THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Evening Star, Issue 14529, 3 December 1910, Page 9

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

RUSSIAN MONKS.

The standard of morality .among the monks of tho Russian Church is not vary high, an may bo judged from tho fact that at a congress of ecclesiastics hold in Moscow a few months ago tho thief subject of discussion was: “ How to reduce drunkenness in monasteries.” Not long ago tho Holy Synod cent a circular to archimandrites, or abbots, in which it was pointed out that monasteries were not intended to bo luxurious country houses in which tho monks lived at ease, waited on by hired servants. Tho Synod ordered that the work very generally done by laborers and domestics should devolve on tho monks themselves, and further gave instructions that vodka-drinking should be absolutely prohibited. Having sent out these instructions, the »Syuod appears to have assumed that a great reform had been made, and one of the bishops implored a gathering of parochial clergy to give up drinking vodka and follow tho eel [-sacrificing example of tho monks. “Is ho so simple ns to suppose,” asked one exasperated priest, “ that monks are going to stop drinking vodka because the Holy Synod at St. Petersburg has asked them to do eo in a circular 2”

THE FUNCTION OF THE MISSIONARY. Speaking at Glasgow at a meeting arranged by tho Baptist .Missionary Society, Mas Kemp, who has travelled and worked in China, Manchuria, Corea, and tho lar East, said that the function ot the missionary in China and Manchuria was not to bo a pastor, but the director of a large circle of churches. Most of tho missionaries had tho supervision of as many as fifty churches, each with its_ own native pastor, each looking to the missionary for general direction and co-ordination. That showed that missionaries should bo men and women capable of beinrg leaders. They required no longer the pious enthusiast without training or intellectual abilities, But they would require men of high nobility of character, men who ware bound to be respected and reverenced. Mere thev getting such men 2 Was that what tho” churches understood they were asking for 2 She ventured to think that that was not quite what they understood. it was difficult to make people realise tho greatness of the opportunity. homo men wanted to walk before tncy could hardly creep, and it required tact, sympathy, and judgment on the part of the workers to meet the. excessively difficult situation. They had fortunately got men and women of the highest uifts and attainments who were able"to do'the work, but they needed to multiply them a hundredfold. If the natives did not meet with the right people they rapidly became hostile, becanfi: they lacked understanding of tho missionary position. Slip regretted that missionary boards as a whole did not dosiro men with largo ambitions. She knew of men who had been refused for that reason. It was no use to settle down to paltry things. They should have a large outlook. Tho Missionary Society had largo funds to bo disposed of, and* they were a source of considerable anxiety; but if they had the men and women who knew how to use those funds they might become a source of magnificent strength. Bho implored them to think imperially, and not to lot considerations of their own importance blind them to their own needs and noceesi-tios.—-(Cheers.)

RELIC lON AND DIVORCE IN AMERICA. Interviewed by the Central Nows mi his arrival in 'England from America, Father Bernard Vaughan, discussing Protestantism and Catholicism in the United States, said that if Protestantism, according to ins proud boast, were tho religion j of"tho nation, to Judge from tho nation’s 70.000 divorces a" year, its steadily decreasing birth-rate, 'and its ever increasing I neglected religions education, tho country' did not seem to find much uso for the religion of it.- birth. “ 1 am inclined,” ho remarked, " to say of Protestantism, as expressed in terms of divorce and racial suicide, What does it profit a man'.'” THE BIBLE IN 550 TONGUES, Next ve.ar tho British and ioivlyn Bible Society will commemorate the tercentenary of tho publication in 1611 of the authorised version of the Publish Bible, and arrangements aro already being made for tho occasion. The publication figures of thus most famous of all books are nothing less than amazing. Tho Scriptures have been published, up to date, in no fewer than | 530 different languages and dialects, and the society have circulated over 222.000,000 copies. Lost year established a record by tho publication of 6,620,000 volumes. Tho Bible is now being published by the society in the native tongues of seven-tontlis of tho human race. Every day it sends out 19.000 volumes in 424 different and distinct languages. One of its newest departures is to issue the Scriptures in English and foreign languages yu parallel columns. These volumes are intended for emigrants to Canada. It may surprise tim majority of Antipodean#; to learn that the newcomers to Canada speak no fewer than eighty languages. From the now p null cal uni these people not only gain a knowledge of holy writ, but also some acquaintance with English, while, incidentally, the result must (end towards the unification of tha Empire. The difficulties surmounted by the translators of the authorised version into so many strange and uncouth languages havo been enormous. Take the case of the tongue spoken by the natives of Longna, in Paraguay. The missionary who had to learn that language in order to translate St. Mark’s Gospel for the natives must havo had a lifc-’tv work before which the, bravest man might quail. Eighteen, for example, is “ sohog-emck-wakt-hla-mok-eminik - anthauthlama,” and tho simple word “butter” becomes “ v.-aitkyaiimnaalaikingniuuuk-ik-pithnmk,” which means literally, “the grease of the juice of the udder of the cow.” Obviously the learning of German is child’s play compared with acquiring an acquaintance with Lcugua. But in spit© of all its labor and all its triumphs tho society calculate that there aro 450,000,000 people to whom tho Bible remains to this day a sealed book, because it has not yet been published in the language they understand. So there is still plenty of scope for further enterprise and endeavor.—London correspondent.

NONCONFORMIST AND EDUCATION IN INDIA. Tho Bishop of Calcutta (Dr Coplcston), addressing a large meeting at tho Bishop of Southwark's house at Kenaington on the subject of Church work and education in India, said on a recent occasion ; With respect' to the work of education, ho was pleased to lie aide to announce a gift of £50,000 from a Nonconformist —“that inaccurate but convenient word.” Tho Church had been invited by tho undenominational churches to chare in this gift. The same donor, who wished to remain anonymous, was also paying the expenses of Indian delegates to come to England in order to further tlie- scheme. The general fund would be administered by a central committee in the interests of all— towards tho training of teachers and the, foundation of scholarships. £20,009 had also been handed to him out of tho thankoffering fund of the Pan-Anglican Conference. This monev would bo devoted to the education of teachers and the foundation, of a general pension fund. Incidentally lie pointed out that the Roman Catholic schools worn admirably worked, and by outside help were able to make both ends meet; bid the Church oi England schools were, owing to then - diocesan system, too much isolated. He advocated a “ centre ” system for each district to prevent needless overlapping and consequent loss of efficiency. As regards tho general position, the Bishop said that the English people did not rccomiifi© that tho Cliristianisation of British subjects living in oar dependencies was as necessary as maintaining an army there. What, ho asked, was tho use of m army that was not a. Christian army ? While it was true that in India, as in ©very land, bad Christians were a great drawback to their cause, good Christians were tiieir greatest asset, and they wanted moro of them. Much had been heard Lately of tho unrest in India. It was our business to diminish that- unrest or to control it by strengthening the fortes that made lor intelligence rad good-wilL

GLEANINGS. t Tho Grand Duchess Elizabeth, vjidow of tho murdered Grand Duke Sergius and daughter of our Princess .Mice, has lately founded a community of Sisters of Mercy of tho Western typo—an innovation in the 1 Orthodox Church. It k said that the Holy Synod does not regard her convent in Moscow with favor. The Russian nun is supposed to give all her time to prayer, and tho new community is largely engaged in charitable work and in managing hospitals, dispensaries, and free libraries. But tho enterprise of tho Grand Duchess seems likely to succeed. A number of women of great Russian families have hitherto shrunk from tho deadening life of an Orthodox cloister, but tho new community has the attractions for the devout which tho great religious orders of tho West pre- j sent to the dovout Catholic woman. i Bishop Jovich, who belonged to tho ■ Greek Oriental Church, recently shot him- i self with a revolver. He was shortly to' bo dispossessed of his diocese, and had received orders to rcuder an account to his successor. It then transpired that the bishop had embezzled tho funds. The ■ news of his tragic end mado a deep im- ; pressing, as Bishop Jovich was much liked and had many friends. j Difficulties have arisen in connection j with tho Rokcr Congregational Church. owing to tho views held by tho new pastor, tho Rev. J. Strachan, which differ widely flora those of his predecessor, the Rev. J. S. Escritt, About two-thirds of the congregation have loft tho church as a consequence, it is alleged, of a sermon by Mi' j Strachan on tho subject of “'eternal j damnation.” |