Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special SUTTceIDoHueuCt VI luz Seoi'
NEW YORK, August :. 1902
- - UGH is being made in religious
IN circles in this, country of
O brotherhood work, but Great
Britain seems to be far ahead
in this respect. The brother
hood movement here is still largely
in the organization stage: 1t has
not wholly found itself. but awaits
the emergence of great leader
On the other side the brother
hoods are a working force, which not
only hold every Sunday great mass
meetings. attended by literally hundreds
OF thousands of men, but they also
embody- the social consciousness of the
time. One who has recently been IN
Great Britain making a study of religious
and social conditions, Rev. Charles
Sickle. secretary Of the department OF
church and labor Of the Presbyterian de-
nomination, says that tie British broth
erhoods are the great mems movement
Of the present day. Five hun
dred thousand men are united IN
Is doing wonders in reaching out after
non-churchgoers to impress them with
the touch of religion, and which Is also
going far toward imposing the ideals OF
brotherhood upon the state. The churches
of Great Britain have been tremendously
stirred by this mems work for men,
and the latter's vital connection with
the British labor movement has caus-
ed the politicians to see the possibilities
in the Undertaking.
A New Battle Hymn.
While the American men are feeling
around for an issue and the leadership
having many officers. but no great per-
sonality their fellow-churchmen on the
other side have plunged into the broader
brotherhood spirit OF the time, iden-
tifying themselves with the social trend
of today. Whether or not the British
churchmen. are more sensitive to the
mood Of their time than men here may
be debated, but certainly they have
evolved an expression OF it which has
caught the British heart as great pas
zion. The brotherhood hymn, which
leads a collection Of songs issued by
the National Council of British Brother
hoods, lis called THE Peoples Anthem"
1t was written by Ebenezer Elliott, the
son of a Rotterdam iron founder. 1t
runs: =.
God of mercy. when:
The people. Lord, the people!
Not thrones and crowns. but, men! ::
|. God save the people; Thine they are,
Thy children. as Thine angels fair
From vice, oppression and despair,
God save the people!
."This hymn expresses the thought of
| the masses andsthe spirit of the brother
hoods."a said Rev. MIR. Stelzle. 1T re-
veals a tremendous motive for religious
allegiance. Note these lines:
band OF hard-pressed men are we.
Who find life's pathway rough to tread;
Good Lord come to Thee,
And In Thy presence bow the head.
Reaching the Men Of the Street.
Away back i'm the time of the visit OF
Moody and Sankey to Great Britain in
1S7jrthat occasion for the starting into
life of so many new religious forces-"The
Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Movement
began. This plan for popular and in
formal Sunday afternoon mass meetings
became known nationally as the p. 8. A.
Out Of this has grown the present broth
erhood. having thorough organization
and national council. of which Arthur
Henderson, NJ. p. chairman of the labor
party in the house of commons. is one
of the vice presidents.
The Sunday afternoon meetings continue