THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 4

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE.

DEVOTIONAL, rr.n im-em *d r.'-r—. I do. nol ask, 0 Lord, that life may bo A p'casanfc read; I do not ask tljat Tiuai nould'st take from me i i Aught of its load; I do not ask that flowers should always spring Beneath my feel ; I know 100 well the poison and the sting Of things too sweet, For one thing only, Lord, 'dear Lord, I plead. 1 Lead me aright— Though strength should falter and tho' heart, should bleed- 1 - Through Peace to Light. I do not ask, O Lord, that Thou should'st shed Full radiance hero; Give but a ray of peace, that T may tread Without a fear. I do not ask my crops io understand, 4 My way to see; Better in darkness just lo feel Thy hand ■ And follow Thee. Joy is like restless day; but peace divine Like quiet night; Lead me, O Lord—till perfect. Day shall shine, Through Peaeo to Light. Adelaide A. Pjiocteu. Meditation. "cubist died." His soul traversed the lonely wastes of abandonment ami night. "Christ died" I am heroine one with Him by faith. In His <leat,ii I, too, died. All. that my Lord was and is I am permitted to claim and to be. I can only very dimly discern the meaning of His awful and stupendous dcatn. I can vaguely apprehend great and momentous significances moving through tho shadows; I hear affrighting voices calling out of 'the night; I know only in part; but. whatever may be tho secret import 'and virtue of the .august transaction is mine by a justifying; and appropriating faith! But the appropriation cannot. be partial. I cannot appropriate the merits of His death and not the •virtues of - His life. Tiv faith I am one with Him, and all of Christ is mine. His prayers aro mine. His peace is mine. His joy is mine. His triumph is minrj. Mine is the death with its ineffable secret. Mine is the life with its unspeakable grace. "If we died with Ilim, we live with Iliin." Bv faith we are one with Him now. Of His fulness Jo we all receive, and grace for pjraeo. "I live,..yet not I, Christ liveth in me." He enters in "at breast, and brow," 'to enrich and purify sympathy, and to enlarge and clarify thought. Ho enters in "to heal, to arm, to plenis'n and sustain." His gift is life, and life abundantly. "Thou, O Christ, art all I want, More than all in Thee I find." The ocean of His fulness rolls up like a flowing tide, fills every bay4'itid creek along tho vast and far-anproaching shores of human need—Rev. J. 11. Jowctt. Exhortation. A PLAIN DIJTV. It is not requisite that: a thing should be, proved inherently wrong in order that it ! may become a Christian's plain' duty u. forbid it to' himself. By things not inherently .wrong the devil is daily drawing men towards positions in which'they will find themselves encompassed by innumerable wiles, and pressed by almost irresistible temptations. Barely is his mastery obtained by sin in its native ugliness and loathsomeness. His darkest, fullest work is done bv arraying himself as an angel of and presenting lies, allurements in disguises, so attractive, and so beautiful, that tho evil to which they aro intended to lead is altogether hidden from view. If, therefore, Christians would not become accessory to'his methods, and aid him in cestructiveness, they must avoid, as far as possible, these things by which he is misleading tho unwary into pitfalls where honour and honesty are lost, and tho victims bound in perpetual slavery. This is specially incumbent in regard to amusc- !■ incntsl How terrible to be laid under the charge of having destroyed one for whom Christ died! '

DR: WARSCHATTER ON MR CAMPBELL. A sketch of Rev. R. ,T. Campbell—theological rather than ' bioghaphical—appoans in the February Message, the New Theology magazine conducted by Rovs. Hugh C. Wallaco and Dr Warsehauer. The articlo in which f.lie hand of Dr Warschauer may lie traced,> insists that two things should be understood—viz., that on his acceptanoo of tho City Temple pastorate (1) Mr Compbcll \ya.s not "orthodox," .nor professed to ta; (2) that Dr Parker was perfectly aware of the theological leanings of the man whom he undoubtedly wished to take his place. The article traces the recent growth of Mr Campbell's advanced views: —" Bolder and bolder became the preacher,' moro and more unmistakable the full significance of Ins clarified outlook; till at length a decisive point was reached in his address, delivered to the London Congregational Ministers' Board last fall, on 'The Changing Sanctions of Popular Theology.' I'rom that day onward tho completeness of his breach with what we may for convenience sake call the old theology, was grasped by one and all; and from that day onwards, it must also bo said, the violence and virulence of the attacks levelled at Mr Campbell have redoubled. • What possibly has caused' orthodox wrath to rise to boding point has been bis recently-formed resolution, in responec to appeals from many parts of tho country, to visit provincial centres with the avowed object of expounding and popularising his distinctive point of view. Orthodoxy is at heart aware how unsafe is its own position, and by how much this new propoganda must hasten- its downfall, but. it is also one of orthodoxy's pot superstitions 'that, it alons has the right to conduct and organic missions while tho utmost that, can be conceded to horotics is that their views shall he tolerated—on condition that- they do not seek to spread them. Thus, at tho present juncture, orthodoxy is up in arms against this courageous prophet of Hod who refuse® to be silenced. Looking with what steadiness of vision one may through an atmosphere vibrant with shrill clamour and menace, and opaquo with the diwt of strife, there is no disguising tho fact that \ve are standing at a most critical moment in the history of religious thought in tho Englishspeaking world. At such a moment thoso of us who believe that the future, of religion is bound up with the gradual victory of a spiritual faith in accord with the highest morality and tho best knowledge of today, turn with gratitude, with confidence, and with entire devotion to. him who is our leader in this groat campaign." ABOUT PEOPLE. Rev. Ambrose J. Williams, formerly vicar of Weston, Hereford, from 1904 to 1906, has been received, at Florence, into the Roman Catholic Church. He is a Cambridge graduate. The Bishop of London will visit Canada in September, lie will then go on to Washington, and reach Richmond in time for the 300 th anniversary of the General Convention of the Church in America He will be hack in London bv the end of October. Dr ,T. Q. A. Henry, tho Anierican Evangelist who has been engaged in temperance work in Groat -Britain for tho last five year', has decided-to return lo tho United -States and take up evangelistic work there. He will probably hold bis first meetings in America at Seattle, Washington, early in April. Dr Campbell Morgan's Bible Conference will be held again ' atMundeslev. from July 1 lo 12. and a new rent lias been mado for the meetings. . From Mr.ndesley ho goes again to America, for a season at Northficld. accompanied, he hopes, by a party of English friends' whom Rev. Albert Swift is to conduct on a flying visit to tho United States. Professor William James, the eminent psychologist, has decided to retire from active teaching at Harvard, where he has held (he Chair of Philosophy since 1872. In recognition of his work as a. teacher, one of his classes has presented him with a silver loving cup. He will not sever bis connection with the Harvard faculty, but will henceforth devote his lime io writing. Professor Jaines, who is now 65 years of age. is the son of a Swedenimrgian minister and brother of Mr Henry James. As a student he graduated in medicine. The death has taken place, in his 101 st year, of Mr Matthew Fowlds. tho wellknown Frnwick centenarian. Mr Fowlds's son is Minister of Education and Public Health in "x&latiC. n.nr! was present last year, along vi**.- Pi:.* Jnseah. Ward, at tho cclcbraiiou i"-is fi'i'hsw centenary

RELIGIOUS HEADING EOR THE HOME,

at Kilmarnock, when his portrait and Humorous other gifts were presented to the good old man. Mr Fowlds look a groat internal in Church affairs, and way for over 50 veins an older in tho Orr Memorial United Free Church, Fcuwick. Dea'th was immediately duo to the result of a fall. The Rev. P. IS. Meyer's Sunday is enough-even the thought of it—to "give most ministers a bad attack of nervous breakdown, lie invariably (says Mr Kbcn Goold, in the. P.S.A. Leader) sleeps at Christ Church on Saturday night, and, rising at 6 o'clock, thinks over his morning sermon. Tie dines with his young people in the schoolroom, sleeps from 1.30 io 2 o'clock, and then thinks over the evening sermon. At 2.45 he goes into, one of his Sunday schools, and at 3.30 presides over his men's meeting, once a month giving the address. Then ho has tea with his young people in the schoolroom, and stands with them round the piano singing hymns. After the evening service he has a social and religious meeting for his .voting people. Yet Mr Meyer scorns Mondayishness, and generally si arts off on one of his pilgrimages next day. Mitch regret lias been caused in tho North of Scotland by ,the sudden death of Dr Black, of tho United Free Iligh Church, Inverness. lie was a. man greatly beloved in tho town and an acceptable preacher wherever he went. Dr Black was born in Ireland, ami his first charge was among the C'onnemara mountains. In the county town of that name his uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all ministers. Dr Black retained to the end much of the elocptenee and humour of his race, lie was inducted in his present charge in 1872, when he succeeded Dr Donald Fraser, who had gone 'to Marvlebone Presbyterian Church. London. Had lie lived till October of this year ho would have celebrated his jubileo as a minister.

The Rev. Herbert B. Workman. M.A., upon whom the Senate of tlio London University has just conferred the degree of D.Litt., lias been tho principal of the Wesloynn Training College at Westminster since 1903. lie is a man of brilliant intellectual purls, as his Fcnilev Laclure of last year on " Persecutions in the Early Church," and his earlier works on John lius show. His degreo has undoubtedly been earned by his researches in ecclesiastical history, but lie could easily earn distinct ion in another and unfrequented branch ,of literature, for he possesses a unique ' knowledge of l; Brudshaw "—not the regicide, but the railway guide, both of the Home a.nd Continental variety. It is said that he could pass an examination in any section of that bewildering work. Dr Workman is the second Wesleyan minister to receive this degree from the London University, the ,other being Dr James Moulton, of Didsbury College. "CHURCH" AND "FREE CHURCH." Their Comparative Strength. Invaluable work is done by Mr Howard Evans in his annual compilation- of tho statistics of the Evangelical Free Churches of England and Wales, and I hoi comparison with tho official statistics of the Church of England. Ms Evans takes his figures from the official Year Hooks. Outside the National Free Church Council group are various smaller bodies, but Mr Evans does not. imagine that their membership, including undenominational mission halls, rises to 100,000. Tho Salvation Army reports sittings onfc. Wo give Mr Howard Evans's figures, from tho last-published Year Books, of Evangelical Free) Church communicants:— : Baptists , ... 410,765 Congregationalisms 459,938 Presbyterians P : 85,215 Wciiieyans -W 628,695 Primitive Methodists 203,128 Calvinistie. Methodists 189,164 United Methodist Free Churches 88,f01 Methodist New Connexion 42,317 Bible Christians 35,089 Society of Friends 17,910 Seven smaller bodies 40,828 Total ... 2,21)1,849 Thero is a. total, increase of Evangelical Free Church membership of 65.552. Sunday school teachers number 403.617, an increase of 2779; Sunday school scholars have increased by 34,933 to the vast host of 3.506,525; there -are 9861 ministers in 'charge, and 55,550 local preachers. Hero are some interesting comparisons with tho Church of England, the Anglican figures being taken from the Church of England Year -Book for 1906:—j Evangelican Free Churches. Anerliean. Communicants 2.201.549 (cstd.) 2,223.207 S.S. Teachers ... 403,617 209,538 S.S. Scholars .... 3,506,325 ... 3,009,760 Another interesting comparison is with the statistics of the American churches for 1906, compiled by Dr H. K. Carroll. Those show that there are in the United States 159,503 ministers, 207,707 churches, and 32,2f!3.653 .communicants, Nine bodies of Catholics return 11,143,455 communicants'. It is explained that tho Catholic figures arc-"estimates." It is interesting to take a world-view of the proportion of Anglican membership to the'membership of the Evangelical Free Churches. There are ?46,462 Protestant Episcopalians in tho United States, as against 6,551.891 Methodists, 5,140,770 Baptists. 694,923 G'ongrcgationalists, 1.771,877 "r-c'iyterians, and 1,251,758 Disciples of Christ.

FROM ALL SOURCES. "I have nothing but contempt," said thp Bishop of Carlisle, " for tho people who mako any attempt to bring back tho belief 111 transubatantiation s into tho Anglican Church, knowing it is contrary to its gonitis and temper. "Christian scorns Christian in proportion as the differences that divide them are trivial and unimportant," said tho Bishop _ of Liverpool, preaching- tho Ilnivorsitv sermon at Cambridge: TO) bane of the Church was its unhappy divisions. Christianity v.-as divided when wo were living on the edge of a serial revolution, which it alone could avert, or direct. They were pulling down the Temple of God. Dr M'Millan, lecturing in Kelvinhaugh Oil., Glasgow, on "Church Union." said that tho argument seemed to be that for the sake of union the Church of Scotland ought to be ready to sever its connection with fcho State. ho said, who wcro nibbling a.t this question might rest assured that the Church of Sootland, even for tho sake of union, wpuld resist with all her strength any action (.hat, would endanger her position a<; tho National Church of Scotland, established and endowed. About the middle of March Messrs Chapman and Hall will publish Rev. R. ,T. Campbell's book on " The New Theology." The hook is not a, reprint of the sermons preached at tho City Temple, but a. work quite apart, in which ho will formulate his exact standpoint and reply to his critics and detractors. Rev. F. B. Meyer, speaking at a meeting at Norwich, congratulated Dr. G. S. Barrett on his fortieth pastoral anniversary, and said they were glad to meet as brethren united ill their evangelical faith. Etch though the Congregationali?.fe might i»ssibly go back to the evening of the Day of Pentecost, it must, lx' admitted that the Baptists could go back to the afternoon. The Methodists and the Church of Rome and the Church of England it-elf could not boast of suoh antiquity as I hat which belonged' to the Baptists. Yet they must always keen room in their hearts to unite with Free Churchmen of every name and' sect. Isolation was criminal, and they must foster the Messed- spirit of union, for the future of England was with them. Addressing the Liverpool 110111011151 ministers' meeting. Rev. Cecil M. Wright took as subject. "Christ and Carnegie," and dealt with the relation of Christianity to social problems. He qnot«l the calculation that if Adam had begun his life 6000 vcars ago. and had earned £20 a dav for 300 days in the year, lie would only have earned by now as a. sum as Cornelius Vanderbilt left to his heirs. Mr Wright maintained that. Christ did not set class against class, or teadi the intrinsic evil of wealth, but Ho required of all men that tlioy should not make their money at the expense of the poor and helpless. Christ taught plainly that a rich man must either gain the mastery over his wealth or else abandon it altogether. A House of tho " Grey Ladies" is being founded at Coventry by tho Bishop of Worcester, who founded such a. community in London. They aiic divided into three classes—tho residents who give their whole time, the noil-residents who give spare tima, and "associates," who enlist eo-c-perators and collect money for the work. The "Grey Ladies," Dr Biggs

explains, "arc neither sisters lior deaconesses; they may rather bo described as ladis living togcthor at their own expense to do systematic work for God, at the call of tin Bishop, under the direotiou of t.h« parochial clergy." Xo charge is put- on tiny parish in which they work, except a subscription .of £10 per annum towards rent, taxes, and rates.

The Boslon C'ongrcgationalist publishes an arliclo b.v a correspondent who lias boon hearing Mr Campbell and Mr Meyer. Ho writes eiifhuKiu.sticaly of Itolli preaclicrs. Of Mr Campbell he says: "After one of these most, impassioned of many soulstirring utterances, I fettled buck in my scat, saying to . myself, ''There in that pipit is my Iwst self, speaking to my worst, self here in this pew,' which, I think, must, have been the impression, vaguely if not clearly felt by. every person in tho room."'

Roy. Ira Boseley, formerly minister of Barbican Congregational Church, is just about, to publish, by subscription, the fruits af some years of painstaking research as to tho Independent Church which once exisjed in Westminster Abbey. Mr Boselev, lyhoso work deserves all recognition, litis brought to light many most interesting facts conccniing it. and is about lo publish these in a three-aud-sixpenny volume, for which subscriptions are being itsked by Unwin Bros,, 27 Pilgrim street, E.C. ITe shows very clearly that some'of tho members of this church first met in the House of Lords after the bishops had been expelled. Then they worshipped in the Abbey, choosing their own ministers according lo Congregational usage. These niinisters were university men and powerful nrcnchers, A detailed account is given of Oliver Cromwell's presence at one of the services, when Dr Thomas Goodwin, who rounded the church now assembling in the City Temple, was t.ho preacher. Dean Stanley believed that the table now in Henry YIFs Chapel is that at which the Independents communicated during the Commonwealth. After the ejection from Westminster, tho church worshipped a.t St. Bartholomew's Priory, a.nd then assembled ill the midst of the scenes of the Smithfield martyrdoms. Milton was secre.(e<l by some of tho members. Ilogarlh's baptism is recorded among Dissenters' registers. ■The church passed triumphantly through the plaguo and survived Hie fire. Its ministers became " living sacrifices " while serving the dying and the homeless. Dr Isaac Wat's was a member of the church, and a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell was a deacon for 30 years.