Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25

their services, as we term 1t, Evangelistic.
The Ritualists are still quite active, but I
do not know how much they are doing
Some of their practices have been 50
tiagrant that many people have discoun-
tenanced the Ritualists. They will compass
sea and land to make a proselyte. Their
great strength is among the very rich and
the very poor. 1t has been claimed that the
poor are attracted by the ornate services in
their churches. do not think the poor care
a button for the character of the services;
with them 1t is "bread and blankets. d
If the church people will give them
bread, clothes and blankets, the
poor don't care whether the service is
plain or full forms. If went among the
poor and distributed aims very freely my
missions would be crowded to the doors. A
great deal of the ritualistic church work is
done under the garb of charity. The poor
should be reached and helped but not in
this way. For some time the RitualIsts
have wanted different court than the one
in existence for the determination of re-
ligious questions. At present disputes
arising from the church go to the courts of
law. The Ritualists lately proposed the
establishment of two final courts of equal
numbers, one Of bishops and one Of judges.
II both courts agreed on a question, their
decision governed. If they tailed to agree,
the decision of the court below, necessarily
a church court, would stand. That would
in effect have taken all control of doctrine
away from the State. This scheme failed
to pass and the English court of religious
appeal remains as it was.
sPURGEoN'S PHILANTHROPY.
The Spurgeon philanthropic enterprises
embrace the Preachers College, which ad-
joins the church in Newington. The OBJ
ject of this college is to further prepare
young men, who have already been engaged
in preaching, for the ministry. The candi-
dates come from workshops. offices and the
farm. There is no charge for board or edu-
cation; the students are quartered in various
parts of the city in the families OF members
of the church. The college is supported by
voluntary contributions; the sum contribu-
ted is made to equal in pounds the date of
the year-1S8S pounds for the year 1888,
1889 pounds for this year, and so on.
This peculiar custom has always been ad
hered to. though exactly where and how
it originated I cannot tell. When the
sums fall short of the amount needed under
this arrangement 1t is made up from
the general collection. There have been 800
graduates from the Preachers College since
it was organized and. they can be found
preaching in all parts of the world. Some
have ,gone to be missionaries in Africa;
they are scattered all over England and the
English colonies, and there are several in
the United States. One of the graduates,
the Rev Archibald G. Brown. is pastor of
the London Tabernacle, the second largest
Baptist church in London. Mrs. Spurgeon
sends theological Libraries to the poorer
graduates, work she began IL years ago.
The Spurgeon Orphanage contains 500
children; is supported by voluntary contri-
buttons. and its distinguishing feature, as I
have already said, is that there is no "can-
vassing for votes"
CHARLES SPURGEoN.