years of age, willing to begin for a nominal'salary, 400dol to 50Odol, and probably a parsonage, a good clear head, a warm loving heart, and big feet, well planted on the solid ground of common sense."