New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

an overture to the Assembly from the Pres
bytery of Iowa City, showing what the Pres
bytery believes to be In large measure the cause
of these vacant pulpits. The overture ls an
earnest-an almost spainfully earnest-protest
against too great dependence on the minister
for the prosperity Of the church, and the evil
Is declared to be so great that 1t Is dlincnit 10
frame sentence that shall compass all fCs
phases. Extraordinary mental gifts are de"
manded and if the minister fails to give pop
ular preaching and to build up the church ne lss
driven from his place by various means, one OF
which Is the abominable practice OF withhold
ing the payment Of his salary" The questions
How smart are your "Can you make the
Spa cP Of Ssss P9y e Ss ssey
fully between the Scylla Of orthodoxy and the
Charybdis of liberalismW UnwelcOme as the
church appears to be that it is to succeed or fail
according to the ability of the minister alone.
The entire responsibility is to be thrown on
him. The language OF his call, "That you may
promise,"-a solemn promise that 1t Isis
broken ruthessly, and the pastor for want OF
his salary, which is purposely withheld, sees
nothing between! n!humiliation ndIfnding,nnother
church. Many churches, therefore, are without
pastors simply because the churches drive them
away. "The peril of degraded ministry" is
the title which the Iowa City Presbytery gives
to its overture. The outside world will learn
with soIi e astonishment Of the degree OF feeling
which exists in this matter. There Is great force
in the assertions often made that want of the
true religious feeling exists wherever o man ls
not unable to worship alone, and with little
thought or care for what the minister says or
his neighbOr does. There has been introduced
into churches of late large deal OF vulgar am
btiUn for success as a church In purely
material way, and to imagine congregation IN
any growing" American town which should be
content to worship in a little rude stone church
with ivy growing over il like one sees IN Eng
land, would be to imagine and never to realize.
Brick. mortar, and dressed stone, black walnut
and upholstery, high stecple with bells, anu
a big debt'are much preferred.
ARGYLL ON PRAYERs.-In asking. that bis
name be added to the .membership, OF the
Church Service Society of London, the Duke
Of Argyll has written = letter to eX-
plain tile views with which ho does it.
lie should be glad, he says, to see
tematic, but not the exclusive use, of
those forms of supplicaton of which the
Lords Prayer is both the type anu great ex-
ample. No one would deprecate more than
he should the mOnOtOny and rigidity of COM
pulsOry rule, or the abandonment OF spontane-.
Gus prayer. and it is not the snb-titutiOn OF
one for the other but "a combination of the
two that he desires most to see. Each has Its
own dangers. Any constant repetition OF the
same words has an inevitable tendency to be-
spontaneous prayer, unless uttered under con-
ditiOns both of form and spirit which are so
often wanted, is difficult for congregations
to join in, and sometimes even hard
TO listen to- On the subject of church music
he is Old-fashiOned enough to prefer greatly
the use OF the human voice Alone" and he
looks with some regret on the notion which
seems to be growing, thaC When an organ has
been introduced, the best has been done that
need he done to give greater life and variety
to public worship. He adds that it has been
pointed ont by a great authority that there is
high traditional witness TO an extensive use
early church. Again, he says that whether
for prayer or for praise. whether for language
addressed directly to God or for words yield
ing comfort aud instruction to them who
parable with the Psalms which are the com
mon heritage OF the Christian Church. The
more systematic reading OF them would alone,
he thinks, be a great reform.
INToLERANCEIN WALEs.-L0rd Pemhyns ac-
ton in refusing to the Caiynistic MethOdists of
CalnarvOnshirc, Wales, the Use OF "a certain Held
near Bangor for the annual meeting known as
the SaSswOn, has created, it is said. powerful
feeling not only in CarnarvOnshre but through
ont Wales generally. This denomination is the
strongest in NOl thern Wales, and it's meeting
always attracts IN immense number OF people
from Liverpool and all the Welsh towns. Here.
tOiOre the llso of certain field has been granted
DIV lJOfu IcnIUgn ilS slIlC(iOIl W VI
the tenant and it is hiutcd TINT his refusal now
is due to the personal pique be feels at the de-
fent of his son ami heir as the CONSERVATIVE cam
didate Tor Parliament ut the last election.
When certain OF the M 'nlsters and promlnent
church members lent their aid Ill securing the
election of the Liberal candidate, il was sur
missed that some difficulty would be found IN
securing the field for the next meeting, and
after the terms had recently been agreed upon
with the tenant, the case MAS laid before the
manager of the Pcnrhyn estate, and direct re-
fllsal was at once returned. A second appllca-
ton resulted with like refusal. 1t was then
determined to alply directly to his Loi1shlp,
who lives IN London. his answer was that
under existing circumstances he did not see the
cxpedlcncy Of allowing his tenant to let the
land, aud he added that there were other ,feds
in Bangor besides his which could no doubt be
had.
THE AMERICAN FRIENDs.-At the recent
yearly meeting of the English Society OF
Friends, one of n committee who had recently
visited the Friends III this country gave an nc
count of his observations. Criticisms had Deen
made on the lack of discrimination often shown
here in admissions to membership, ana ne
replied to them that much allowance should be
made for the circumstances of the American
Friends. In certain district he was told that
scarcely any Friend possessed books OF the total
value of $5 They have very few books indeed.
Many OF their ministers are out OF pocket by
their Gospel journeys, sometimes to large
amount. I'm this way their ministers are SELF
DENYING body. The American Friends gen.
orally have also, of late years, he said, shown
an increasing disposition to contribute, to the
travelling expenses of their ministers, both at
home and when journeyiDg in Europe.
FREE SPEECHUPHELD.-Profes Robertson
Smith, VINO aroused fierce storm of attack IN
Scotland by an article in the "Encyclopedia
Brtannica," in which he denied the Mosaic
origin of Deuteronomy, has been restored to his
chair III the Free Church Theological Seminary
at Aberdeen. Professor Biackie celebrates this
victory in the sonnet printed bellows
Good news good news truth trlumphs after ALL
Though fools arc many. yet the wise are more,
Tho biggest fools still make the lOudesi Dawl
And trinmph-tll the notes are counted Der
Stand firui, my soul. and hold no place for fear
Though priests and biRots stand In sH array,
Llrge.Iearted Truth, with sense tor engineer,
o. stock and stone will steam lts cOnquerlng way
God bless thee. Smith Thou dd'st not sliuk away
II ch lao frnnl hrlllt nf hnfIa