Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-08-01
A Scotch Sunday as Seen by u
StauntOn Minister.

A letter from the Rav W. E Baker pastor
Of the Presbyterian Church in Staunton, now
one of the Vienna tourists" describing
how the Scotch Presbyterians Of Edinburg b
worship, saws:
My previous reading Of letters from
abroad bad by 30 means prepared me for
the novelties, ecclesiastical and otherwise,
OF this city, or of Scotland We find our.
selves surprised and astonished at every
turn. Think Of great and venerable ca.
thedral like that at Glasgow, in the posses.
sion OF Presbyteriaus 'What a pity p'
said an Episcopal friend but remindei
him that the church here WA the one that
had elders. Aud yet it Is no easy thing for
an American Presoyt rian to feel at home
in these places of worship OF course they
are orthodox enough, but their external
make it at first very hard to recognize them
[ tremble to think of attempting to hold fell
lowship with French ard Swiss Chris tians
after to-days experience with the Scotch -
So tar as the gown and bands are COL Germ
ed, we all know about them But such
music and such tunes They were either
too old or too new for us to join in the
singing We went to the Iron church this
morning. and heard DR.. MvGregor. His
sermon on The temptation Of the Saviour was
an excellent one, but the prayers and chant
ings and responsive readings mixed up with
it, confused me very much. On coming
out we found about five hundred well.dressed
ladies filing the street in front of the church.
| asked bystander if they had been having
street preaching, end he informed me that
they had only stopped moment to see the
Americans
This afternoon at clock, when the la.
zier ones OF those at home were about set.
ting down to their Sabbath maps, We went
amid the chorus Of bells, and through streets
crowded with church-goers, to hear the eel.
ebrated DR.. Wallace. The Doctor preach.
ed on aurcular confession, and recommend
ed self confession as better than confess
sion to priest Two old elders sat beside
him in the pulpit. Not word of extempo-
re prayer was there from the beginning to
the end OF the service. This was an Estab.
lished church, however, and a somewhat ne.
culiar one, we understand. Certainly the
little purple velvet bags, looking like watch.
cases, which they handed about for special
collection, were peculiar. These sermons
were of moderate length. There are,
therefore, contrary to to the general impress
sion in America: some. preachers in Scot.
land whose sermons are not always two
hours and half long. But what will the
people at home think o. country where
they have their night service before sunset
This popularity however. must not be charg.
ed upon the Westminster Confession, for it is
due to the fact that the SUI does not set
here until about 9 o'clock !
AS to Sabbath School work in Edinburgh,
all have been able to learn is that these
children 60 to Sabbath school after
supper, and about the time that our chill
drsn at home ought to be going to bed -
On the Cowgate, street some two hundred
feet deep, the children seem about as thick
as Sabbath school procession, but look as
though they did not 90 to school at all