CHURCH NOTES AND NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9729, 4 January 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHURCH NOTES AND NEWS.

THE INDIAN' 'MISSIONS. "Saturated) with the principles of British historv (says the Central Christian .Advocate), stirred by the successes of Japan against Russia, embittered by the partition of Bengal—carried out by LordCurzon's Government ire the fate of a. storm of protest from the Indian people—it is the clamoring of these men for political independence which is the cause of the present unrest. Monster mass-meetings to denounce the Government, an anti-govern-ment campaign in the newspapers conducted with much vituperation and,misrepresentation, a partially successful boycott of Knglish poods with tlie reflex influence of enormously increasing the manufacture and' use of indigenous articles, tne. starting of new national schools and colleges apart from Government aid, a growing impatience with any European authority anJ control—these are the characteristics of the movement. That there has been violence in cavera! places is not strange considering the size of the country and the population. The common people are ignorant and easily inflamed!, and' most of the vernacular newspapers and some of the leaders are absolutely unscrupulous. Throughout the educated! classes all over the country tlic-re is uneasiness and, through a common dislike for foreign authority, a dim perception of foresliadowing of a national life and spirit- amoro* races and creeds hitherto absolutely separated and' aloof. The crudities, the excesses, and the violence are but the grow-ing-pains of a nation, and no nation has yet Iseen lx>rn without much suffering. In India all Europeans are classed together, arid many people believe the missionaries to be in pay of the Government. CVmsecjuentlv the missionaries liave to bear whatever ia directed! against the Government. Public burning of Bibles, Ixjycottdng mission schools, personal insult, the bieaking-up of open-air preaching—these have all occurred in various places. But more eerioiis than this has been the utter absorption of the educated' man ire political questions to the exclusion of all else. And these who are interested in religious matters have, top, been affected 1 by the national spirit, and the cry of a. national religion- has been oue of the many raised. Knowing tuat educated men cannot hold with present-day Hinduism a purified or Xeo-Hinduism is being advocated, which is supposed to be nearer the original as set forth in the earliest sacred books "

ITEMS. In Church of England circles is is be lieved tliat by the end of next vear fresh dloce.=«s will nave been definitely formed for Essex, Suffolk, and" Sheffield. In Suffolk a considerable sum of money is still needed, but the unifying effect of the decision to make the diocesan the "Bishop of Suffolk rather than of any particular town ought greatly to influence the progress of the fund". Essax is seriously divided in opinion as to ths See City, Colchester, Chelmsford, West Ham. an<i Woodfordl all laying veuement claim to tlie dignity.

The heritors of the parish church of C'armylie, near Arbroath, have decided-, to perpetuate, by means of two beautiful stained-glass windows, to perpetuate the memory of the Hev. Patrick Bell, LL.D., wlio invented 1 the reaping- machine in the year 1827. One of the windows, which are to occupv the pulpit end of the church, will have for its subject, "Buth and Boaz," a pastoral scene, with the text, "I, wisdom, dwell with understanding, and find out knowledge of witty inventions." The other window will have reference to Dr Bell's work as a preacher. The vicar of Christ Church, Blackburn, has started-.a "Children's Church" in his parish, intended to serve in place of all existing services for boys and "iris. The services will take place each Sunday morning and evening in the parish room, and the expenses are to be met by a halfpennycollection on the last Sunday in each month. Officers will be selected from among the. boys, and girls will form the choir. The latter will be trained by the vicar's wife. When the children reach the age of 12 the- will be transferred! to the parent church, except in the case of the choir girls, who will be retained until 14 years of age.

Although General Booth is displaying an astonishing vigor at the close of his campai— it is believed that next Friday night (says the Tribune's Xew York correspondent on November 4), when he" will make his farewell exhortation from the steps of the City Hall here, will be the last time that ne will address an American audience. Consequently the General is exerting every effort to put some of his cherished' plans into execution. He is consulting the wealthiest • benefactors of the Salvation Army with the view of launching his University of Humanity. The veteran leader has especially interested Mise Helen Gould: in his project. He had a consultation to-day with Hiss Gould. Though the official announcement as to the result of his interview has yet to be made, there is good reason to believe that General Booth obtained' an assurance of sufficient financial support from the American side. The Central Sub-Committee of the United Methodist Church at Home has completed its plan for a simultaneous mission to mark the recent amalgamation. The committee has not appointed! a missioner to every circuit, but has allotted one or more ministers to all the larger centres in l each district; and has left if'n the district committees to make for other circuits and 1 individual The secretary (Rev. A. •Hancock) the "districts "C-nerally are falling into line, and! the expectation increases of a mighty work of grace." The union of missions will be consummated as soon as possible. The membership on mission, stations totals 16,343, and the probationers 11,856 —about two-thirdis in each case belonging to the Free Methodist section. The total income last year was £17,056, and the aggregate overdraft £1212. The contributions average just under Is 5d per member. The Press has within the past few weeks printed a despatch purporting to come from Pittsburg, stating that "within the last two years! a score of Pittsburg clergymen have given up their cliarges for the life insurance business, and are making more money." A specific case was mentioned as that of a Methodist minister who upon resigning said to his people:—'"l do not quit from choice, but from necessity. It is not altogetlser a matter of money consideration, but a consideration of the hi"h cost of living. If ever the opportunity offers I will re-enter the ministry, but at present there is not a living in it. The shortage of ministers to-day is occasioned solely by the insufficient pay." The Pittsburg Christian Advocate casts doubt upon the statement as emanating from a Methodist minister. It ifurther thinks that no Methodist minister of that neighborhood lias "deliberately turned! aside from this sacred calling" that he might accumulate property." Some there are who lave ''entered other lines of work," but without having •'left the ministry because of lade of support." The Rev. R. J. Campbell has been tilting at all sorts of institutions of late, and the most recent is the Religions Press. Preaching on '"lnsincerity" at the City Temple, "to a crowded congregation, he said!: "Take the case of the religious Press. ; We have been hearing a great deal iately about the enormities of the secular Press, but to my mind thev ate not so dangerous to truth and righteousness as some of the methods of that section, of modern journalism which makes its profits, out of the church-going- public. The secular Press is at least unbluslang in its unquestionable methods of making monejr by pleasing its constituency. The religious j feeds, ir» doing exactly the same thing, has to *>retend that it "is actuated by the | loftiest motives. To expect sincerity und j straightforwardness in the ordinary newspaper is to expect the impossible. It has to consider; and does consider, first and foremost, what- will pay. It traffics in the same things for the sake of private tain. It may be asserted that preachers b the same thing, and there is truth in the assertion; but the charge fails utterly if the preacher is faithful to his reputation and his.bread and-batter. The religious Press champions no cause that reattv requires championing.. I feel it may be said, that there .ia'iao more rotten institution in this countrv to-day than that portion ol the Precs which is supposed to represent religion."