CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10016, 5 December 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

CHRISTIANS HINDERING CUIUS TLAX/LTY. If the European Christians in India "*t;e haved themselves like true Christians.' writes [lira Lai Kumar in The Indian Ap peal iCatcutta), •"Christianity would havi txeen th-e main religion of India by thi.time." As it is, he asserts, "'the conduct of European Christians in India, generally, speaking, is anything but desirable,'' anil as a consequence "the Indians have a bad opinion of Christianity." Nowhere, he believes, is Christianity so sadly abused by the acts of its professors as in India. Even the judges, he asserts, are too often trankly partisan when they decide cases between a European and a native. In con trast to thesi- alleged tacts he outline.-: his"own conception of a true Christian. Wo read: "'Although the whole world does not believe in the .Godhead of Christ. it- is universally recognised that Christ is Love and that Christianity is the doctrine of love, and that true Christians are lovers of mankind. It teaches men morality, righteousness, truth, justice, and everything that is good for tho individual and for society. A true Christian does? not conceal a fact, nor does he utter lies to support a motive, selfish or political. He is against waging war for whatsoever purposes. He-does not take protection of the art of diplomacy .and speak lies as privileged to do so for the purpose of deceiving others. A true Christian is always truthful, sincere, simple, meek, and humble. He does not know what is duplicity. He thinks that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. He does not believe that a man \vo;:!id he trustworthy in one -department of human action and at- th-e same time treacherous in another. It is a mistake to thick that a man can pass a certain -part of his daily life in righteous pursuits and the rest- in vicious enjoyments. A Christian cannot aat against his conscience even under compulsion. An immoral and unrighteous man, however extensive his literary attainments may be, and whatever social and official position he may hold, can never make himself a good and impartial judge, a true politician, and a beloved ruler. It is ridiculous to think that no importance attaches to the religiousness, righteousness, and morality of persons who administer justice or rule a country." Christians at home, suggests Hira Lai Kumar, "would be making the best use of their wealth if they sent some missionaries to Christianise the hearts, not of the Indians, but. of Europeans here who profess to be Christians but act worse than

heathens. 7 ' ITEMS. It has been formally deckled (says the London Daily Mail) that there is to be a Mission of Help from England in 1910 to New Zealand, and a committee has been formed to make the necessary arrangements. This -will be quite distinct from any similar mission to Australia. It is •understood" that- the Bishop of Stepney will accept the invitation which lias been given him to visit Australia. While, as was- announced in this column last week, the. latters visit will have no comuction with the missions, his principal object being' to advance the cause of the Church of England Men's Society, the organisers of the mission will no doubt take advantage of his presence and obtain his help and advice, which will be of incalculable value to them in their preparations. Dr Lang is expected to leave England about the middle of next year, ana will bs away for abont six months. A serious question, affecting the Jews in all parts of the world, is engaging the urgent attention of English Jewry (says the Hebrew Standard). Hitherto it has been possible to point to London as a pattern and model of Jewish organisation in which all classes made sincere sacrifices for the sake of the strength that lies in unity. From time to time squabbles and netty differences have led to the establishment of "opposition" congregations in the-.United Kinadom, and it is only natn-" ral that such disrupted congregations have formed the happy hunting ground of unscrupulous persons who have at- some time acquired some little knowledge of"the in- : tricacies of Rabbinical Law._ These "selfconstituted irabbis," as they are called, have caused much confusion of family life .by giving '"get" or divorce in the Jewish form.' "The "pitiable mockery," as the paterms "it, was performed in one case at fha" commercial rate of 325. The Anglo-Jewish community is extremely indignant at these" irregularities. ± Word has been received from Fiji that therpistrict Synod has just been completed/vat which native lay representatives were present for the first time. Rev. A. J. Small, chairman of the district. said the missionaries were well pleased with the bearing of the natives, who show mnch'-intelligence and ability :n transacting iiusiness. The new theological •' institution at Dabai Levu, a Sue building, possesses the advantage that the principal is con.ected by telephone with all -parts, a needed convenience in a warm latitude, where buildings are of one storey "and extensive. Large plantations will- provide for the sustenance of the students. The removal 'from Labnloa will cost £3OOO. In connection with the boys* hi<rn school, a high school for young men has now been established, with an industrial department, teaching carpentry. The principal remarks that the young men snow a great aptitude for the work. Rev. J. W. Burton, ot Fiji, has left Sydney- for India, where he has power to engage seven Hindu catechists to' assist him on his return. Extensive repairs have been effected to the Jubilee Church at Suva, where the native congregation numbers 600 or 700, and the church has been made quite an attractive resort- for visitorsVto -Suva. The renovation has cost

A series gf statistics published by the Free Church Council of England furnishes some disquieting reading. Two clusters of churches in the city of Liverpool were" taken as a basis of inquiry into the progress' or want of progress spread over a period of 26 years. The areas selected cbifapVised a typical working class neisihborhoocT and another containing a middle-class-population. The results.of the inanity are anything but encouraging. In the working class neighborhood, the morning attendances have fallen from 4654 in 1881 to 1446 in 1908. and the evening attendance;? from 6665 to 3552. The percentage of sittings occupied to those provided has declined from 40£ to 12J (morning). and frprn" 61% to 28 (evening). The decline' has., been steady and continuous throixgjh all t"he periods subjected to revj|eV.' '' In the Wavertree and Sefton ParV areas (a middle-class population) the online from 1902 to 19C8 has been alnyjjS'as Remarkable. Taking Liverpool as ttqsgjiqh;'in the Free Church was occupigd" id. the morning and 58£ per cent, at nigh'tc-tljat' is to say, in the morning 82 out,-.of every 100 seats were empty., and in the 'evening 65 out of every* 100- Our churches "were never jnore financially prostverquj-. (says the Methodist) by way of cpnimentl,; our ministry was never more ctlftared ; our services never more ornate. An.dyet "there is the sad fact that the cbn&regatiqns are smaller! Who will arise • arid; ijornt out searchingly and faithfully t)ie causes of this sad decline? 'the centennial of the religious move-ment-known throughout the world a? the "Gjjmrch of- Christ" is to be celebrated in Pittsburg, U.S.A., in September, 1909. and'bids fair to be the largest religious gathering ever held in the history of the "land,, of big things.*" At the present time the eyes of the membership of the Churches of Christ, which stand.- at. I,SOO>GQQ.-.are turned towards Pittsburg, where they are planning for the influx <;f 50.000 delegates from all parts of the \Vorld. Australasia will be well represented at this memorable convention. A brief review; of the work cf the movement may. be interesting. Besides the" wa:*k of numerous home missionary societies, the Churches' of Christ are sustaining over 500 -missionaries and native helper.? in fureieti lands. They have stations m FndjaV China. Japan. Turkey. Africa. Thibet, Norway. Sweden, Denmark, Cuba. Hawaii, Philippine Islands, Porto Hit". Mexico, and South Africa. In America. Kngland. Canada, and Australia they publish a larce number of weekly and monthly papers. That they are alive to educational matters is evident from the fact that they have four universities and 58 colleges many of which are of high literary merit, and" provide a special course of Bible

k study free to all who wish to prepare t" be preachers of the Gospel. They have also several orphanages, hospitals, hornet for the aged, and other benevolent institutions. Their distinctive aim is, briefly, the evangelism of the whole earth, and the unity of all believers in our - Lord Jesus Christ by a complete return to the names, faith, and practice of the Church <.-i Christ as revealed in the Xcw • Testament Scriptures. Dr Bevan, addressing a meeting of the Cbngregaitional Union in Melbourne quite recently, referred to the Church of Christ as the most rapidly-growing religious body in .A us tralia.