, 1879-07-20

r.
ready for new men il they bc truly Christian
men. No new division Of the Presbyterian
Church is needed. Let the uroad Christians In
that pulpit who 40 not wish to teach that God
elects men TO death for His own good pleasure,
and that He sent Lis Son to die for few souls,
step down and out and seek fields Of toll and
liberty among the Congregationalists. or Meth
odists, or Episcopalaus. or IN a lonely field OF
toll under no master but God. Inc more Al
colts the land produces the better, for what the
age needs is sincere men, aud bold men, anu
humane Christian men.
FRENCH RELIGION.
TIE PASSION FOR cRuc1FIxRs, scArUL ARIES,
NADoSHAs, AND PAGEANTs.
The-Paris correspondent OF the London Poll
Mau Gazette writes as folloWs:
NJ. Lefere's circular to the Projects, remind
ing them Of an old Law about religious process
sions, and forbiduing them to attend such demon
strations in uniform, is one Of those which show
how i'll French Liberals understand the true
idea Of liberty, and how little acquainted they
are With large section OF the people over whom
they rule. The Minister of the Interior should
have been warned by the tommotion which was
caused last wear when the Prefect OF the Buches
du Rhene took it upon himself to suppress the
annual procession on Corpus Christi Day at
Mar:eilles. The Marseillais arc Radicals, but
superstitious. and they strongly incline TO the
pomps Of the Church. Their irreligiousness
goes no further than this-that they are impa-
ttcnt OF the ecclesiastical yoke under which they
long lived, and rather grudge the money paid
by the State and the communes to the Church;
but II the t: Budget des Cultes :" were sup
pressed they would probably pay far moro in-
divldually to the priests Of their own free will
than they do DOW. In this they-and one
may say all the people Of Provence-differ
from the populations OF Norm andy, Picardy,
Champagne, and Burgundy, who are skeptics Of
the cold sort, quite ready to disendow the
Church and to let 1t shift for Itself afterwards,
without giving d ccntfme towards its support
Iknow a Norman land owner who Is a strong
Conservative, and, outwardly at least, jealous
churchman.. Talking with him the other day
about the policy Of the present Government, he
said that it the Republican party remained in
power ten years there would be separation be-
tween Church and State; and, as result, three
four tbs vi the churches in France would be
closed. As to the church in his own country
parish, that would probably be shut up too, he
added; and he for his own part would not sub
scribo to maintain it, because he was not going
to contribute towards keeping open place Of
worship for peasants who were too stingy OF too
faithless to pay their own shares: All he would
do would be to join with other Catholics in sup
porting. at Rouen church to which only paying
members would be admtttcd,-a sort of club.
Ii Il Conservative talks in this style ono eau
imagine The sentiments Of the Liberals erals
not % including Brittsn7 and French
Flanders, which remain Cathoc-lnd in those
OF the east, the Church seems to have fallen in
to sufficiently distinct kind Of contempt. The
peasants. sQuare-hcaded, thrifty fellows, have
noticed that the clergy do not deal equally with
poor und rich In the manner OF dispensing sacra-
mcnts. The fees for weddings. christcn!ngs,
and mortuary masses have been steadily it,
creased to rates which sometimes look extor-
tlonatc; md. although a prctense Is still made
OF performing ceremontals cheap for those who
cannot afford to pay, yet the slap-dash fashion
In which rites are galloped through for the poor
is shocking to men who like equality, as most
Frenchmen do. TOtaLe marriages for instance,
in which the female part Of the community
are so much Interested; wedding with choral
music at the high altar OF Partisan church
costs about eco, and even in country towns the
charge is about e12; while weddings for the
lower classes in lateral chapc1s cost from ST. to
Ct. But these lateral-chapel weddings are the
dreariest things conceivable, solemn;zed as they
are BY clergymeu vino 20 through the service in
less than ten minutes, and dismiss the married
pair without word of blessing or compliment
in the mother tongue.
IN the soutl Of France the kindly feeling of
the lower orders for tine Church aud its rites is
want OF respect entertained towards .the clergy.
THE Provenoaux cannot live without their cruci-
fixes, scapularics, open.air Madonnas. and occa-
sioual religious pageants. In Normandy you
will hardly meet with religious procession
once 10 the course .! the year, except IN the sea
coast fishing towns, where the sailors now und
then call. upon the clergy to bless their smacks
or to inaugurate some new Calvary perchcd
high on cliff; but in Provence religious pro-
cessons are constantly taking place, md those
held on Corpus Day are often graudoise. Mar
settles is especially renowned for the splcndor OF
its Fete Dieu, the streets of the city being on
that day filed with reposoirs, or affairs loaded !
fors nGss These aspys @ a speaE to s the ina
of this people, and. in the enjoymcnt Of them
rich and poor take part alike. Therefore it is |
quite natural :that they should desire
to see them graced by officials In uni |
bands, troops of cavalry, Generals With their
stats. Projects in their coaches, and Mayors
with their sashes, the show becomes very |
withdraw their countenauces from religious
demonstrations they virtually place stigma !
on these things appearing to imply that they |
are foolish superstitions, and the people: are !
consequently put out OF coneelt with them,
thar n. Lepere has merely eniofued his |
subordinates to avoid appearing at pro-
cessions in uniform. leaving them free to
attend in private uress II they please. nut
this makes the matter worse: for a .Prefect
who figured in procession With his cooked
hat aud syer-laced coat on seemed ouly to
be rendering proper official homage to the
Church; whereas fuuctionary who attends !
a procession in plain clothes must seem to be
giving q personal allegiance to religion, and
under tie circumstances he risks being
dubbed as q CLERICAL" and loathed by the
Extreme Republicans. This will be bed |
chanre therefore, for Projects OF conciliatory
mood, who liked to please ali parties without
49,.
A RABB1'S FAREW ELL.
TIE REV. DIR. R1NuoRS's LAST SERMON TO his
FLOCK.
Ne.o Ynrk Herald, July Is.
The Temple BETHEL. at the corner OF Sixty
third street and Lexington avenue, was crowded
to overdowing yesterday morning when the Rev.
Dr.. Einhofn, the Rabbi OF the congregation,
gentleman past tile three score and ten allotted