Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-17
RELIGIOUS NOTES.

- Improvements to st. Johns church. where
President Arthur attends. have been inaugu-
rated upon a somewhat extensive scale They
include two additional entrances and a double
yestbue. The improvements which are upon
the plans of an architect of Berlin, will not be
Completed this season.
- meeting of Presbyterian ministers has
been held in Chicago. at which minister read a
carefully prepared paper showing how in a series
of years the additions to the Chicago churches
have gradually decreased. and that the present
situation really alarming Some discus
sion then took place as to the remedies to be
applied.
The Rev. DIR. Carmichael. of Hamilton. Can
ada. has been called to the rectorship of Calvary
Episcopal church in New York to fill the vacant
pulpit Of the Rev DR.. Washburn, who died in
February last. This is the first instance of
the EpiscOralians following the example of the
Presbyterans passing the graduates Of their
own theological semiuaries and importing a
pastor from abroad.
BY way of enforcing the necessity and value
of congregational church music Rev. VIM.
Lloyd relates that an EngIishman who under
took to join with the choir i'm singing ''Old
Hundred" as rearranged by Novello. began.
stopped. looked around confused and at length
the mystery having cleared up he remarked in
church whisper TO his nearest neighbOr That
CIpT Is uFuilN. SIR MOI q lew people have
shared the Englishman's bewilderment.
- The Christian Adrocate has an editorial
under the head of ''Guiteaus Lying Defence, ~
in which some account of his career in New
York is given. He became member of a Ban
fist church. Systematically swindled the pastor
OF SlOO. and atterward. when charged with gross
immortality, acknow lodged his guilt but begged
for mercy on the ground that his expulsion
would Injure his business prospects. For a
tlYEan
finally expelled.
- The quarterly conference of the 4th street
M. F. church. Tuesday evening" adopted res
olutons complimentary to the presiding elder
(Rev. b. Peyton Brown and the pastor (Rev
George V. Leech) for their services The terms
OF both these ministers will close in their present
locations this year. 1t is understood that this
church will ask the bishop at the conference to
send them Rev. A. W. Rudisill. who has served
the Cumberland appointment for the past three
years. Under the pastOrate of Rev c. " Leech
there has been some increase i'm the membership
which now numbers about $50, and the recent
revival has added some 25 or 80 to the list of
practitioners.
Says the Springfield Republicans: 1.-The loft
lily resentfu way in which Dr. Spitzka. of the
Guiteau trial, drew himself up the other day,
when he was asked whether he believed in the
existence of a God. is a reminder that we are
living in an age Of agnostcism, so-caled, and
that to a portion of the community these old
law questions about belief in God and i'm q fu-
ture state of rewards and punishments are mere
superstitiOus lumber.-as obsolete as the trial
by combat or the judicial killing Of witches. If
the agnOstics carry the day, the Spitzkas of the
future will not have their scientific suscepti-
bilities ruf1ed by such interrogatories. 1t is
not yet quite certain however that the agnos-
tics are going to carry the day"
- The Rev. DR.. TheOdoreL. Cuyler. of Brook
Ign, has been listening for several SUNDAYS to
his fellow-preachers in New York and BROOKLYN
while his own church is being repaired He
found the sensation caused BY listening a
strange one, and learned many things that he
mad never known before about the effect of
preachers words. One thing that he observed
was that each sermon was nightly helped or
hlndered, made or married." by its delivery
1.-The RANGE and effect of the projectile" he
writes to The COngregdtionatist depended very
much on the power that sent it forth good
thought, clumsly shaped or tamelv uttered
seemed to fall lfeless from the lips; whereas. a
more common thought. well rounded like a
bullet and discharged with a percussion, pene-
trated every ear and heart.
Rev. d. A. Payne. DID,, LID, senior
Bishop of the African NJ. E. church, was ten
dered reception in Baltimore Thursday even
ing by the friends of the venerable bishop who
assembled to welcome him back home from the
Methodist Ecumenical conference held i'm Lon
don last September, on which occasion he had
the distinguished honor. never before enjoyed
oy any colored man, of presiding over the con-
Terence Tor one day. Among those present was
ex-senator Bruce. (nOw Register of the Treas
ury). who, In an address of welcome referred to
the fact that Bishop Payne was an ardent
worker in behalf of the A.M.E. church when a
small building would have held all the members
OF church which now numbers fully $50, 600
souls, and which has churches which in mag
innocence Will compare favOrably with those
erected by the whites.
A sermon delivered lately by Rev. Owen
James. pastor of the Fifth Baptist church. in
this city. has been the subject Of considerable
comment. The sermon was on the subject of
Conversion to Christianity" and Mr. James
took the ground that so-called conversion was
an act entirely voluntary the part of the indi-
vidual. and was not necessarily preceded by
marked repentance, or deep cOntritiOn. On
the contrary he thought quite large percent
age OF Christians would testify that they had
never experienced that remarkable contriton
of spirit, nor the keen pangs of repentance so
often related by the Christians of the earlier
years in the present century: but have grown.
SO to speak, gradually into Christianity and
would be unable to tell just when or
went further, and stated that he
failed to see why 1t was necessary that a child
arriving at the age Of accountability to it's
maker should go astray, There were the two
tween The child must. from its own free
choice choose its own course-if it take the
right course there would be no need-nO possi-
biiity in fact of cOnversOn-and in that case he
could not see why such an one would not be at
least as good q christian as would converted
sinner. The speaker did not undertake to say
that children, even under the best training do
actually grow to manhood or womanhood sim
less, but he could see no reason why they might
not do so, and in the event of so doing why they
would not be good christians In other
words he could see no reason why a human
being should necessarily commit sim
The way TO become Christian was simply to
believe in Christ and to take Him as teacher
and guide In all our thoughts and actions Ii
this were done in the first responsible acts of
the person it could not be said that such per-
son had been converted. for there would be no
CORNERSTONE; but on the other hand IL the true
conception Of Christ's character should not have
been awakened until q later period Of life. after
sinful habits had been formed and knowingly
practiced then conversion must follow before
Christianity can be established in the character
put that conversion is not necessarily preceded
by great agitation Of the mental faculties. nor
by exact date of occurrence
As stated above, the discourse was severely
criticised by some of the more orthodox MEM
oers of the society, but was heartily endorsed
hn afto ~.