The Portland daily press., 1871-01-07
RELIGIOUS DeDartm emit !.

)e welcomed from clergymen and others, ana IN
erted in an abbreviated form in this column every
The present week has been quite generally
observed as Week of Prayer. The sugees-
ton originally came from English Christians,
but OF late years the programme of topics has
been prepared on this side of the Atlantic.
The Churches ard Colleges that have kept the
first week in January as season of special
prayer have often been blessed with .revivals
of religion.
The Churches in this city have mostly OBJ
served the week by meetings every evening IN
their own chapels instead of by one or two
union services, around which less of interest
gathered.
The following accessions at last Sabbath's
Communion, have been reported to us; Sec
oni Perish, nine; State Street, six; High St
five; West Church, four; Plymouth, two;
Westbrook, Warren Church, six; Second,
tisms; Chestnut, Meth, thirteen baptisms;
Pine St., FIVE, and two baptisms.
Rev. DR.. Chckering is spending the winter
in Washington.
A revival is in progress in Buxton with Rev.
Mr. Gates Society.
At Brunswick about 100 conversions have
occurred, the revival beginning with the Meth
odist Church.
At Alfred the revival continues in the Meth
odist Society; about 20 conversions reported.
At Gorham a still larger number have been
hopefully converted, and the meetings contin-
ue at Rev. John Collins church. Rev. DR..
Parker's society held meetings every evening
last week.
PASTORS MEETINGS are held in Portland ev-
cry Monday from eleven to twelve clock
Although private, there is no improperly in
referring to general topics discussed which are
of interest to the religious public The topic
Of Itinerant Revivaiists was the theme last
Monday. The utility Of this kind of effort in
certain exigencies was granted but the evils on
the whole were such as to make the employ
sment of professional revivalists measure of
doubtful expediency in usual cases, where
there was a settled pastor. Whatever encour-
ages mere curiosity, love of novelty, spirit of
periodic Industry; whatever cheapens the
work of the pastor aud leads the people to
lean on outside help, should be avoided.
bow to make Prayer and Conference Meet
inss interesting was last week considered.
They should be social and fraterral; the leader
sitting as Christ did sin the midst Of them"
rather than behind pulpit; scriptural topics
may be announced beforehand; directness,
simplicity, brevity and unity should be arrived
at; disputatious or complaining spirit
should be avoided and flores should be put
down at once. kindly but firmly. Each one
should bring his oil Of grace with him and not
expect the meeting to furnish it. PRAYERS
should be petitions rather than variations os
essays addressed to those present Pauses
may be filled by the repetition of texts. or the
singing of hymn, or questions put to or by
the leader.
SERMoNs.-The pulpit is the minister's
throne. Whatever helps preacher in the pre-
paration and delivery of sermons is a direct
contribution to the power of the pulpit. The
fault OF Rhetorical treatises generally has been
the exclusive attention paid to writing alone.
whereas true Oratory involves more. The Lat
in sernao and the Greek, Nonailia signify con-
versation, familiar talk. Unlike orations. SER
mons should be marked by simplicity and di-
rectness of style to realize their primitive and
proper use. Preachers who wish very sug-
gestive work on Sermons. their material, ar
rangement and style; on style of diction and
elegance of delivery and related topics, will
find Prot. Broadus' new volume, 10 mo, 514 DID.
Smith, English g. Go. Phil, just the aid need
ed. The closing remark is worth noting. .We
must not forget the power of character and life
to reinforce speech. What preacher u.s. goes
far to determine the effect of what he says-
There is medical proverb. sIfa mans life be
lightning, his words are thunder"
Rev. Mr.. Wilkinson's remarkable article on
the Bondage of the Pulpit" will be concluded
in the February number of Scritner's Monthzv.
The RELIGIOUS PRESS An imaginative
correspondent hints the union of Zion's Advo-
cate of this city with the Era, of Boston and
Secretary, of Hartford to make Baptist paper
that would sweep New England" No init
nation of such project appears in the excel
lent Baptist organ in this city, nor is it one
likely to be very soon realized.
The able Washington correspondent of the
Mirror gives US an interesting account of the
Memorial of the Congregationalists at the ma
tional capitol, not few of whom are from
Maine.
The Good Seed union, evangelical paper
to be begun in February is announced by T..
G. Rich 8 Co.. of this city, to be devoted to
Sunday Schools, Y. M. G.. Associations and
kindred enterprises. Elk Gov. Chamberlain,
Prot. Barbour, and others promise co-opera-
ton.
The Pastor and People, 3. B. Russell, Bos-
ton, III 90 per annum, has reached a crcula-
ton OF over eleven thousand.
The N. Y. Independent now has a new edi-
torial corps of unquestioned orthodoxy of char
acter, among whom are three Doctors of Di-
vinity.
Father O'Callaghan, for more than year
past connected with the Cathedal of the Inn
maculate Conception in Portland, has been
put in charge of the Catholic parish at Ban
gor.
The Methodists of Maine have made move
toward a State Methodist Convention, to be
held some time after the Conferences of 1871.
A preliminary meeting was held at Kendall's
Mills on the 18th, attended by four ministers
and two laymen of the Maine Conference and
two ministers from the East Maine. Commit
tees on programme and location were appoint
ed.
VARIOUS ITEMs.-Parishes are at a loss
sometimes for new expedients for raising mon.
ey. A novel and unobjectionable method is
introduced at best. A "neck- tie sociable" is
held. Every lady, upon entering the door, is
required to give the doorkeeper an envelope
containing neck-tie made of the same male.
rial as the dress she wears that evening, to be
made in any conceivable shape and trimmed as
she chooses. Every gentleman pays fifteen
cents at the door and receives check for
necktie, and afterward the neckties are distrib-
uted to checkholders. Afte receiving his new
article OF dress, each gentleman commences
search for the lady who made it; and after find
ing her, shows his gratitude by treating her to
oysters, cake, and other refreshments, the sale
Of which added to the sale, of tickets makes
handsome amount
A Portland paper, sometime ago rebuked
Sunday loafers about church doors. In the
same vein Josh Billings thus advertses:-
Wanted, several fust class yung men, with
to hang around the vestibules of the
different churches in Ameriky and stare at the
females as they pass out. No yung man ac-
cepted who can't stare the brass buttons oph
from military coat at twenty PAGES"
The Methodist Episcopal statistics, just pub
lished, report 9,193 travelling preachers-an
increase of 1868 over last year; II, 4O4 local
preachers; 1,173 099 full members-an increase
Of 5S3S7; and 4,055 probationers-an in
crease of $500. 1t is evident that, as usual,
very large proportion of the probationers cease