THE CHURCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16326, 23 August 1913, Page 5

THE CHURCHES.

CHURCH UNION. BACK TO PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY. (Contributed.) Th© continuance of sectarianism is. duo not so much to ignorance ns to an utterly unjustifiable regard for the traditions of men in preference to plain Scriptural teaching. Whether the Churches recognise it or not, sectarianism constitutes a sin of great magnitude in that it is diametrically opposed to tho will of Jesus Christ, who prayed that tlioy “ all may bo one . . that tho world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” Their attitude towards the question of uniting upon a Scriptural basis lays them open to the serious charge of wilful disobedience to tho expressed will of tho divine Founder of Christianity. Besides considerably weakening tho Churches as instruments for good, the deplorable results of such disobedience upon humanity are incalculable. To secure unity the Churches must return to primitive Christianity, renouncing everything taught and practised by them for which there is no Biblical warrant. Tho Bible, and the Bible alone, is all-sufficient for any honest and intelligent person. Departure therefrom has so corrupted and divided the Church that there is little resemblance between it and the early Christian Church. This result, however, is only what might have been expected. Christ knew it; hence His prayer. In any discussion on this question by ministers of religion and others, the first essential requirement is honesty of opinion, combined with a desire to arrive at a settlement by an appeal to tho Bible. What they have to do is to agree to abolish denominationalism by abandoning party names, adopting instead'the Bible name of “Church of Christ,” or “Church of God,” the members themselves being known simply as “Christians” or “Disciples.” Tho Churches have also to abandon tho rite of infant baptism, which, in' the light of Scripture, is illogical, and for which, indeed, there is no clear and definite Bible sanction. Scriptural baptism (immersion) applies only to those who arc of an age to understand the ordinance.

The observance of the Lord’s Supper once a month or once a quarter is also unscriptural. It should be observed on tho first day of each week. The doctrine of predestination, happily seldom preached nowadays, must bo wholly rejected. The absurdity of this doctrine is manifest when we reflect that were there any truth in it there would have been no noed for Christ to como into tho world to save sinners. If predestination be true, then the Day of Judgment is past and preaching is useless. There is, I fear, a disinclination on the part of many paid ministers cf religion to renounce that which they have so long taught and practised without Scriptural authority. They apparently lack the moral courage to lace their congregations and tell them frankly that there is no clear and definite Biblical support for some of their doctrines and practices, and that, therefore, tlieso should bo renounced. But in tho interests of Christianity and humanity that step must bo taken. Honesty demands that it shall be taken in order that only tho truths of Christianity shall be taught to tho rising generation and to future generations. Tho consequence of such action need not bo feared, for “ the truth shall make you free.” Pride of denomination must bo sacrificed, along with everything else which obstructs the road to Church union upon the basis laid down in Ephesians iv., 3-G. The right kind of pride consists in getting back to Christ and liis teachings. Sufficient has been said, I think, to convince unbiased members of tho various religious bodies of tho necessity and the importance of urging their ministers to meet and discuss the matter of Christian' union at least once a week. Should it be found after the lapse of a period of twelve months that tho Christchurch Ministers’ Association has failed to unite tho Churches, then tho task ought to be taken in hand by a conference of delegates (laymen) representing the different Churches. In conclusion, let me express tho earnest hope that tho Churches will bestir themselves at once in this matter, which is of such urgent and far-reaching importance. THE UNION MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER. A congress on the Union of Churches is to bo held in Melbourne on September 1 and the three subsequent days. Tho Melbourne “Herald” says that the council of tho movement is inviting every accredited minister in Victoria,, whether in active charge of a church or not, and also lay representatives connected with the different church bodies, who are promoting the congress, on tho basis of one for each 200 communicant members or under; two’ for 200 and under 300, and three for all over 300. Tho executive comhiitteo has also power to invite, in addition, representative men who do nob come under either of the above beads. Tho congress is being promoted to find a. way by which tho churches may become “ono in a visible fellowship.” The promoters are leading members of the following church bodies: —Anglican, Baptist. Congregationalist, Churches of Christ, Methodist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends. A conference of theological students, representing six Protestant denominations—Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational and Churches of Christ—was held in Melbourne about a fortnight ago, says tho “ Sydney Daily Telegraph.” The Rev Horace Crotty, of St James’s (Anglican), Ivanlice, spoke on the best means of promoting unity. Ho followed tho Rev J. Thomas, whoso address dealt with tile spirit of unity among members. Mr Crotty said that, on this question of Church unity, ministers should guide public opinion. Unity appeared to be inevitable, and the tnhn in tho pulpit ought to create the proper atmosphere for it. Unity among ministers could be promoted if .they went together into the firing line—into tho street among the men who had lost religion—among those who were intellectually Hostile to Christianity. Christianity was in danger of two isolations—from the world’s great throb of things where practical social work is to be done, and to squabbling about issues which were beside tho point. “ Back to Christ,” Mr Crotty added, was tho cry of tho world to-day, while men were wrangling over theology. He wished to see interdenominational activity in producing Christian propaganda. Why could not a message be sent forth from tho united Churches to tho manhood of the State?

FREEDOM OF THE WILL. TO THE EDITOR. With your permission I should like to make n few remarks on tho above subject. I am prompted to do so by tho reply that Professor Sahnond has given to the questions asked him by the Rov J. J. North. The professor says, “That is simply nonsense. Such a belief treats man simply as a piece of mechanism, within tho larger .mechanism of tho universe, wholly controlled by it. Such a belief no thinker can hold. Man is a creature of purpose, ruled by motion. When he decides between two courses of action ho obeys tho .stronger motive. Ho himself makes the motive. There, is indeed a psychological question between self-determination and indetenninafcion, but in either of these cases man is a free spiritual agent, not bound

in the chains of a mechanistic universe.”

With all cine respect to Profossor Salmond, I call this reply simply nonsenso. Man has not a free will; man's mind is played and acted upon by unseen forces that ho has absolutely no control over whatsoever; but before we go any further, let us see what Sir Oliver Lodge, one of the most prominent psychologists of the. present day, states on this very important question on mind. “ Let us consider in the first place,” Sir Oliver says, “ what occurs during the ordinary process of speaking or writing—speaking or writing of the most normal or commonplace kind. An idea is conceived in the mind, but in order to achieve some effect in the material world it must move matter. The movement or rearrangement of matter is all that wo ourselves are able to accomplish in the physical universe: the whole of our direct terrestrial activities resolve themselves into this, the production of changes of motion. “ But a thought belongs to a different order of existence—whatever it is, it is not material; it is neither matter nor force; it has no direct power over matter; directly and unaided it can move nothing. How then, can it get itself translated on terms of motion ? How can it, from the psychioal category, produce a physical effeot? Physiology informs us. not indeed of the whole manner of the achievement, but of part at least of the method. The thing that can move matter is called muscle. In muscle is located the necessary energy, which only requires to be stimulated into activity in order to be transformed into visible motion and transferred in any required direction.

“In a living, body means are provided for stimulating its muscles, in the shape of an intricate arrangement of nerve fibres, which, when themselves excited in one of many ways, can cause the muscle to contract. This part of the process is not indeed fully understood, but it is familiarly known. The excitation of the nerves may be a mere random tweaking or irritation, by a mechanical or electric goad; but in a living organism it can also bo produced in a more meaningful and economical fashion, by the discliargo of energy from a central cell, such as exists in the cortex or gray matter of the brain. This process may also be considered as comparatively though not completely understood: The central ganglion is clearly the direct means of getting the - nerve excited, the muscle contracted, and the direct motion produced. “ But what is it that stimulates the brain? What is it that desires the particular motion and liberates energy from the appropriate brain cell P In soiho cases it i 3 mere reflex action; it is somo stimulus which has arrived from the peripheral nerve-endings, so as to evoke response in a central ganglion—say, in the spine or cerebellum; whence the stimulus has proceeded to a neighbouring cell and so to the efferent nerve fibres. In that case no consciousness is involved; the psychical element is absent; there is no intelligence or will in the process, nor any necessary sensation. The wriggling of a worm, and many contortions of the lower animals, may be—ahnll we say may ho hoped to be ?—of this order. “ But I am not taking the case of reflex and unconscious action; I am definitely postulating a thought or idea concerned in the mind —operating, so to speak, on the will—and determining that there shall be a response in the material world. By what means the stimulus gets out of the psychical region into the physical, and liberates energy from the brain centre, I have not the remotest idea; nor, I venture to say, has any one.” And yet, Professor Salmond tells us that, “ man himself makes the motive.” I wonder if Scotland’s national bard, Robbie Bums, had the same idea in his mind a-s Sir Oliver Lodge, when he permed these immortal lines:—

Then gently scan your brother man, Still gentlor sister woman; Though thoy may gang a hennin -wrong, To stop aside is human. Who mado tho heart, ’tis He alone, Decidedly can try un; Ho knows each chord —Its various tone, Each spring—its various bias. Then at tho balance lot’s be mute, Wo never can adjust it, What’s dono wo partly may compute, But know not what’s resisted. —I am, etc.. DEMOCRAT.

NOTES. Dr W. Chapman has been supplying Dr J. H. Jewett's joulpit at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, for two months. Mr _ and Mrs Alexander also are in America. Mr and Mrs Harkness have gone to Switzerland, where Mr Harkness was io be a pianist at tho World’s Sunday School Convention. Tho Roman Catholic newspapers continue to report miracles said to have taken place at Lourdes. Several persons unable to walk have been restored, men and women have thrown away crutches, no longer requiring them, and others suffering from various diseases are now enjoying perfect health, following on visits to this famous spot. Dr Dixon, of tile Metropolitan Tabernacle, has advocated paying*for the insertion of a column sermon in each of the London dailies once a. week, in order to get the Gospel to the (people. He stated that if all the churches, halls and theatres were filled every Sunday only one and a half out of the seven millions in London would hear a serPresident Woodrow Wilson, of the United States, recently delivered an address on “The Bible and Progress, and closed with the following words: — “ I have a very simple tiling to ask you. I ask every man and woman in this audience that from this night on they will realiso that part, of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this great Book of Revelations.’ Mrs Hermann (“ E.H.”), a religious and philosophical writer well known to New South Wales, has been appointed editor of the English “ Presbyterian,” and is resigning the sub-editors hip. of “Everyman.” The London “Christian World ” says that Mrs Hermann proposes to expand the scope of the “ Presbyterian,” so that it will appeal to Scottish as well as English Presbyterians. Many of the leading Scottish ministers have promised her their active co-operation. Summing up the position of the Nonconformist Churches in England for tho past year, a writer in the “ Westminster Gazette” notes an improvement in Methodism, a decrease in Congregationalism and in the Baptist Church, and a decided advance in the Society of Friends and the Moravians. Summed up, tho Frco Churches have passed through another year of difficulty, but this testing time is proving most valuablo in stimulating attention, to defects in organisation and to departures from generally accepted standards. Many evidences are forthcoming that tlio leaders of the Free Churches desire to promote in a wiso and zealous way the revival of religion in our towns and villages. Money does not seem wanting, but Nonconformity is at present requiring a large percentage of its sous, who have been educated at tho public schools for the Christian ministry at Home and abroad in the mission field.