The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-02-26 00:00:00

SECULAR SUNDAY SERVICES.
(By our London Correrpondent.)

A good deal of argument might be got out of the one word
secular, but on such an argument I will not enter. The
word heather an awkward one. It is derived from seculum,
which " seerneth in a natural sense to denote the time of a
man's life from his birth to his death," and which also means
an are, the people of the age, and the world. Rightly or
wrongly the word has come to mean that which is not re-
ligious, and the programme of many a concert is an illustra-
tion of it—" find part sacred, second part secular." We
know there are many who call themselves Secularists, and
probably many more who would repudiate the word, though
the title Is given to them by other.. Mow far the term is
applicable to the leaders in the services I shall allude tot
will not attempt to determine, but there can scarcely be
any doubt of the propriety of the phrase secular services.
In South Place Chapel, Finsbury, have been held, and are
rtill held, a series of "Sunday evenings for the people."
These soirees, or evenings, to give them the English appella-
tion, are on the plan of the original St. Martha's Ball Sunday
evenings, in relation to which, It will be remembered, there
was a geoll deal of litigation. On the Sunday mornings Mr.
Moncure D. Conway has just concluded a series of " dis-
courses 'en—" the unchurched world, shepherds and sheep,
pauperism, intemperance, and the poor man's Sunday ;" and
In the evenings of Sunday—the "Sunday evenings for the
people "—there have been such lectures as " W. J. Fox" by
Dr. Hodgson ; "the duties of the State in the culture Of the
people," by Mr. Slack, F OS.; "recent discoveries in
aitronotny," by Mr. Brox ninz, F It AS.; and "the physical
c.riblition of other worlds," by Mr. Proctor, F A.A.& Mr.
Browning's lecture—by the way he called it a discourse—l
heard, arid will jot down a few of my impressions.
South Place Chapel, Finsbnry, is a handsome, large and
commodious building, which was built for the celebrated Mr.
W, J. Fox, awl to this place this brilliant orator delivered his
opening sermon on the tat of February, 1e24. The doors
during this series of " evenings " open at halt-past six, and—
shall I Bay the entertainment—commences at seven, the prices
of admission being Is., ed., and Sd. The payment of money
and the reception of a ticket at the doom are of course little
In accordance with the ordinary notions connected with the
entrance Into a chapel on Sunday evening, and the scene on
entering was certainly less in accordance with ordinary ideas
on such an occasion. Soon after hall-past six there was a
tolerably good muster, and people came in pretty fast, till
the large chapel was fairly filled. During the half hour be-
fore the '• evening" commenced many persons kept on their
hats, and a few did so during the whole of the evening, the
feeling which induces us to take off our hats even on enter-
ing a church or cathedral, to look at it apparently, being non-
existent in the congregation, and at all events everybody did
as he liked. The assembly was almost wholly composed of
men. Two or three young men occupied themselves by going
about selling a publication much favoured by those who
patronised these "evenings," audibly announcing it as "one
penny," and a goodly number were sold ; and as for the con-
gregation they amused themselves by looking at a platform
which had been added to the pulpit, and on which were
placed a number of astronomical instruments, c., while on
the walls at the back of the lecturer were a series of diagrams.
At seven o'clock the organist, Mr. Stanislaus, played an
introduction, and most beautifully was it rendered. As he
" discoursed most eloquent music" you might, had you shut
your eyes, have fancied the sweet strains pealing "through
long-drawn aisle arid fretted vault" In some fine obi cathe-
dral. Then Miss Goodwin sang "Love not the world," from
Mr. Sullivan's oratorio of the "Prodigal Sin; " Mr. Griffith
sang a recitative and air from the " Creation," the latter
,'• rolling In foaming billows ") being very fairly given. Then
came the discourse on "recent discoveries in astronomy,
and very Interesting it was, but I take leave to doubt
whether any who heard It and watched the experiments
carried away much addition to their previous knowledge.
This, of course, was no fault of the lecturer's, but it is well
known that lectures on abstruse sclentiflc subjects very
rarely lay hold on the mind. You must study deeply if you
would acquire scientific knowledge ; you cannot have it
applied to you. Mr. Browning lauded astronomy as an
exact science, and as being—very useful at sea! " What is
truth r" he said, was a celebrated question, to which be
would reply—science. Much of the lecture was devoted to
spectrum analysis, and some of the experiments were very
beautiful tithe truths they illustrated were not very clear
The lecture was somewhat disjointed and fragmentary, no
though the lecturer had too much material and had not well
arranged it beforehand. Two little things struck me as
curious in a public teacher he spoke of "a nebular" and of
"this phenomena," but it may be charitably supposed that
they were slips of the tongue. There was nothing in the dis-
course to "lead from nature up to nature's God," but Mr.
Er evening spoke of rays of light being "cunningly niixed by
nature," arid, quoting Dr. -Youngs line, "no undevout as-
tronomer is mad," he added that no was the over-devout
astronomic, and that religion was amore fruitful source of
madness than any other cause. Alluding, too, to Galileo's
Imprisonment he Sala that the spirit of persecution was rife
still, and that many Protestants would persecute Lyell,
Darwin, and Huxley, did the power exist, as Galileo had been
persecuted by the Romish Church.

After the discourse which was listened to most atten-
tively and occasionally applauded, came a selection from
Llandel's "Jephtha," the principal vocalists being Misses
Arabella Smyth and Kineslay, Mr. Aynsley Cooke, and Mr.
F. Wood, the chorus parts being given by the National
Sunday ',ague Choral Society. The whole was iaitiy
rendered, ano the congregation frequently manifested their
delight by clapping as heartily as though they were in a
theatre.

There are also "Sunday evenings for the people" at St.
George's Hall, Langham-place. This hall is a beautiful, large
room, fitted up as a theatre, with a stage sod all the usual
dramatic accessories, and theatrical performances are fre-
quently given in it, while it is the place now chosen by 3lr.
Eellew for his strange performance of "Hamlet' with
scenery and " dummies" for all the characters except the
leading one. The gentlemen who have taken the hall for
these Sunday evenings for the people call themselves "the
Cln,reli of Progress." The committee state that "according
to the decisli n of the Court of Common Pleas it Was neces-
sary to register under the Toleration Act as a ' religit us
body.' Except under such legal conditions, it was found im-
possible to obtain the use of any hall for Sunday evenings for
the people, in consequence of the penalties threatenc.i under
the Act of George 111. But not only was it necessary; the
committee think it desirable, for they regard rationalism as
Including the two elements of religion, moral and Intellectual
culture." Ills only fair that the committee should e;press
his own views in its own way, and I therefore quote another
passage from a hand-toil given away en entering the doors:
"There are great numbers in London who have no sympathy
with the religions of the so. called 'orthodox' Churches, and
who would be glad loses an impetus given to Rationalism,
and more truly liberal, free, and catholic religious spirit
bras bed tot', the community. The Church of Progress
mak s this its direct mission; It desires to separate religion
from superstition; and while it inculcates the lessons of
morality, and the love of knowledge, to elevate the minds
of the people above useless forms and baneful creeds." in,
the Sunday evening I visited the hall Mr. R. 11. Horne gave
a discourse on "the time-honoured resistance to human pro-
gress." Betel e this, however, there was a beautiful intro-
ductory organ performance by Mr. Jolley, and then Mr.
Baxter Langley, who was in the chair, gave out a hymn,
" Earth, of man the bounteous mother." Some "poems
selected for the purpose of congregational singing" had pre-
viously been sold, at the perennial "ore penny "to numbers
of people, and the congregation were thus enabled to join in
singing a beautiful moral poem, wedded to sweet music by
John Mullah. Mr. Baxter Langley, according to custom
made a few remarks on the political and social events of the
week, and then introduced the lecturer, remarking that the
Church of Progress was not responsible for his opinions, nor
he for theirs.

Mr. It. Hartwell Horne is, I believe, the son of the late Rev.
T. Hartwell Home, whose "Commentary on the Psalms' is
so well known. Mr. Home, after some years spent in the
navy, has had a long literary career. He is the author of a
number of poetical works, the most remarkable of which, iti
one respect at least, is "Orion, an epic poem." I remember
thli being publiehed—l think in 1044 or 1845—" price one
farthing " The volume contained, if I remember rightly,
some 200 pages, and at all events it was subsequently sold at
the reasonable sum of 2. 64. Mr. home's idea was thus to
satirize the age for the low value it placed on poetry. He
was also for years an extensive enntribntor to the Quarterly.
the Weelmineter Review, Household Mordi, dm. In 1852
, his readers lost sight of him, for he then went to the Aus-
tralian gold diggings. his has held several important official
positions in Australia, whence he has only recently returned.
Mr. Home's discourse must have struck every one who
heard it as coming from no ordinary man, but from a pro-
found and original thinker. Though his theme was a well-
worn subject, he treated it in so masterly a style, and illus-
trated his remarks nigh such telling episodes from history
that he kept a large audience enchained for nearly an hour.
The purport of the discourse was to show how in all ages
reformers and benefactorshad been misunderstood, neglected,
scoffed at, or persecuted, and the long catalogue of the
world's fallings in this respect certaioly bore out his position,
Nor was there much in the discourse to which ordinary re-
ligious congregations would have taken exception had it been
delivered on a " week " night. The only two points worth
mentioning in this respect were his classing "the Divlee
One of Nazareth," with others as a reformer, and his attack
on Banyan s " Filgrim's Progress "as a" singularly over-rated
work which nobody could read except In youth," an asser-
tion by the way very easy to disprove.
The charges for admission are 6d., Is., and 25., and if these
" Sunday evenings for the people" are regarded merely as
an entertainment , and that they are largely so regarded is
evident), the mimic alooe is worth the money. Misses
Susanna Cole and Lucy Franklin, and Messrs. Turner and
Fox were the principal vocalists, and there were a hind and
chorus of 150, besides a line organ. Selections from Roomier,
" S:aliat Mater" were most admirably rendered, the singers
named giving the solos with great taste and feeling. There
WM now and then an attempt at applause both during the
discourse and the singing, but the attendants immediately
checked it. After this music, and inimedlately before the
band performed a march, to play the people out, Mr. Baxter
Langley said a few words on this mode of spending a
"rational religious Sunday evening," but the most import-
, ant thing he said was that these "Sunday evenings" do not
pay, and he appealed for pecuniary help through better at-
' tendance. They will be continued till the Lady Day gum ter,
but if they are not better supported it will become a question
whether they should not be discontinued. This is rather
significant, and many readers will derive consolation from
the announcement.

Go on NEWS ! The Navy Estimates which were
issued on Monday, show that the total amount required
for the service of the current year is £9,250,530 and
this is a net decrease of £746,111 from the sum voted
Last year. The diminution of charges has been effected
principally under the heads of victualling and clothing
departments, dockyards. steam machinery, and ships
built by contract. The Army Estimates, which have also
been published, exhibit a total of £12,975,000 and this
is a net decrease of £1,136,900. There are 12,308 fewer
seen to be provided for than there were last year. A
diminution is apparent under every heading in the
effective service, except in that devoted to the reserve
force, and here the increase is only £BOO. There are
-onie extra charges for the non-effective services, and
•he chief of these is an augmentation to the extent of
E 117,000 in the amount of pay to reduced and retired
dicers. The total decrease on both Army and Navy
Estimates is £1,883,011.