RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Evening Star, Issue 12652, 4 November 1905, Page 4

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

WORLDS BEYOND THE EARTH. " And they that be wise shall shine as tho brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." —Daniel xii., 3. What is there in our lives that is really worth while? We come here for a moment, and we go. We struggle to keep ourselves alive. Tho questions that agitate us, that we consider great questions, arc potty matters. How shall we be fed, when shall wc cease oppressing each other, how can the rich man be forced to obey the law, or how can the law help to destroy poverty ? These are the questions that" men ask, as they open their eyes here for a moment—and close them again leaving the questions unanswered. We have struggled with these questions for thousands of years. We shall struggle with them for other centuries. And when at hist wo shall have solved them, new questions, material and email, will call for attention. The mir.ds of men must give their best energies to putting this world and its human society in order. We are the guardians of the little planet that wo live on—and our first work is to settle our human housekeeping here. We must keep at- the little problems upon which our little happiness depends. But we can at the same time study the permanent, eternal universe in which our earth is a perishable speck. We can find comforts in our disappointments and inspiration in our work through contemplation of that illimitable creation which, proves, in its harmony, beauty, and grandeur, that Justice and Goodness rule infinite space As the prisoner from his cell looks out eagerly at tho life of the great world through his barred window, so human beings, prisoners here until their work is done, should look out, through the window of the night, at the wonders of infinite creation, at those "wandering stars, to whom is reserved tile blackness of darkness for ever." The enrse of life in tho modern city, writes Mr Arthur Brisbane, in the ' New York American, "is that it shnts men out from knowledge and sight of the world's suns and systems. The rat or the insect that lives contented in tho cellar fills you with contempt. But the man who lives contented in this little earth, without ever looking out in wonder and speculation at tho regions beyond is like that rat or insect, and worse—for he shuts out from his inind the one field of thought that might make it grow. The beauty and power of the Old Testament come from contemplation of the Btaxs, That splendid poetry was_ written by shepherds inspired by their nights of watching on quiet hillsides, long_ hours passed in contemplation of God's infinite power. And the study of tho stars will inspire you, lend power to your imagination, and perhaps usefulness to your life among your j fellows. Our own finite studies, ,while ; necessary, are pitifully barren, almost hopeless. Two of the greatest scientific I names are those of Kelvin and HaeckeL Kelvin assures you that science proves the | existence of God; Haeckel affirms that scienco proves that God does not exist. Look out at night across the ocean of other, study, with a little understanding, the lights that move in that far-off region, and you will not heed Haeckers denial, or need Kelvin's " proof" of that wonderful ruling Power, of the eternal Justice and Goodness that guide those "wandering stars" in the blackness of darkness. Alan can neither understand nor know anything. He does not understand himself, life knows nothing of his origin _or destiny, save by faith. Our efforts at final understanding simply prove our own feebleness. But out there in the night there is a study for man that will not disappoint him, or mock him with his own littleness. Ont there are the true worlds. There are our friends of tho universe—other suns, other worlds, other races of men travelling and working with us, sharing rath us tlie wonderful mystery of existence and the blessed gift of justice.

Let the " greatest" of the world's socalled groat men try to answer tlie questions that confounded poor suffering Job four thousand years ago. Let him stand beside you as you look art the North Star, our little temporary landmark in space—what answer will ho give to these questions of the universe ?

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or, who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or, who laid the corner-stone thereof?

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? How fearful and how beautiful is the study of space. There is a vastness that has no limit, that can have no limit. For over, and for over, and for ever, space and time stretch around us. Worlds, suns, systems, dying and being born fill all of that space that has no end. And the same power, the same law rules throughout. The speck that you can hardly see is a sun so vast that upon its surface this earth would fall as a snowflake falling and dissolving upon the surface of the ocean.

The " dust" in the milky way is a dust mado up of untold millions of suns, each with its planets circling around it —and that great light is but the light from the celestial lamps in our little corner of space. It is but as the faint glow of a city's lights against the sky—there are other cities and still others, millions and billions of them off in space and billions of suns ajo tho, inhabitants of each of those cosmic cities. »

Look out from the world on which you live to the infinite universe of which you are a part, and then you may realise how great a future is that of man —when he shall be ripe for k. How wonderful it is that our minds can grasp even faintly tho vast system to which we belong. We are little things of dust, fashioned for a moment with eyes that see —yet somewhere within us is the spark that lets us share in the universal life, and .study, however feebly, the ultimate purposo of creation. Through study of the stars we come in contact with the Ruler of tho Universe, and we feel the beautiful truth. that the same Power works throughout creation, a truth so wonderfully expressed in two verses of the Psalms : "Ho healeth the broken in. heart and bindeth up their wounds." " He telleth the number of tho .stars; He calleth them all by their name."

Among the stars man finds inspiration for good living, humbleness, and a deep desire to be worthy of the just government of the universe. If sorrow has made you bitter, if yon question the goodness of infinite Power, make friends of the stars. Among them you shall find proof of infinite wisdom., justice, and kindness.

MODERN SPIRITUALISM. At the Church Congrcsa, Weymouth, an effort was made to obtain the appointment of a representative Congress Committee to inquire into the question of psychical phenomena. The subject was introduced by the Rev. Archdeacon Thomas Oolloy, the rector of Stockton, near Rugby, who was educated at Magdalen Hal], Oxford; was curate of St. Thomas's, Coventry, 1869-72; and, after holding appointments at St. Anne's, Wandsworth, and Portsmouth, was Archdeacon of Natal from 1879 to 1893. Archdeacon CbUoy, it appears, holds that there | is "scientific proof" of life beyond the grave. To this end ho has collated his spiritualistic experiences of thirty-three years in the form of an address, which is to be published in throe languages, and which has been based upon a diary in which he has recorded various supernatural visitations to himself. Spirit people, he declares, have been seen, heard, and' touched by him. In one case he and four friends were sitting with a medium when the form of a little girl was discerned in the full gaslight, and this child pursed her mouth to receive kisses, and also spoke. On the instructions of the medium she also fetched articles from different parts of the room. The archdeacon also tells the story of another spirit form called into realisation through a medium, and was that of an Egyptian. It was tail, walked about the room, and finally sat by the side of the archdeacon, who examined it through a lens closely, observing the frontal' ornament of the turban. A3 he passed his fingers over it it seemed to melt away. Altogether the Egyptian remained visible for an hour, and was induced under the influence of the medium to* write on the back of Archdeacon Colley's card. . For this a pencil was placed near him. The pencil was held at the same angle as a stylus, and the writing ran from right to left. Subsequently the card was forwarded to the authorities of the British Museum, and the writing was identified as Coptic Facsimiles have been prepared, which the archdeacon will prodnce at the Congress. The archdeacon assigns the wedding which took place last July between his son, Lieutenant Colley, and an Irish girl to a recent visitation. While paying a chance call in London it seems Lieutenant Colley was told that a lady wished to see him. He was confronted with a total stranger, who told him that she was a medium, and the spirit of his dead mother wished to communicate with him. A mes-

sage in a faint voice was dictated by the spirit through the medium, the meaning of which was beyond tho lieutenant's comprehension. Presently, however, another and strange spirit spoke and delivered a message, which proved afterwards to concern a lady iq Ireland. Again the first spirit spoke, and intimated that the stranger was tho mother of the lieutenant's future wife, and that his marriage had been arranged. Quite sceptically the lieutenant informed his father of his amazing experience, and the archdeacon understood the first message as a. reference to an incident of his early married life. Eventually, whilo delivering the message to the Irish lady, though stul incredulous, the lien tenant became acquainted with the girl, who became his bride a little over two months ago. During a pastoral visitation Archdeacon Colley came across an instance in which a widow who was on her deathbed talked aloud for some time with her husband, whose spirit, she declared, was in the room. "THE LEAGUE OF SEX." A remarkable story of a crusade among Depiford boys, told by the Rev. J. Gregory Mantle, appears! in the report of the London Wesleyan Mission. "The League of Sis" was formed by half a doaen boys, each one of wham wears a badge with the letters "L.0.5." upon it, meaning, according to one of its members: Left off ■wearing, left off smoking, and left off skylarking. Prayer meetings are regularly held, and the original sis have been the means of enrolling 166 other boys as members. The rules of the League sabecribed to by each member prohibit smoking, racing, betting, gambling, tossing, drinking, attendance _ at music halls, theatres, etc Only the original six are entitled to wear badges. The " converted" members and associates are, under the rules, compelled to wear violet ties or violet ribbon in their button holes. GENERAL BOOTH'S PLAN\ OF CAMPAIGN. The venerable leader of the SalvatioA Army has planned tho following itinerar/ for the immediate future: —After visiting the principal towns of the United Kingdom he will go to Germany, to help the people of thai country, andi assist in maintaining love, good fellowship, and peace between Germany and England. He will then visit" France and Switzerland. He aims at developing the social operations of the Army. He especially wishes the Army to deal with the vagrant masses "the inexorable tramps." And he is going to bring home to his soldiers that they are as responsible and as important as his officers. AMERICAN RELIGIONS. America has always had a weakness for curious and fantastic religions. Mr Hepworth Dixon in bis day wrote an acoount of many, some of which have now disappeared. Others, however, have taken their place. The peculiarity of these religioni is that their prophets almost invariably make large profits. —The Gams of Mrs Eddy.— One of the most successful in accumulating money has been Mrs Mary Baker G. Eddy, the head of the Ohristaan Science movement. Thirty years ago, when she was an attractive young woman who had been twice married, she established a sort of "faith cure" boarding-house, which, she called by the grandiloquent name of " Massachusetts Metaphysical College." She plodded along with this for fourteen years Then, sixteen years ago, she opened her first church of Christian Scientists in Boston, with twenty-six members. It had taken her all those years to gather together that little band of followers. After that progress was by leaps and bounds. The Mother Church in Boston now has 15,000 members, and there are more than 500 Christian Science congregations scat : terod throughout America. They are increasing every year. Some of the Christion Science temples are magnafioent structures. In New York the two churches facing the west side of Central Park are regulurly visited by sightseers. The immense profits that accrue from the invea tion of a new peligkHV are made dear by the admission of Mrs Eddy that she abandoned her Metaphysical College, although her income from it was £B,OOO a year, to devote her time exclusively to the upbuilding of Christian Science. That this step was not in the nature of a sacrificp is sliown by the admission that it is her custom to give away in charity more than £4,000 every year, and that she began thte liberality as far back as 1895, when her church was only six years oJd. Dirring the past ten years Mrs Eddy's profits, includ ing bequests, are said to have amounted to fully £200,000. —The Profits of Mormonism,— The Mormon Church was "founded seventy-five years ago by a wanton boy." Since then the heads of the Church and their chief lieutenants have been able, in one way or "another, to amass millions for themselves. Scattered throughout Utah., the stronghold of Mormonism, are immeneo warehouses built by the Church authorities for the reception of the "tithings," or the contributions of the faithful. This 10 per cent of the year's gains is regularly paid. sometimes in money, but oftener in farm products, catUe, or goods. In former years the Mormon Church spent millions hi building the groat temple in Salt Lake City, and smaller ones in other places. That work was completed ten years ago. The faithful among the Latter Day Saints believe that the enormous revenues of the Church are now being spent in sending missionaries throughout the world, and in fighting political battles; but tbey have no way of being certain, as the heads of the Church are not required to give an account of the money that passes through their Millions could bo pocketed, and there would bo no question asked. —The Spiritualists.— It is estimated that there are one and Vhalf millian persons in tho United States Ttfao helieso in Stifextoaliem, The cult is

divided into nineteen State organisations, 660 societies in cities and towns, and fiftytwo camp-meeting associations. Ton thousand apptoximatefy representa, libs- number of allsged mediums. The moat conspiouons of the Spiritualists at present is Mrs Pepper. She holds a service in on edifice which she calls the First Spiritual Church in. Brooklyn, and professes to work marvels. The contributions of those who go to see her enable her to lead a life of almost Oriental luxury. —The Six Millions of the Eoanonate Society.—

The most etstraordtnaiy story is that of the TEoouomiba Sudt-fcy. I*» wJIk U admitted to be one million, and is estimated to be nearer six nuffions. It bos practi caflv passed into the hands of one man — John Duss. The method' i« told as follows in the New York 'Public Opinion':"The 'Eoonomites,' under the leadership of George Bapp, settled in Beaver County about seventy yeans ago. They believed that Rapp had divine attributes, and that when he died they would oil ascend to Heaven in a body with him. In this expectation they agneed to remain oalebatcs, and this rule remained in force after Rapp'e death had undeceived them. These ' monks and nuns-,' by frugality and industry, gained possession of a largo tract of land. As the wealth of the society has increased the number of its members has decreased Ten yeans ago there were alive thirty. Two or three years ago, ten. To-day there is John Duss, who not only has disregarded the rule requiring celibacy, bat goes about the country directing a band and managing plays" Thie- seventy years of toil and fasting of an entire community have been for tfcisr —Other Societies.— Among other societies are the Lost Tribes of Israel, the Sun Worshippers, the Society of Angel Dancers, and one eocAetj with the blasphemous name of the Holy Ghost and Us Society. The last is said to have accumulated great wealth. It is presided over by a, man named Frank W. Sandwood. " What fools we mortals be." — 'British Weekly.' GLEANINGS. A vigorous attack on Society was made in a Manchester church the other day. ITie Lard Mayor of Dublin unveiled a marble statue of St. Anthony in St. Chad's Catholic Church, Cheetham, and the ad cirees was given by Father George Payne, who said the world was full of nameleßS immoralities. A new d-ictionary of aductives was needed to describe the sharp practices and over-reaching transactions of iheso day*. Ohe world was reeking with impurity. Souls were being lost, women degraded, and the lives of children sacrificed. It is seldom that a rat battue has led to such agreeable results as has been the case at Scorcola Marsicana, in the province of Rome, where it has led to the discovery of a fine medieval fresco. Pilgrims to a. supposed miraculous picture in ti>e chm-d. of St. Anthony of Padua having heard what they took to be the sound of vermin running in the wall behind ihe picture, gave information, and the clergy had the picture removed from the wall, where it had hung for generations. No signs of rats were seen, out to the general surprise these was laid bare a beautiful fresco representing St. Francis of Aesisi receiving the stigmata. This has led to a genexal overhauling of the church, with a view to the posaburty of other treasures lying concealed.

The death is announced of Cardenat Pierotta at Rome on September 8. Archbishop Murphy, of Hobart, received I last week an autograph letter of fefacitatioo. and blessing from Pope Pius X. The document was posted in Rome in tune to arrive for the inaugural celebration of the Archbishop's diamond ju&lee. The Pope heartily congratulates the Archbishop on his kmg and arduous apostolate, and prays God in recompense to add stall further favors, aad imparts most lovingly the apostolic blessing in testimony of his appreciation! and- veneration. Mrs C. Birks (president) will represent the South Australian Y.W.C.A. at the World's Conference of Y.W.OA-s at Paris in April next. A ouriaas contravention of Papal etiquette took place after the consecration of the new Bishop of Bergamo the other day. Tho custom is that the Pope shall dine in solitary state; but His Hotiness, instead, invited the new Bishop to dinner. A oompranaise was arrived at, tho master of ceremonies stipulating that the Pope should sit at a separate table raised on a small dais. There was a largo number of .guests, on whom the head butler, SUi, succession to Pio Centra, waited; while Mgr Bisleti, "maestro di camera," waited personaOy on the Pope. Canon Henry Drew, rector of Hawardeu., has announced his intention of devoting the revenues of his benefice to th© day schools in has parish, and of doing his work without' remuneration. Canon Drew moiTied cne of Mr W. E. Gladstone's daughters. The vicar of Swansea has ordered the removal of the telephone receivejs which had been placed in the pulpit of his parish church in order to enabte tho service to be heard in private houses. The Rev. F". B. Meyer, of Christchurch, Westminster Bridge (London), has pur chased a house at Lambeth, which is to be converted into a restaurant for tho workers.

On November 1 the chimes of BonBells will again be board by Londoners. Instructed by the new rector, Sir Charles Stanford has set the 'tuno "Turn again, \\Tutiingtoa' tor the purposes of the chime. At the present time tho twelve bells axe being rouung, and an automatic apparatus is being connected with the dock. In addition, however, the mechan iem will enable the beUs to be cshimed by one bellringer at the time of service. Tha first of the famous bow belie, afcenorweiglimg 53owt, was cast aa far back as 1669, when the metal of tho old bells melted in the great fire of London was used.—English paper. News of strange alarm in the remote village of Torberg, in tho extreme north of Finland, has reached Stockholm. Torberg is situated in a valley, and rain falling almost without Mennasskm. for ten days

and nighto the inhabitants feared that a second deluge was upon them. One of their number proposed that they should be prepared for the worst, aud they thereupon proceeded to build an ark. Boofs were torn, from the houses, from farms, and from cow-stalls; bouts wtre locked together and trees cut down. Working frantically, the villagers managed to construct a gigantic raft, opon which they embarked with all their belongings. Then they fasted and sang hymns for hours at a stretch. Now, as a thanks-offering for their preservation, a church, is to be raised from the timbers of ibeir twentieth century ark. The Bishop of St. Asaph in September »TBt issued a pastoral letter, to be read iu the churches of his diocese, appealing to the laity on behalf of the Diocesan .?hurch Schools' Fund. The Bishop pointed out thai- the St. Asaph diocesan schools umtain a larger proportion of pupils than the schools of almost any other diocese in the country, and proceeds: "1 remember the crisis of 1870. If the vast majority oi church people had not then stood resolutely by their schools we should have had today a system of secular schools in th.it> diocese. It mus* never be forgotten that the Church schools have not only mam tained religions teaching within their own walls, but their existence and example have silently »*"* irresistibly weakened the erv for secular schools. Let me warm ycur imagination to-day with the recollection of the coaraga and devotion shown by Church people in 1870. The cry then was: 'You must recognise facta and. surrender ygjui schools.' A few—very few —in this diocese heeded that cry, but there is not ft parish which yielded then where the Church people do not to-day deeply regret the foes of their school" The Bishop of Salisbury, addressing a conference of clergy and Church workers at Blandfbrd, saicfthe growth of divorce and suicides, the trying controversy with regard to the education question, and many other things had made people anxious as to the future of the country, not to speak of the Church. There had been revealed to tllem the terrible audi painful fact that a, jjwftt many wave giving up .public woe-

•hip, and that a large proportion, of the people of England paid' little aitentwo, to religion at all. The Bishop of Rochester, speaking recently at Graresend on behalf of -waterside 'missions, said that patios were the finest typo of humanity on QooT* earth. There was no man to whom ho would more readily raise his hat than to the British sailor. He had learnt with plearare that Adsnrnal Togo was baptised at Gravesend. He did not know whenher it was true, bob bo would ask all local clergy to search their registers to that each aa interesting event might be racs© prominently recorded. The Bishop arpnxsed overta-keu Admiral Togo's battleship. The 'Catholic Herald' states that the archbishop and bishops of the province of Westminster have issued a declaration colling the earnest attention of all Kotnan Catholics to übe grave departure from Catholio teaching and tradition, and serious dangers to the Catholic faith, which are involved in the placing of Catholio children in non-Catholic sottootft. The bishops point out that it is, under ordinary circumstances, a. grievotua sin on the past* of parents to expose their children to such risks They recognise that in some rare oases, where no other means of entering a particular profession can be found, panants may be justified in exposing their children to such risks, provided they toko all possible precautions to render them remote, but decisxm. as to whether the necessity exists m;tst be given by the bishop of the <tiocese, Kod not by any individual priest. The Rev. Thomas Law, secretary of the Notional Free Church Council, speaking at the annual meeting of the East York* Federation of the Free Church Council at Scarborough, eacd that the Liberal leaders were absolutely pledged to make the reversal of the education policy of the present Government their first work on being returned to power. The education proposals of the new Government would certainly include absolute popular control of all schools, and freedom from all sectarian tests. There woulcL&e no provision! mode for right of entry during schools hours to administer denominational teaching.