The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-29
An Old-Fashioned Custom.

All Old-FaSh1oned custom.
Fifty or sixty years ago, the life of
the common people in New England,
and in Scotland, had one thing in com
mon-they both loved dearly to hear
and to talk over sermons. There were,
then, few books and fewer newspapers.
Constant occupation and hard work left
little time for society. The topics for
conversation were few, outside the neigh
borhood's news, and that was soon ex-
hausted.
But the minister's last sermon was al
ways an attractive theme. The higher his
thoughts, and the tougher his arguments,
the better the men and women of those
days liked the discourse He who gave
them hard nut to crack was the popular
preacher. Their mental digestion was
good enough to dissolve the strongest
doctrinal meat
"Free-will, fixed fate foreknowledge
absolute, Trinity, redemption, special
grace, eternity-give them anything
high enough, and the tough muscle Of
their inward man will be climbing
sturdily into it, and if they 90 away hay
ing something to think of, they have had
a good day. Oh, these royal men of
homespun, how great thing to them
was religionl !"
Thus wrote Dr. Bushnell of the sturdy
yeomanry of New England, who wor-
shipped In the plain meeting houses of
sixty years ago. In his photographic
"reminiscences, the editor of Chambers
Journal, William Chambers, draws a
companion picture to DIR. Bushnelrs
sketch. 1t sets forth the life of the com
mon people of Scotland, as it was when
he served his apprenticeship.
HIS landlady was poor widow who
lived in the top story of high house in
Edinburgh. In the evening, mason and
carpenter lads dropped in. and the con-
versation turned chiefly on sermons.
Each visitor told how texts had been
handled on the preceding Sunday; and
then the sermons would be discussed.
Weel, Tammie, inquired the widow
one evening of Tammie Todd, Journey
man mason lately arrived from the coun-
try. what was the doctor on last Sab
bath afternoon
He was on the SONG" meaning the
Song of Solomon.
All, the Song that would be grand.
He's wonderful man, the doctor: and
what was his text?"
" 1t was real fine text" said Tam
ME, the deepest ever I heard For
my head is filled with dew, and nv locks
with the drops Of the night fifth chap
ter, second verse, the second clause of
the verse.
II ken the text weel," responded the
widow. IL heard capital discourse on
it thirty years syne; but how did the
doctor lay it out p
q" He divided it into five heads ending
with an application, which it would be
weel for us a to tax to heart"
Tammie then described with logical
precision the manner in which his minis
ter had handled the intricate subject.
Every now and then, he would be in
terrupted by a comment from some one
OF the company.
" l may not have been the better,
writes Mr.. Chambers after the lapse of
fifty years, but I was by no means the
worse, for hearing Tammie Todd's SER
mon experiences in that little upper
floor. a" have often compared, he
continues, what there came under
my observation, with the unidead sot-
ting and want Of all mental culture.
which unhappily mark certain depart
ments of the population in different parts
Of the United Kingdom"
Hugh Miller, the Scotch geologist,
met, once, at an English inn, company
Of scofers. They were discussing 1.-THE
Shorter Chatechism." One of them
seeing that the stranger was from Scot
land, where the catechism is universally
taught, asked, sneeringly,-
Can you tell us, sir, what good the
catechism has ever done your people?"
" Yes, sir, 1 can, replied Miller. at
has done much more to educate the
Scotch and make them thinking people
than all your societies for the Promotion
OF Useful knowledge have done to ed
ucate the English nation"
A similar judgment is deserved by the
old-fashioned habit, once popular in
Scotland and in New England. of dis
cussing sermons. Apart from its reli-
glous influence, it stimulated the spirit
of inquiry and the love of reasoning.
which have made those two peoples
what they are intellectually-To1tth8
Con17301,5o,,