The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-05

battle during the past five years and
the sacrifices you have been compelled
to make to carry out your obligations
to reduce the debt on your splendid
church. Your sacrifices and efforts
have been truly heroic, but my advice
to you is, don't worry the debt still
unpaid will melt away like the snow be-
fore the warm rays of the sun.
while have been here tonight and
heard your singing 1t has made me
think of the old-fashioned congrega-
tional singing. Let us consider what
the constitutional elements Of your
church are; where do they come from,
and who are they; the mother church
is on South Main avenue, where large
congregation worship in the language
so dear to many Of us; this is an off
shoot of that church, and while in the
transition state, worshipirg God and
singing His praises in another Ian
guage and while possessing the idioms
and spirit of the old mother language,
do not forget the fervor and zeal of the
mother tongue. While the young men
are forgetting the language Of their
forefathers, ] do not condemn them,
but my point is that in worshipping in
the English tongue they do not get the
zeal, the enthusiasm, or the hwyl of
the old Welsh language.
,Fcrvor Of the Welsh People.
"I have recently read one of Christ
mas Evans sermons in which is seen
strongly the religious instinct and fer
vor of the Welsh people, and in saying
to you in this transltory state, don't
forget the spirit of religious instinct of
the Welsh, l mean the quartettes that
we have in churches. Don't make a
concert room of the church. l care not
how good the alto, soprano, tenor or
bass may be, say let all the congrega-
tion sing in the good old-fashioned
style; the time will come when all quar-
tettes will be abolished in churches.
1t was a good way to deaden religious
zeal and dampen religious ardor to have
the quartette singing in front and all
the congregation sitting down. My
father had no voice and always sang an
octave too low, but 1t made no differ
ence, 1t all came in to help the tune
along. 1t was important that these Off
shoots shall retain all those things that
are excellent and as shown in history
have taken centuries to build up"
Judge Edwards, in continuing, made
a strong plea for reunion of denomina-
tions, and said: What difference does
it make whether it be great amount of
water or little water, or an exact form
of creed, so long as we have the cardin-
al points and essential principles recog-
nized? I believe that there is a ten
dency to move in the direction when all
denomnational differences will vanish
and be forgotten, and that the Chris
tian church will be united as one to de-
fly the power of darkness. We have all
of us one grand purpose in view, to ele-
vate mankind and insulsate morality
and all will contribute to the sum total
of civilizing the world. We should
think of the sorrow which is continual
ly around us and forget our denomina-
tional differences to unite in fighting
the evil and doing our best in this
world"
DR.. Hughes, who had made several
brief addresses during the evening
thanked the speakers in felicitious
terms and rendered them also the CRATE
full feelings of the church for their sub
stantial help of the past and warmly
commended the grand idea of reunion
SO well advocated by Judge Edwards.