The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-06 00:00:00

WATCH-NIGHT SERVICES IN LONDON.

A writer In that escillent journal. the Da'N Nein4, has
given the following very interesting sketch of two services
which lie attended on New Year's live in London, and
. .

though ilifferiug widely in the " ritual,'' each aerrici; was
characterised by mutat devotion

Certain religiothi sects have long been impressed with,
and acted upon the conviction that the passing away of
the old year and the advent of the new hi a period more
appropriately spent in prayer than in festivity ; and
hether we choose to regard it as a sign of the times
or not, it is certain that the custom of the "Watch-
night" is being largely adopted among denominations
who, till of late years, were not addicted to its prac-
tice. Among the various denominations of dissenters
which, by more or less of direct descent, trace
their origin to the early Puritans, new year " watch.
nights " have always had much favour; and the
practice is steadily on the increase in the Church of
England, both in what is known as the High Church
and the Low Church section of the Establishment.
n few places of religious worship throughout the
metropolis was some fi rm of service omitted last night,
having special reference to the occasim ; and the pur-
pose of this article is to briefly describe the nature of
some of these, as gathered in what were necessarily
hurried visits._

—........ ........
It um.: one Father Dominic, an Italian priest, who,
coming from his native land about twenty two years
ago, planted the first mission of the Order of the Pas-
sioniosts in England. Since then the order, the monks
of which are robed from head to foot in sombre black,
and wear sandals on their bare feet, has increased from
its first convert, the Hon. and Rev. Robert Spenser,
a near relative of the present Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland, till within the province it now comprehends
1:10 priests. About fifteen years ago Father Engine,
who is now the Provincial of the order, made a
settlement on a very small scale near the top of High-
gate bill, which soon increased in size and importance.
Its title is "St. Joseph's Retreat," and the vulgar
know it familiarly by the name of "Holy Joe."
There are now in the community seven priests and
seven lay brothers; large schools are attached to the
Retreat, awl the poor of the vicinity have much to
say of the self-denying and unremitting ministrations
of the fathers and brethren.
• _ _

There was no "watch-night" proper at St. Joseph's
Retreat last night, but there were (to quote an adver-
tisement) "Vespers at seven assisted by the most
eminent aitistes of the day, iollowed by the annual
procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and the Te
beton in thanksgiving for the blessings conferred upon
St. Joseph and his children during the put year."
The Church of the Retreat is in it interior a sin-
gularly fine edifice, with a noble vaulted roof, from
which stmbumers pour down their radiance. On the
right as one entered was the crib, a bower of inter-
woven evergreens, with the sacred child in effigy lail
in a real manger among real straw, with the Virgin
Mother, Jcsepb, awl two angels bending over him,
an outer rail fringed by women kneeling in silent
prayer. . . .
After describing the blob altar awl its profuse decorations,
under which " is a receptacle, in which, carefally enshrined
under glass amourvelvet and jewas, are certain precious
relics, consisting of a human skull and bones, said to be
those of St. Valerian, a martyr of the fifth century," the
writer continues:—
For some time before the commencement of the ser-
vice, awl while as yet the congregation, which numbered
not much under a thousand, was streaming in, the great
organ had been pealing forth. There advance up the
centre aisle, with slow swaying motion, three female
figures, the white robes and veils concealing the features,
but showing the red hoods underneath. These are sisters
of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. They
kneel by the altar rails, radiant in their white
robes. in strong contrast to them, note these
three other female figures, robed from crown to
heel in dusky black, hard by the altar of St. Paul
of the Cross. These are sisters of the Order of
the Paseionists—clouds of fleecy black, with hardly-
defined form. The organ strikes a louder note as
up the centre marches slowly the procession of
officiating priests, in cope and chasuble, stole,
girdle, alb, and maniple—a glitter of white and gold—
h4lowed by acolytes and servitors, arrayed in whiteand
red, and bearing long candles. At the head of the pro-
cession is the venerable Father Englsne, the founder of
the Retreat. After kneeling in front of the altar, those
who had composed the
.proceasion wheeled to either
side, and the Vespers begin with the pealing strains of
Dixit Dominus. Then follows the beautiful Psalm

Laudate Pueri, sung to the glorious music of
Zingarelli, and the fine triumphant burst of Nisi
lAnnious. So the service wears on with organ music
and chanting, genuflection, incensing of the altar and
of the officiating priest, lighting of candlcs, and cere-
monies of various kinds, till the noble music of Emerig's
./Ifamtat is followed by the buoyant anthem, Alma
keilemptoris—the solos sung by a fine male soprano- -
which bringsthe Vespers service to a close, and the pro-
cession retires as it had come. Presently the pulpit is
occupied by the Rev. Father Sebastian, the rector
of St. Joseph's, who with slow, deliberate utterance,
Preaches a New Year's-Eve sermon without a special
text. The preacher referred to the physical changes
of the season, and to the advent of the new year all
suggesting also newness of life, and urged on his
bearers the primary duty of thanksgiving to God for the
blessim,hi of the obi year, notwithstanding its moments
•I adversity, concerning which Fiat roluntas tea
ought ever to be our motto. As regarded the future,
there was for us no less important a duty, the deter-
mination to advance steadily in prudence, religion, and
the love of God. We must practise prayer, practise
charity, practise proselytism, keep the festivals of the
Church, study ins imitate the lives hf the saints, and
follow the example of Jesus Christ. The preacher
concluded his address by fervently wishing his hearers
"A Happy New Year."
While the candles are being lighted on the altar, the
choir sing the beautiful " Adeste fideles," as an intro-
duction to the procession of the Host. There begins
to gather before the altar a throng of priests and
acolytes, gorgeously attired, and 'of girls and children,
sisters all of the various confraternities. It is
pretty to watch the tiny children being marshalled,
clad in white, with red or blue ribbon, and long
white transparent veils, their heads crowned under the
veils with wreaths of flowers bound with ribbons, and
in their hands baskets of flowers. As the remonstrance
of the Host takes place, it is greeted by organ and
choir with the "Osalutaris !" Clouds ot incense rise
before the altar from the waving censers, half obscur-
ing the kneeling priests. The procession is slowly
marshalled, banners being placed in the hands
of the elder children. As at length the
head of it moves off, a cross-bearer leading
the way, there burst out from choir and organ
the solemnly gladsome strains of the
.Fe Dedm. The
black Passionist Sisters flit ghost-like from their corner,
and fall into the procession, looking strangely weird in
their sombre weeds among the white-veiled sisters of
the other orders. Solemnly the Host is taken from its
place on the altar by the venerable officiating priest, and
borne down the steps of the altar with a halo • •f candle-
light round a cloud of incense. Father Engime takes
his place under the rich canopy, borne aloft by four
bearers, and falls into the rear of the procession, the
other priests behind holding up the edges of his robes,
while all the peolde bow their heads before the
Host. Slowly the procession has passed down the
central passage, and reversing at the bottom, returns
again by the same path; the children, kneeling as
they return, forming a beautiful outside border to
the alter railings. The Tontum Ergo is chanted
while the Host is being replaced, and on its conclusion
the officiating priest again takes the Host, and elevates
it with a slow, circular sweep, amid the tinkling of the
swaying censers, heard amid the silence of the kneeling
congregation to the remotest corner of the building.
A short prayer with responses follows—the only minis-
tration of the night in the vernacular, and the'New
Year's Eve celebration at St. Joseph's Retreat is over
for 1871.
adenine front thence to a meeting of the Primitive Me-
thodists, by whom the Watch-night services are regarded
with peculiar interest and engaged in with great earnest-
ness, the writer, after referring to their affinity to the great
founder of Methodism—Jonn Wesley,-continues -

It was a layman who conducted the Watch-night
Service in the Primitive Methodist Chapel visited
by the writer last night. Primitiveness was not
found to extend to the edifice in which the
Watch-night was held. There is nothing specially
primitive about an organ. There is stained
glax in the windows and pretty painted open iron
woik runs round the front of the gallery. The
font is quite artistic, a marble basin with marble doves
standing on its trink, one drinking of the baptismal
water. Yet, spite of the little unprimitive prettiness,
what a contrast between the fervent, "free agent" sim-
plicity of these earnest "Ranters," and the gorgeous
pageantry so recently quitted, in winch the congregation
seemed not necessarily to have either heart or part. This
was a genuine " Watchnight "—watching out and
seeing in. The body of the little chapel Wag densely
crowded. Parents were there with their children—,
"the whole fleet," as William the Fourth would have
said. The organ was silent, there were no artistes. no
choristers, no elaborate musical compositions to accom-
pany the "Rants rs" hymn. But what a hearty
spontaneity of fervour rang out, as the 3rtleAs VOiCe3
sang such a pledge and such a prayer as are contained
in the lines—
We never will throw off this fear
Who hears our solemn VOW:
If, bard, thou art well pleased to bear,
Come down :knd meet us now.

Among the ministrants at the Piimitive Metho
dish Chapel there was no clergyman. All those
who spoke were lay "local preachers "—not men,
indeed, of great culture or strict grammar, rather
dubious about aspirates, and hazy occasionally in
concluding their sentences. But what strong-think-
ing, straight-speaking men they were one and
all! What a grip they had of their topic! what a
homely, bright fertility of apt illustration! what a
keen sympathy with humanity! With what a manly
Christian humility did the creature stand among
his fellow-creatures in the presence of his Creator !
What fine racy " unpulpit "-like Englidh every
now and then came bursting out! That the writs
went home was evident. There was quite a run-
ning accompaniment—very subdued mostly, but
occasionally becomingoutspoken—of such exclamations
"Oh, yes !" "Bless the Lord !" " Thanks to
God !" "Praise Him," and so forth. Hymn and
address followed eachother alternately; the leader of
the singing following the quaint old custom of reading
out the hymn verso by verse before the singing. One
speaker was especially graphic in his illustrations.
" Some of us," said he, "have had dull temporal times
last year; but we are not speaking of them tomight. Con-
sider, I bid you, whether your spiritual times were
dull too. You might not help the bad worldly times,
but every man can help dull times of the other kind.
You all have noticed the breaking of a dark cloud and
the bursting out ~f the sun. Prayer snit faith will make
the sun shine for all. (" Oh yes, God be thanked.")
Just as the weaver throws with his shuttle a dark
and a light thread alternately to make the pattern,
so the dispensations that God sends are the dark
threads needed to make us of the right pattern."
"Linger not," said another, "over the mixed history
of the past; take stock of your spiritual shop to in-
fluence your doings in the future. If the stock comes
oust right, then go on in the same line, always trying to
do better; if it don't, do as the enterprising trader
does, try to make things come right by efforts in
channels yet untried to retrieve your position and
benefit yourselves." There was a terrible thrill of im-
impressive significance in the question of a grey-haired,
aged man. " Where are you going to? You can't atop here."
Commonplace and self-evident words, the reader in
cold blood may think—he did not hear them. The
manifest earnestness of the watchers, the yearning
fervour of their exclamations and the unstudied home.
. . •

liness—of the utterances of 'the speakers exercised a
strange infections influence. At a " watch-night "
meeting in the East-end some years ago, the writer was
present when a drunk-debauched woman strayed some-
Low into the chapel. At first she jibbed aloud at what
she saw and heard, interrupting with a jeer or
an oath the intervals of silence, and mocking the
interjectional exclamations. But no one moved to
eject her, and the spell of fervour gradually worked
upon the wretched creature. She fell into silence;
and the dead silence in which the midnight hour
was watched for was suddenly broken by her
spasmodic 80118, that soon became intensi-
fied into hysterics. Last night in this solemn
interval there was no sensational interrup-
tion. The stillness was so dead that it seemed
as if the beating of human hearts might almost be
heard. It only lasted five minutes—perhaps searedly
that ; but the time seemed, RO opprssive was the hush
and so intent the expectancy, [tulle half-an-hour. At
length from the Mai ket tower behind the chapel rang
out the slow strokes of the hour. The sounds went
quivering through the hushed room, the intervals
between the heavy inexorable strokes filled with a
sharper vibrating tingle. The old year had gone :
the new year had come. Slowly the worshippers rose
from their kneeling attitude. There was a short pause,
and then, at first with a manifest tremulousness, but
soon with swelling fullness and fervour, rose the strains
of Charles Wedey's hymn :
Come let us anew our journey pursue,
Roth round with the year.
And never stand still till the master appear.

The hymn over, a hearty hand-shaking all round was
no inappropriate finale to the watch-night of the
Primitive Methodists. . . .

THE .PrOtin,BiliDGE

a thing never before impersonated in a single
and in the won's of Archbishop Manning, " What the
Pope speaks upon dogmas, politics, ethics, morals,
upon doctrines, he is as true as God Almighty could
claim to be," and hence the Tablet had the following
words :—" The Church that dares to assert that the
Pontiff is infallible is either speaking by the inspira-
tion of the Devil, or it is the very mouthpiece of the
Holy Ghost ;" in other wards, we must either accept
that Church RA the inspiration of the Devil or the
mouthpiece of the Holy Ghost.
What next took place)? It was strange, but neverthe-
less true, that if the Pope blessed anybody, such a
person was sure to come to erief, whereas if he cursed
anybody he was sure to prosper. The Emperor of
Austria, for instance, warred against Prussia and be-
fore he set out he and his army were especially blessed
by the Pope ; the blessing resulted in Sadowa ! The
Queen of Spain received the golden rose, and the
Pope's special blessing ; but scarcely had the blessing
settled upon her head than she was a fugitive from her
country. Maximilian received theblessing of the Pope,
and was murdered. The Popp cursed Victor Emmanuel
in the most terrific terma —in terms which even un-
educated people would stigmatise as coarse invective.
What followed the curse? Victor Emmanuel is now
King of Italy! His son is King of Spain, and his
daughter is Queen of Portugal. All three were cursed
by the Pope, all three are among the most enviable
Sovereigns in Europe. Wherever the Pope's blessing
fell there thorns and briars seemed to spring up.
Had any of the predictions recorded received that
fulfilment which would justify them in believing that
that prophecy was ceasing to be prediction, and ICIA
being translated into living and actual history? He
maintained they had. Take, for instance, another one
in the 24th Matthew—" The Gospel shall be preached
in all the world for a witness, and then shall the end of
the age be." Had the Gospel been preached to every
one? The Bible had been translated into every tongue;
missionaries had preached it in the Arctic sea; in
fact, from the line forests of the north to the palm
groves of the eat the glorious Gospel in the tongue of
every people had been proclaimed. It was not toconvert
every nation, but to be preached to every nation "for a
witness." Then we find that there wergstobe astronomi-
cal changes, the distress of nations, the seas and the
waves roaring, earthquakes in divers places, pesti-
lences, and plagues, and famines, and they had only
to read the English and foreign newspapers to find how
these predictions are being fulfilled-4n the famine of
Persia, the floods at Shanghae, the fire at Chicago,
&c. Nations were to rise against nations, and there
were to be wars and rumours of wars, and he need
not say that in 1871 the most terrible war had been
waged that had been waged, perhaps, for 200 years.
They had had the Crimean war, the Indian war, t. e
' Italian war, the Prussian and Austrian war, and the
cinders of this last war had only begun to cool when the
Emperor Napoleon embarked,in the terrible war he had
alluded to; and now we saw every nation arming to
the teeth, and if that did not look like war nothing
did. Look east, look west, it was rumours of wars,
nations rising up against nations, and the competitor.
ship of capitalists and kings was who should forge the
largest guns, who should cast the heaviest bolts, and who
should be most prepared for war. Then there had also
been earthquakes at Thibet, at China, at Mexico, at
Japan, at Greece, at Italy, at South America, and,
according to one writer, there had been 2.5 disastrous
earthquakes in the year 1870. The word orivoc
meant moral revolution as well as the motion of the
earth, and Dean Alford said, whilst we accept it in
the chapter he had read) in its literal and material
sense, we must interpret it DA having a moral, social,
and political meaning; and taking it in its secondary
and last sense, Europe has been full of tremendous
changes and revolutions.

The rev. gentleman having quoted American papers
as to meteorological and astronomical changes and
phenomena, concluded by inviting all present to pre-
pare to meet their (Md.