New-York tribune., 1883-06-03
INTELLIGENCE.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
THE ORGAN IN SCOTTISH CHURCHEs.-Ac-
cording to The Independent, the great instru-
mental music controversy III the Scottish Pres
byterian churches will soon be thing of the
past Besides the Free Church of Scotland,
there are now only few small Presby teriau
branches which represent the old Scottish op-
position to the Kist o. Whistles" Lastyear the
United Presbyterian Church of this country
repea ed its constitutional prohibition of organs
in churches, and the Presbyterian Church of
Ireland will ere long take the same action: In
Scotland the Kirk was the fist to succumb to u
practice which was found to be drawing the
young to the Episcopal Church, md now the
Free Church, suffering from the superior ut.
tractveness of worship in the Established and
United Presbyterian Churches, is fain to follow
their example. Last year the Free Church AS
sembly appointed q committee ITO consider
carefully the applications now made Tor con-
gregatiOlal liberty in regard to the use of in
strumental aids in the public worship OF the
sanctuary" and whether the granting OF such
applications would be consistent with tEe
principles of the Divine Word and the Stand
ards" The committee har completed It's re-
port which is understood to be very long.
The substance of the majority report is that
there is nothing in the Scriptures nor in the
constitution to prevent the use OF organs in the
churches, due regard being had TO the peace OF
vised to sanction the use of organs at once,
without waiting for the action of pr sbyteries.
The minority present numerous dissents and
the majority are not at one regarding tne expe-
diency of sanctiOniDg organs and of ignoring
the presbytcries.
A sharp debate may therefore be expected in
the Assembly on the constitutional questions
raised on the latter point. The Begg element
are Mortified at the proposal TO sanction the
worship of God by mechanical device, ana ana
raI ittnu utxyith rn IN nf
signatures asking the Assembly to withhold its
approval. They regard it as "Popish cor
rupton," and as indicating"a low and declln-
ing state of religious life" II the Assem-
bly, disregard this appeal, DR.. Begg Will
have another clause to add to his already
long indictment. The abandonment OF stand
ing in PRAYER and sitting at singing, thu
use OF human hymns instead OF the
Psalms, and the introduction Of stained glass
windows are among the innovations which he
ceases not to denounce. All this, to say nothing
of the Robertson Smith episode. makes the
Highland leader feel that the Church is running
away from him as way mark.
ARCHBISHOP BENsoN.-A desire to take the
public into his confidence and to look upon all
church questions from tho point of view of an
optimist appears thus far TO be the prominent
characteristic of Archbishop Benson, of Can
terbury. The English papers are reminding
him that this characteristic may be carried too
times the duty OF man placed as he Is to tell
relish. The Pan Mall Gazette thinks
that he went ont OF his way To lay good
work tor Archbishop Laud recently when he
declared that it would be his ambition TO be q
worthy successor of :" the martyred Land"
While not sharing in that stupid prejudice
against Laud which Is SO prevalent, 1t thinks
that he represents reactionary tendency In the
English Church, which is utterly foreign TO the
t0hf na1 fLou chit nf this lle DeOUle to-
day have cast aside "priesty authority III tue
Laudan sense, and If the Church IS to reach
them she also must cast 1t aside. =" There must
be in the Church. 1t says, more self-govern,
ment, more local independence, less routine and
less clerical autocracy. With that view, 1t may
be noted some of the most enthusiastic and
successful clergymcn OF the so-called htualist
school practically concur. Dr, Benson, too' IL
all for getting laynIen To participate more ana
more in church work. But 1t IL not only lay
workers that the Church wants, if she is to
maintain her place in the world. but something
more of the lay spirlt-a spirit as opposed as
possible TO ecclesiaslcsm even oi the best type,
and to clerical prctcnslons even when they pro-
cerd from the purest motives. Laud's ideal OF
a church may be a noble ideal, hut It Is the
exact opposite of the church which alone can
now exist as national institution DR.. Ben
son has only to tread closely in the steps OF his
martyredn predecessor to involve the church
in n mild modern version of the shipwreck
which befell her two centuries ago.
SOCIAL RELIGIoS.-1he Springfield Repub
licdR calls attention to the fact that drinking
places in that and other cities are practically
open for business all the time, while the
churches are generally closed Tor slx days III
the week. The agencies that minister to evil
are thus given at the start An immense advan-
tage over the agencies for good. IL believes
therefore that the social element in religion
shoud be more cultivated and to that end ii
suggests that the church buildings, now useless
most of the time, he thrown open on week day
nights, not simply for formal religious meet
ings, but for pleasant social gatherings 1t be-
lieves that in this way the church would be-
come q formidable rival to the rumshop.
Bishop McLaren, of the Episcopal diocese of
Illinois. in his address before the convention
this week, said that the time had come for the
establishment of a strong Episcopal theological
seminary in Chicago.
Gounod's GRedemption " will be sung by
we'll EnOwn soosts and large chorus in the
Passonsts' Church, West HobOken, on Sum
day, June II, ut 4 p. m.
The Rev. Dr. Pnret, rector of the Church of
the Epiphany, Washington, Is prominently
mentioned as O candidate for the bish0pric OF
Indiana.
The late Mrs C. Z. Butler of this city, left
$50, 900 for the erection of u new Episcopal
Church in Stockbridge, Mass.
CURRENT RELIGIOUS OPINION
IL difticult to conceive of anything moro dis
courteous than tOf a temperance society. Tor OK
an pie TO obtain the use of church for its meet
iuqs and then for its members to indulge in "A per
fsc tusIll lala ministers