THE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT IN UNIVERSITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10126, 8 May 1896, Page 3

THE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT IN UNIVERSITIES.

Mr, John Mow, M.A., the general secretary of the World's Students Christian Federation, delivered a fluent and decidedly interesting and instructive address, entitled " A Message from the Students of Europe and America to the Students of Australasia," in the Lecture Hall of the Auckland University yesterday morning. There were a number of students, clergymen, and ladies present, Bishop Cowie, Primate of Now Zealand, in the chair. In introducing the speaker the chairman briefly outlined the nature of the work to which Mr. Motb was devoting himself, and expressed the opinion that the visit would tend to recall those students who were wrapped up in other studios, to a sense of their duty to the Almighty. Mr. Mobt thon proceeded to convey the messages of greoting from the numerous universities and Christian institutions interested in the movement that he had visited during his travels to the students of Australasia. He had attended three Conventions in America, and in every instance a vote of greeting had boon unanimously passed to the students in other part* of the world which he was about to visit. The greeting had beon repeated at (ho Convention of the British Islos, and again in Germany, while messages of goodwill had also been entrusted to him from Sweden, Norway, Den mark, Finland, Italy, and othor parts to their colleagues in Australasia, And all those countries were evincing a lively interest in the movement and adding to the ranks of Christians day by day. His second message was to show to those in tho Southern Hemisphere what God h.ith wrought, and what Ho is working amongst students throughout the world. Sceptics, and many odueatod pooplo, seemed to run away with the idea that Christianity is losing ground as education advances, but a glance at the growing magnitude of the movement amongst Christian students throughout the world, would at) once show this idoa to be a fallacious one. During the last twenty years tho interCollegiate Christian movement in North America—United States and Canada—had grown to such an extent that at the present timo thero were five hundred institutions,'ai against something under thirty in existence on the earlier date mentioned. There were 33,000 students and professors— 8000 of whom were nob Christians—interested in tho movement; undoubtedly the largest student brotherhood in the world. And yet some say that scepticism is gaining ground in face of this proof and the marked influence of tho Society ovor students. The day is coming when the Bible is going '0 havo its place in all Government Universities and Colleges owing to the forward movement made in this direction by tho Christian Association! 1 . No less than 70,001) young men had been trained by tho Association in their work as laymon, and in many parts of the world ho had found them occupying prominent positions, socially and morally. Of this number over 4000 wore preparing for that most influential calling of man, tho clergy, awl last year no loss than 4000 young men and women had voluntarily offered themsolves for foreign mission work, of which number 800 had already gone forth to take up duties in tho various fields. After a number of apt illustrations of tho good work douo by the societies in different parts of the world, tho lecturer pointed out that it was only some two years ago that the students of England, Scotlaud, and Ireland had held a convention, and united their strengths, and already tho advantage of combination had made itself lolt in the great increase of good work carried on. In fact thero was never a time in tho annals of tho universities of the British isles when the Christian pulso beat as high m was the case to-day. Ho was shortly going on to China and Japan, and from correspondence received from those countries, ho expected to find Boven Christian institutions at the colleges of the former, and no lo*s than seventeen at the latter. Only a few years back a convention of bible students in Japan had brought together no loss than, 500 Japanese enthusiasts, and at the conclusion of the convention they decided upon the following motto: " Make Jesus King," which they had cablod to America—un action that had given great impetus to stutlonts of tho latter continent. In concluding, Mr. Mott urged upon the students of New Zealand and Australia to form simitar associations, this being the last group not in a line with the great and grand movement, and in which the advantages would be so keenly folt, owing to the isolated stafeo of tho universities, which were in the majority of cases hundreds of mites apart. A vote of thanks to the speaker and chairman concluded the proceedings.