The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

TOO MANY COOKS.

At a meeting held in Edinburgh one evening last
week, of members of the Free Church, in favour of
union with other babes' the Rev. Dr. Guthrie spoke
as follows with regard to the divisions of the Church in
Scotland
'1 was in Shetland last autumn, and spent some weeks In
the parish of Walls. In a scattered hamlet there are to be
seen three churches standing stile by side—a Methodist, am!
an Independent, and au Established—mid, over a hill, a Free
March. The minister of the Free i'hurch, Mr. Jolly, passes
. . •

over to the island of Foilla, where there are only 200 people,
and dispenses the sacrament to 14 persons; the Established
miuister goes to the same island, and dispenses the sacrament
to 12 ; and the independent minister attends to his own people
thereto°. In Lerwick, where my friend Mr. Fraser is minister,
I found in a population of 3,000 no less than tight churches
and eight denominations. These are things that point the
shafts of infidels, and when I observe then) the sneer of
Voltaire when he came to England rises to my mind,
They are a most extraordinivy people here. They have
but one Hance and 70 religions. What is the consequence of
such a state of things? The result is that ministers
have inadequate stipends, congregations have a perpetual
stringle, heavy debts are contracted, jealousies are fired,
and. what is worse than all, there are millions perishing for
lack of knowledge. There are thousands in Edinburgh, Olas-
gow, and Liverpool for whom we can get neither rum nor
inohey, while the gospel In such pia tea as Lerwick is
muting like waste water. .1 ask what will be the result of
time endless divisions? We see on every side a
general growing inclination towards the Episcopal
Church, and it would appear as if the Presby..
terian Church is going to be supplanted in this country by
a Church which, while it includes many excellent and
Clan mum men, also contains within its 11oso01 meu who, eat-
ing its bread and signing its Articles, undermine its prin-
ciples a ith a latitude of conscience I do not underAand—on
the one bawl preaching plain rationalism, and on the other
practiaing the grossest mummeries of Popery. It will be a
black day for Seotland when the good old slap Presbyterianisni
goes down, and the last thing seen other is the blue banner
, dipping below the waves."

"THAT IS THE QUESTION."
(From Judy.)
What is the most desirable age of life?
Judy put this question to a few friends lately, and
has received the following replies, but does not con-
sider any of them satisfactory :
A Banker . . thought Coin-age the Best Age.
A Tailor . . „ Cablnage „
The Lerd,3layor . „ Knight-age „
A Soldier . „ Pill-age ..
A Toper . . ~ Viol-age ..
A Vicar . . „ Vicar-age
A Hungry alas . , „ Sass-age ..
Mr. I;ladstono . „ Oreemage „
An Ambitious Lady „ A carri.age „
A Bravo alas . „ ('our-age „
A Dram-drinker. „ Orals-age „
A Joker . . „ Bailin-age „
A Musician . „ Baud-age ..
A Slave.,owner . „ Rend-age „
A Labourer . „ Cott age ..
...._.._ __.

A Seotchnian . .
And two Silly Fouls .

„ Port-ago
~ Mani-ago