CONGREGATIONALISM

Southland Times, Issue 19514, 13 May 1922, Page 8

CONGREGATIONALISM

AUSTRALASIAN (XINFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.’ (Australian and N.Z. Cable AttociatioA-’ SYDNEY, Maj' 11. The triennial assembly of the Congregational Union of Australia and. Neiv Zealand has opened. The New Zealand delegates have not arrived. The Rev. Mr /Davies, in his presidential address, dealt with the realities of Christian life. He declared that the world made no serious effort to follow Christ because the church did not teach His way of life. The world would always and everywhere believe in the reality of self-sacrifice and brotherly love. It was utterly useless to speak of these things and follow the paggn principles of self-assertion, selfishness, private business and social self-seeking as a common practice, and shout aloud the denial of Christ. Mr Davies, in an outspoken condemnation of worldliness, declared that a man had no more right to spend most of his life collecting wealth than a savage had to spend it in collecting scalps. If to-day the mask were removed Mammon in the world would be found obvious and ugly. They have tided to love God while th6y exploited or hated men, and as a result they did not love God, and God had a small if any place in their human affairs. They did not challenge the world to live in Christ’s way; they denied His role in their daily life and talk. The acceptance of the four gospels as the Christian way would demonstrate real Christianity. They all know it would produce a new church and p. new social order. It would save them from trying to serve both God and Mammon.