The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
RELIGION AND SOCIAL SERVICE
THE TREND OF THINGS
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
The Saturday half-holiday in Austria
liza, which has been in operation for a
year. is reported to be disastrous to
church attendance the Sunday following
1t had been supposed that the half-hol.
day would SO rest people that they would
be in a condition to appreciate and profit
by the Sunday service. But rapid transit
and automobiles are taking people away
for week-ends,
The American Bible Society reports
that sales of Bibles In China are increas-
ing. A new era of Christian missions
has come with the democratic spirit now
in evidence, 1t is said. One colporter
sold at one of the great fairs LOCO copies
of the Bible each day for twelve days.
Since the revolution in China the Bioie
has been adopted for use in the currieu-
lum OF some of the government schools
The commission on church and social
service of the Federal Council has issued
a call for the observance OF LABOR sun
day, which falls on August 81 IL Is
recommended that, as many ministers
will not have returned from their Vaca,
tions on that date, the hrst or second
Sundays of September be recognized py
such pastors. The subject for sermons
and addresses is: ''Present-day Tenden-
cies in the Labor Movement
The report that the owners Of The
Waterman, Boston, New England, organ
of the Baptist denomination. had asked
for a receivership, Is explained by that
journal. The act Is temporary and TAX
en- as a necessary legal step in order to
effect a combination Of The Watchman
and The Examiner, of New York, in line
with the recommendation of the North
ern Baptist convention, SO as to make a
stronger paper.
Commenting on the Christian charac-
ter of recent addresses of the President
and members of the Cabinet. and, as
well. the two former Presidents of the
United States, America, the Catholic
weekly review, commends their EN-
phasis on Christian standard Of NOR
ais and conduct in public and private
life," and says:
1T has been disputed at times whether
this is Christian country, and. taking
the term in its complete and adequate
sense much can be advanced against the
proposition. There are numerous prac-
tices among US in business and conduct
that fall far short of the, Christian ideal
and there are sects and sectaries and
people of no sect who take large liberties
with Christian principles and precepts
and a few who deny them altogether;
but the spirit that informs our National
Constitution and laws and directs the
general conscience of government and
people may be said to have been always
Christian. in a broader sense, since the
Declaration of Independence. and SO re-
mains. The greatest utterances of our
public men have been based on Christi
anity, and often outspokenly Christian
in terms and sentiment; and II is gratify-
ing, and hopeful for the future, that so
many of our national officials are main
tanning this fine tradition Of the past.
The Rev. David j. Burrell. minister
of the Collegiate System OF Reformed
Churches, New York. this years presi-
dent of the Presbyterian Alliance of the
World in his annual alliance address al
Aberdeen, Scotland, described religious
conditions in America and in the Pres
byterian and Reformed churches that is
being criticized. in some quarters de-
clared to be quite wide of the mark. He
told the Presbyterians Of the rest of the
world, and did so through the London
newspapers as well as in his Aberdeen
official address, that there is wide lamen-
tation in America, that accessions to
churches are smaller. that ritualism Is
rampant that emotionalism and mysu-
cism sit by while souls perish. and that
social service, just now the popular
form of Christian work. is false TO Christ.
He wants a return 10 the revivalism OF
thirty years ago.
Christian leaders on this side, while
wary of saying much until they know
just what President Burrell Of the Alli-
ance really says in full, declare they hear
no Iamentation, that accesSions to
oh, tn ha oVa nj he
last twenty-five years. that there is no
gain in ritualism that so far from mys-
ticism there is now more personal un-
salaTied work by Christian men and
women that ever, and that America does
not want to return to the old revivalism,
certainly not of the professional sort,
but a forward movement of the present
fairly we'll balanced propaganda and ex-
cellent team work of propagandists.
Mortified is thrilled in anticipation of
the coming of Dan Crawford. author of
Thinking Black book which has
stirred England and America more than
any other missionary book of this dec
ada He comes with twenty-five years
Of unbroken service to his credit in the
wilds of the Garengauzi country OF
Africa.
August, the Eastern school for the train
ing of officers of the Y. NJ. C. A. will be
held at Silver Bay, n. Y. In addition to
the regular hours, there will be special
weekend conferences for those who cam
not be at the camp all of the time. DR..
w W. White of New York: DR.. c. a.
Barbour, of Rochester, and NJ \. Hon
line will be among the instructors.
Rather nice to have the first family
in America linked through the engage
ment of Miss Jessie Wilson to Francis
B. Sayre with the Grenfell medical mis-
sion in Labrador observes the Congre-
gationalist.
The fortunate prospective bridegroom
rendered splendid service four years ago
in the waters and along the shores where
the doctors boats go on their merciful
errands He acted also as the doctors
private secretary, handling the corre-
spondence of the mission. He was So
impressed with the needs of the children
that he gave the money for the enlarge
ment OF the orphanage. The New York
lawyer is one OF the numerous young men
who, serving with Grenfell. have felt
and responded to the touch of his mag
netic personality.
Rev. Donald MacLean, chaplain of the
military forces Of the Commonwealth OF
Australia, recently in America for a
month and just sailed for England, says
he found conditions in Chicago and
Louisville very different In the matter
~ raoord 81 CbriSfiopS fnuard To-