New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-24
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.


London was at its height. To multitudcs hc
was as n seer sent from Heaven with gift of
prophecy that was to light the way for the be-
teller of the professional class saws me lem
don Times, lever achieved such hold anon the
iireQuenters OF his shrine" lie is described as
having been a handsome man with n good
hg,re and with bearing that denoted perfect
sell confidence and absolute certainty of con-
VictiOn. For several years he delivered n suc-
ceS:loh OF new and startling prophecies
seriously affecting the churches, the races and
me destlnles OF man. He drew about him "A
large congregation, and was remarkably popu-
lar. Crowds tircked to hear him. He preached
twice before TIE Queen. His church was in "A
quiet little court near two great theatres,
CoVcnt Garden Market and the Central Police
Court; and here for years hc had for a conere-
cation body OF devout and earnest believers.
The cause OF his loss of popularity was his in
ability to satisfy the appetite which he had cGl-
uNatcd among his hearers d" DR. Cumming"
says ne Times, "unwittingly educated ms
crowd OF dupcs not only 10 crcdulty, but also
to increased grecdincSs and voracity fol posi-
tive, particular, and cilcumstantial predictions.
tN"ry fresh publication gTatiiicd them one day
only to make them more hungry for the like
almcnt the next He continued To utter his
startling predictions with great mnutencsS Cf
or'ail. lie hNed upon the year lS6S as one in
Whlcil there would bc strange manifestations
hut the events IN the opinion of his followers,
failed TO justify bis prediction, and from that
time his popularity grew less and less every
year. business and domestic troubles made
HIS cup ol Sol1bW lull. III CLOSING Il review Ot
the striking features OF his life, The Times says:
" lhc case of DIR. Cumming falls too easily into
the large and miscellaneous category of what
philosophers and men of the world call impos-
ture. hat Is very hard word, and il does not
take INTO account the mixture of good and evil
there Is IN all men and in all things. But
certainly DR.. Cummings career conveys very
strong warning of the pcrls To truth, to honor,
10 Christian charity, 10 common sense itself, at
which popularity may he sought and acquired.
DIR. Cumming must have lost, whole on in part,
the powcro distinguishing between truth and
error reality and dcusion."
THE New CONGREGATIONAL CGEED.-Pro-
fvSSor Henry COWicS, of ObCrlin University,
discusses IN the current issue of he (oRgye-
gdtt0R0iISt some Ot the questions suggested hy
the new creed and catccAiSm which are to bc
prepared by the committee of twenty five for
the use Of the Congregational Church. The
movement, lac SAYS need occasion no alarm,
Tor" historic COugIc cat onalISm has never been
afraid oi attempts 10 improve lis symbols, par
ucuarlX when made for the end of more
PRACTICAL adjustment To- new circumstances"
The revision Should Be undertaken, he thinks
" with views both definite and Just IL to the
Objects 10 he sought, the place which the SYM
h"l l. 10 I'LL and the ends II should bc con-
SuuCtcd to conserve" and d" with views both lust
and well defined as Ia tho uudcrl wing princi-
pies that shall obtain in lis construction In
regard 10 controYcrtcd questions /. Oic>Sor
CoWlcS says: This revision Should pat its
mdturcSt wisdom and lis best strength into its
statements Ct those doctrines which are under
going >harpcst discussion. and which portcnd
more OF less radical change. 80. There will. /
Judge, bc no question TIA; these remarks viii
apply to-day To the doctrines OF Inspiration, the
Atuncmcnt and Future Punishment. Upon
these. therefore. let the proposed revision weigh
well both It's thought and its words. II rcNi-
sion l. 10 be good Tor anything it should hc good
for the purpose Of well defining and strongly
stating the doctrine of the Congregational
brotherhood on these cardinal loluiS.' Pro
icS>or C,WlcS regards a. OF special importance
H. Ia "A Eef ar Inc 4,.I
should he framed 50 Is 10 facilitate the union
of all Evangelical Christians in the same church
communion. He hopes that all of these points
VIII he discussed fully and freely in The Con-
grcgational press. Ina regard to III" manner in
which the work of the committee j. 10 bc passed
upon hcNay> that If II L. To be used by thc local
and the State associations aS their basis of
Christian fellow hip. 1t must come before them
scNcTally for their free consideration and ac-
ton. The local churches viii have the same
option.
The LATE DEAN SrANLEY.-Our religious
exchanges this week contain only words of
piaiS" Tor the late Dean stanley, whose death
on Monday caused feeling OF profound
sorrow. or the purity of his character. the ten
dcrncS- OF his disposition and the cajholicity Of
his religious views. much has already been said /:
Tut Il few extracts from the religious press viii
prove of interest as showing the esteem la
which this distinguished divine WAS held bv
men of all denominations. OF Dean stanley as
a preacher. DR.. Dexter. the Editor of Ihc Com
grcyIhORutSt, says that " his power WIS almost
solely that o! matter, lnaSGuch as his Voice AaS
far from strong, and his manner the reverse of
>, n~ltlonal.' In illustrating The cordial man
uCr in winch Americans were received bN the
Dean and his wife, Dr. Dexter relates this little
incident: Lady Augusta, who made hlS mar
ricd lie 80 happy, and whose lamcntcd death a
few years ago left him 80 dc>olatc i'm the
DvancrN used particularly To enjoy joining him
lu all such klndnc~sc> To oar country men hay
iuS once said {" the present writer that "a, it
happened To bc AN American lMr. Charles Eliot
No>ton) who first shaved her the Abbey hN
moonlight, she never enjoyed II. after the adj
joining quadrangle became her home. SO much
a~ When looking III II through the friendly ewes
ot Nl>Ijant> rom our side of thc >va." Tie
BAPTIST u Getty quotes aWroNmgly Dean STAN
ley words, " the change from lmIncI sion to
>prmk.iug has set aside The larger part of the
apostolic language REGARDING baptism. and has
altered the very meaning Of the word. and
says that his recent discussion of the hap-
u>mal question, IN ! he NtgetctRN Ccatlry. l. a
1ar sample al his IIanknc>> IN the treatment
OF CoutroNcrtcd subjects, ANA is recognized as
one OF the most Important contributions of an
biased scholarship on jhS subject I Re Chris
tion fRioR says of hlm: lie WAS "a man OF
luminous mind and character, iuH OF winning
sweetness of nature which made his personality
and his Literary WORK equally attractive. His
horizon of thought was large enough lor every
form of intellectual activity, scientific as well
enough to hold him from extreme r.ldicali~m.'
Yhe Christian iniciii,yeRcer says that hc cnioNcd
a world wide fame, and was "adiAl,,l cs-
tVcmvd and greatly beloved tor his ttllectlal
Christian pUrlN.' I he .idrIRcc S.tN, of hlm ::
" A. a writer he touched nothing which lac did
not HdouL rs an ccCvSIa>tIC, ne Srt II plCVmi-
n"nuN good example, rs OF a Christian whose
church was always larger than his particular
sect. His generosity, his breadth and warmth
OF Sympathy-rcady as quicksilver TO detect
ana sciZc ana hold. WliaicNcr ITS size or form,
in all thai passed along the current oil his think
mg-aTc prONcrbial.'