Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-24
STRANGE PRAYERS.

tuuity lUr ScItllS III their WOTh even peioAS
the Chairman of the State Committee has
called the Convention to order. "The
eloquent and vigorous prayer with which
the Illinois Republican Convention was
opened last year will not be forgotten; it
is gratifying to reflect that it was received
with applause" But the Chaplain OF the
State House of Representatives in that
same city deserved credit for departure
from the usual style of official petition
when ne begged that "the Omnipotent
would give the members more wisdom and
greater promptitude. This, however, was
less vigorous than the Pennsylvania Chap
lain's request: 90 Lord, give these
legislators more brains more brains !!
more brains !" which, be it said, was
followed by feryent Amen p from the
reporters table. Another prayer of the
same purport was delivered in Maine during
legislative deadlock 80 Lord, have COM
passion ON our hewildered representatives,
and Senators. They have been sitting and
sitting, and have Matched nothing. 0
Lord, let them arise from their nest and
go home, and all the praise shall be Thine"
The successful fusion in Maine last year
furnished a theme for many political
prayers. Notably at Bangor, where
clergyman in his preliminary effort invoked
heaven not to permit "any party talk to
be made" invoked heaven again In his con.
Guiding petition to avenge "tbis disgrace
brought upon the Commonwealth" 10
reconcile these positions is so difficult that
one might fancy the reverend gentleman
going on, as q certain worthy college pro.
lessor did on memorable occasion in an
adjoining State, "Paradoxical az this may
appear unto Thee, o Lord, it is none the
less true" At Z recent prayer-meeting IN
Springfield, Mass, prayers were offered for
"the President, the Cabinet, and especially
the Postmaster. General" Political prayers
are by no means new things. The
story gees that when Parson Eaton, OF
Harpswell, was invited to oficiate as Chap
lain at Bowdoin Commencement during the
last war with Great Britain, when party
feeling ran high, his opening petition was
to this effect s'Lord, thou hast COM
manded us to pray for our enemies; witt
thou bless the President of these United
States" Very good in its way. but not
any better than the petition which revoiu-
tionary tradition reports certain Tory to
have made in his church, which had been
surrounded by the lines of the Continental
Army "And as for him who was once
thy servant, and whom profane men call
General Washington, we pray that thou
wouldst spare him the wrath of his follow
ers, and remove him speedily into the man.
sions of the best" 1t is not surprising
that at Ipswich last year Tory clergyman
should have omitted the prayer for the
High Court of Parliament at the time as
sembled," and justified the omission on
the ground that the Radical Parliament
was past praying for. The Republican
authorities of France have had good
deal of trouble in inducing the ecclesiasti-
cal authorities to pay due attention to
the republic at the altar. During the
Hundred Days Napoleon experienced the
same difficulty and could obtain nothing
more satisfactory than q promise to pray
neither for him nor for Louis XVIll., but
to maintain on the part of Heaven that
strict neutrality desired by the pious hunter
when about to engage the bar" Political
praying. as readers of Hudibras will re-
| member, was at its hight during the strife
between the King and Parliament. We
thought it not amiss," ran one prayer, " to
call upon thee this evening and let thee
know how affairs stand. We do somewhat
long to hear from thee, and if thou pleasest
to give us such and such victories we shall
be good to thee in something else when 1T
lies in our way" 81 hear, o Lord, ran
another, "thas the King hath set up his
Parliament at York against the Parliament
and the City of London. Look thou upon
them; take their cause into thine own
hand appear thou in the cause of thy
saints" Who has forgotten the words OF
Lincoln's inaugural on this same subject OF
conflicting petitions in wartime? a good
deal of amusement was caused five or Six
years ago when the Chaplain of Congress
telegraphed correction III his prayer to
the Associated Press. Somewhat the same
dilemma arose at recent festival in Peter
borough Cathedral, England, where the
Bishop preached about Henry VIII. as a
"cruel and voluptuous tyrant." and a
"spoiler of the houses of learning and re-
ligiou," and then the Dean prayed and ac-
knowledged the gratitude of the congrega-
ton for the muniicence of Henry Will,
who founded it for the glory and advance
ment of religion, pure living, instruction
and benevolence. It is only few days
since a clergyman up in Westchester
county prayed, go Lord, help US in our
attempt to eliminate Thy word, petition
not unlike the stately introduction, go
self.suffcient, all sufficient, insufficient
Lord!" One can easily see how the
Illinois pastor, once launched upon the
fatal slope, prayed for those of his flock
absent "upon beds of sickness or chairs of
wellness." The Troy Times recently in
formed the public that ''a game of base
ball was played at La Sale, ILL.,, on Sunday
last, at which the Rev. Moses Gun,
of that city, opened the exercises with
PRAYER, and delivered an exhortation to the
contesting mines. At the conclusion of
the game the reverend gentleman INDUCED
in another refrain, rendering his services as
chaplain and umpire on the following Sun
day, which were accepted" A writer in
London Society gives graphic description
Of Cornish prayer-meetings whereat petit
tions are offered not for q consistent walk,
but to be "kept from shimshankiug into
holes and corners" where the Enemy of
Man is alluded to as "0uld Smutty-
feaace." and casual visitors who come to
look are compelled to remain and be
PRAYED for in such a downright strain as,
ssLord, convert they two men ovver there
in the cornder. a refreshing contrast to
the usual petition is presented by this
prayer recently offered by clergyman at
AYR: 40 Lord, bless the Established
Church, and the Presbyterian Church,
and all the other churches. Thou knowest
the various nicknames, Lord, by which
they are called bless them all. !" Though
the famous proposition for prayer test
has never been accepted, instances of the
power of prayer are insisted on by the or.
thodox almost daily. According to the
Bath (Me. Independent, Mrs. Ellen S. Dun
nell has been cured by prayer when in the
last stages of consumption. York
World.
caRoLJs DURkN's IDEAS ABOUT ART
Carolus Duran was born at Lille, about