SUNDAY CIRCLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14686, 20 November 1909, Page 5

SUNDAY CIRCLE.

RELIGIOUS READI

THE HARMONY OF MAX AND GOD,

"The harmony of man with God' and of God with man " was Ihe theme of an able article recently written by Thomas Phillipp-, B.A. Having doalt with the sacrilice mvxlo by Gcd through His Son to eonsumato this harmonv, the writer goes oi\ to sny :—

As the result of this stupendous sacrifieo man becomes partaker of the Divine nature. This at first sight appeal's to bo as incredible ns it is irreverent, and modern Christians have been strangely timid to advance a. claim so august. But tho reluctance may bo cine to the poverty of our faith rather than to tho orthodoxy of our sentiment. At last the time has conic for us to annex the territory and inherit the land, unless we want to see it captured by an alien (lag, for during recent years much anti-Christian literature has been published, which preaches munistakeably tho divinity of man. The doetrine is simply fraught with danger. Not a. new one by any means. Tho tempter advanced it in the.' Garden of Eden. "Ye shall be a.s gc<k" NebuchadnezMr thought himself a, gcd, atxl as a consequence became a brute. It may lead to license end degradation, or it may result in discipline and sa.intliness. It is disastrous, in the hand? of the unprincipled; it is safe and ennobling in the hands of Christians. The apcsllo Paul believed in it. It wrs not ho who lived, but Christ who lived in him. Tho early fathers held it. and one of I hem speaks of the Christians being dcilitd. Madame Guyon cherished il, for she rejoices that her spirit is disenthralled and united' with God and' lest in God, and that she sees not herself, but God oidv. Luther in his way saw its value, for he says it is not as much faith or love in the heart, as Christ Himself. The German mystics revelled in it, for they speak of the saint as u begodded man. • The truth is pre-eminently Christian, and we ought not to permit " Now Thought" people to monopolise it as their private preserve. We ought to boldly claim and freely enjoy it as the crown land of Jesus Christ. What we need is to rid it of vagueness raid indefinilonoss, and crystallise it into terms of character. Think for a moment as to what constitutes the divinity of God. Not omnipotence, although that is staggering; not. omniscience, although that is dazzling; not omnipresence, although that is overwhelming; but goodness, and' real goodness is of the same nature in man as Gcd. To bo made, good, then, is to share tho nature of Cv<l, share it as the sunbram shares the nature of tho .sun. as tho dewdrop shares the nature of the sea. The New Testament defines Gml as love, am! Kobcrt Browning ha; rightly said— A loving worm within its clod Wore diviner tar than a loveless God,

'-W' all his worlds I dare to say. To the extent that a. man is made loving by the. grace of Christ, to that extent ho shares the very attribute which makes God tied. Or take it from another point of view. It is generally iulmitted that the greatest thing in personality is will. When a man repeats the Lord's Prayer, and says, "Thv will be done," for his own will ho takes the will Divine, shares the very purpore ami movements of Gcd Himself. Too often our wills are in opposition |o His; too often our wills lag reluctantly and cjmplainiugly behind His; tco often our wills aro passive and resigned, rather than co-operating and active; too often there is dualism when there ought to ha unity and acquiescence, when there ought to be harmony; but when the will is absolutely surrendered, than the Divine energy charges ami transmutes our life, as electricity fuses and' transfigures the electric are. A great American saint compares this union of the Christian with Gcd to the crossing of two trees in his <ra-rden. Two saplings grew sido bv side until one day they touched. The bark was wounded. Their lives were intermingled', and the weaker withered away, while (he stronger tree absorbed its life. So at one lime Jesus Christ cud he were apart. But the day came when they crossed. The bark was wounded by penitence, their lives were united by faith, and,the old man withered while the Christ life absorbed his strength and flourished. " All cf self and none of Thee." Some of im start there. '" Sinie of relf and some of Thee ": manv cf us live in that neighbourhood. But—" Higher than ths highest heaven, Deeper than the deepest sea. Lord, at length Thy love lias triumphed, Xone cf self and all of Thee. When we reach that happy point we are truly parlakeis of the Divine nature. Now, if the identification of Gcd cost the (sacrifice of Calvary, the identification of man with Gcd coats the sacrifice of much that is dear to the human heart. Not only must the right eye be plucked out and the right arm b?. amputated; not only must we deny ourselves much that is desirable and attractive; but wc must restrain our sclf-lovo; wo i must silence the cry of the heart and the protest of the will; we must be prepared lo become nothing that we may become everything through our union with the Saviour.

RELIGION IN AMERICA,

A MINISTER'S VIEW OF MINISTERS.

"As far as you can discover, is tlier» in America anything like tho theological unrest that we have in England, due to the impact of criticism, science, and modem ideas generally on the old theology and views of t-hc Bibl»?" This question was put io Rev. J. 11. .lowett, of Birmingham, oir his recrnt return from America. Ho replied: "I should say .that the ministry in America 1 is more troubled and disturbed (han the ministry of our own country. Many ministers in America, seem to he just entering into a. period from which 1110s; of our men are emerging. I dare say I met the more conservative ministers, a.f! it is to them that my remark most applies." "What impressions did you form of American preaching?" "You will understand that I had few opportunities of li.<'Icning lo American- preachers. My conversation with scores of American ministers Istl mo- lo suspect that tho great lack 111 general American preaching is exposition. The mothods of exposition illustrated by the English and Scottish preachers at tho convention's almost startled tho American ministers. I should say that topical preaching is overmuch in vogue. Subjects aro taken, ' and then a text is ioarched for as a motto, but expository preaching of tho type,' say. of Dr Dale. appears to b almost nonexistent. But here again it ought 10 I e added that American ministers aro feeling that a return is necessary to exposition it the best, results of preaching are to I'e secured."

ACTUAL FACTS OF CHUECH I'KOGHESS. A short time- ago attention was called lo tho remarkable progress of the church ;s in America, of which Tho Times ha i Riven an elaborate account. This is now confirmed by the publication of the results of an investigation made by the Ccns is Bureau of Lire Uirited States in the year 1906. It shows about 33 millions of communicants in a population of 80 millions, and more than half of the rest of tha people as in sonic way adherents of tho olmii-clios. The Manchester (Juardian writes: ''Of course, a considerable p.".it of the increase (which applies to all Iho churches), is ih\r. to the iinmeu.se and rapid growth of the population of tie United S-iate. But when allowance h Mi.ide for that we still see progress, for there is considerable increase in the proportion of Church communicants to the v: lie It! imputation. The percentage lias risen <lurin-jj the 16' roars from 32.7 lo 39.1. To what is -this delightful fact due? Wrl: religion seems lo be temporarily checked, not only in England, but also throughout Kuropo more in Koinan Catholic counties oven than in Proteslanl. why is it shewiny signs of advance in the New World? Is this because it is a New World? It so, hasty triiics of Christianity who suppose it to I.? an effete survive l of antiquity, an anachronism, or at the best like- the fcur-liorso coach, a necessity <■< ihe pai-t, for the many now become an idle luxury of the few. will have 10 rovisv their thinking. Hero is the most go-aheiet nation on the face of the earth proving itself to be the most fertile held for thrspread of Christianity, not merely as a 'spirit' and an 'idea,' with which some modern Englishmen profess to be coiiti'n:, hut in the form of organised churches." Two among other reasons' arc nssi.>.-.0.l by the writer in the paper quoted why the Churches of America are growing so rapidly: "The first is the groat advance of tho Sundiy School,- the natural nursery of Clio Church. Whilo wo in England i.-> a largo extent- run in tlra groove of old methods that .ire simply ridiculous y'wi compared with tho advance of the day schools, in America, the Iniikliirgs, tli-j lessons, tha graded order of the Simd.iy schools are ail being adapted to present-day

NG FOR THE HOME

requirements. The second is the development of the Christian Endeavour Society. No doubt there are many others; for the to-day is very complex." FROM ALL SOURCES. The Rev. F. B. Meyer has resumed tho pastorate of Regent's Park Church, which he resigned in 1802, in order to succeed Dr Newman Hall at Christclmrcli, Westminster.

One of the most important gatherings ever held in connection with the Welsh Baptist Union was that held at Trcorchv, from October 18 to October 22. There were nearly a thousand delegates from all parts of tho Principality present. Mr LloydGeorge, of Budget fame, was tho president of the gathering, and gave his presidential address to an exceptionally large and important gathering.

Di" C. F. Aked contributes a curious article to a symposium in the October Delineator on " What is the matter with tho Churches?" His view is that a superior quality of men in tho pulpit is needed, and lhat the way to gel that is to pay better stipends. " The nearest, the most important single reform to be attempted by tho religious people of this country," he 6ays,

"is to double tho salary of every preacher upon the continent." ''The Churches," ho adds, "got just us good prcachin,; as liioy arc entitled to for the money I hey pay." The preachers of to-day are not giants because, according to Dr Akrl, the Church will not pay for giants.

A layman's missionary movement, tik:ng in members of all tho evangelical churches, has boon started in Sydney. The objects of tho movement are. to strengthen the various branches in the purpose, of impressing upon all Christian men the obligations resting upon the Church of God to ovangeiise the world in 'this generation. It also aims at keeping permanently beforo them a belief in the duty of the Church of Christ to preach the Gospel to mankind. At the meeting of tho Sydney District Methodist Synod a motion sympathising with lire work, and urging- the formation of a branch in cannoct.io.i with tho Methodist Church, was carried The movement is said to be the outgrowth of n uuickened life in the Protestant Churches.

Dr Charles Chapman, who has announced liis resignation next Juno of the Priucipnltliip of Western College, Bristol, is (savs Ihe Christian World) one of flic great K'Vvanls of Congregationalism who have never struggled to get into the denominational limelight. He is a nnn ot line cliurM'or, who has clone long service and carried on a splendid work in his own quiet way. ifis influence en Congregationalism in the West is felt through a hundred p.ilpils. liimsolf an alumnus of the collage of which lie has been principal for 33 years, he graduated at London University, and 52 y-ears ( ago began his ministry in Chester, iiotiirning to the West in 1864, lie spout seven years in Bath, and then live vears in Montreal, from whence camo hisLL.D. dewee. It was in 1876' that he returned lo England lo bo Principal of Western College, then housed at Plymouth, but now in line prom ses at Bristol. Though essentially a scholar, and still a student, Dr Chapman has shown marked administrative powers, and his old students all retain their deer, regard for him.

In regard to ''whist drives" for raising monoy for Church purposes, I lie charge was recently made.by a- clergyman that "wo have not had the clear and definite leaa from our Bishops on this matter that we ought to have had." The Sunday Strand hen sought to supply this delieioncy by getting pronouncements of representative Bishops on the point. They are practically unanimous in condemnation. Tho Bishop of Southwell "dislikes intensely this means of raising _ men-ay," while the Bishop of Soulhwark is "strongly against whist drives for tbo purpose." The Bishop of Bath and Wells thinks this "an absolutely and entirely improper inclhcd of getting money for. God's work," and Bishop Montgomery says'"that his society—(ho S.P.G.-hus ikclijied to accept 'money raised by this means." The Archbishop of York more cautiously " on general principles rather deprecate the.practice," but tho Bishop of WakcfiuM declares that "tho sanctioning of whist drives would bo detrimental to the highest interests of Church life." The Bishop of St. Albans "could not use the proceeds of whist drives for any kind of spiritual work," .and the Bishop of Kipon also expresses bis distinct disapproval Many other Bishops, in "private" communications, have expressed similar objections to this mode of raising Church funds.