244
fmmeatt Jfeslnjtaian.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1867.
J6®“ Our European Correspondent's Letter
from Rome, Memorial of the late Wm. H. Brown,
Esq., Mr. Sammond’s letter on the Garden of
Gethsemane, College Commencements, on page
second. Rural Economy and Scientific, page
third. Jessica's First Frayer, continued, page
fourth ; Editor s Table and the Reconstruction
Bill lately passed by Congress, page seventh.
jggf We have anticipated the movements of
Special Correspondent in Europe, by giving his
account of the Fete of St. Peter this week. We
shall resume the regular order of his letters next
week. When last heard from he was approach
ing Venice.
8@“ We have been greatly disappointed with
the quality of the paper on which this and oiher
recent issues of the American Presbyteran
have been printed. We' expect very soon to re
place it with a better article, ordered some time
ago from the manufacturer. Two of the mills
from , which .former supplies were procured having?
burnt down, it has been .impossible to avoid some
changes.
The Sons of Temperance and the Freed
men.—Reference having been made in onr col
umns to a supposed exclusion of “American citi
zens of African descent ” from this Order, we
feel called’upon to publish the following extract
from their proceedings in their recent National
Convention, at Wilmington, Delaware:
A resolution, was offered and referred to the
committee constitution, asking whether any
change was necessary in the constitution to admit
colored persons to the Order. ■ The committee,
through its chairman, John Davies, of New York,
reported that no further legislation was necessary,
inasmuch as the constitution now recognizes no
qualification other than age and character for ad
mission to the Order.
The National Division, at its session last year
in,Montreal, adopted the following resolution :
" Resolved, That the decision of all questions in
volved in the connection of'colored persons with this
Order be left to the Grand Divisions respectively in
their several jurisdictions; subject to the review and
control of the National Division at its annual, ses
sions : and that Grand Divisions are hereby requested
and enjoined to adopt the most practical and ef
fective plans for the promotion of our principles
among such of this class of our people as are found
within the sphere of their operations.”
Acting under-this resolution, colored Divisions
have been formed in Massachusetts, New-Y.ork,
New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, and oiher States.
In the city of Washington, D. C., two applica
tions have been received from colored persons,,
which have been granted. The Grand Division
of that District declared the Order , open
for thei^admission if they chose; but they pre
ferring Divisions of their own, the request was
granted, and they'will'soon be organized in sepa
rate Divisions.
We have, (continues the Temperance Advo
rate,) failed to.find any Grand Division which
has refused to grant such charters. ' ’
Is Saul also among the Prophets?—
There is hope of Col. Forney. In a letter from
Paris, under date of June 20th, he quotes from
Galignani’s Messenger the “ Stranger’s Diary”
for Sunday, giving 19 theatre's, 16 other places of
amusement, two horse races, in the same column
with a long list of open chuiches, French, Eng
lish and American, after which he remarks :
“ This is Paris on Sunday! In Philadelphia
The Press has been roundly abused for asking
that the city railroads may be used for the work
ing people on the first day of the week. It is far
from my purpose to cite Paris as an argument in
favor of this measure. When the degradation of
that day of rest is honored in America:, as it is
here, freedom will have gone from us forever.”
The Evangelist in giving the statistics of our
denomination for the past year closed its com
ments as follows:
Whatever may be thought of the question of
re-union, it will be seen at once that the favour
shown to it by the Assemblies of 1866 and 1867
was not prompted by any necessity on our part.
We have never before experienced such a digree
of prosperity, nor been so well prepared for our
appropriate work as a Church. We can now, by
the will of God, go alone. If our brethren of
the other branch choose to east in their lot with
us, well and good. We haye' nothing to be
ashamed of in our organization, save that we do
not love it more, and work it better. Those who
desire to unite with us, must take us as we are,-
and not think to obtain concessions, implying
that they are right, and we wrong. These can
not, will not be made. If we unite, it will be
for union’s sake. We regard the present posi
tion of our Church as unsurpassed by any other
in the land. ' Luus Deo.
To which we add : Amen!
Hours at Home. —Yol. V. No. IY. August,
1867. Contents: Longfellow’s Translation of
Dante; Diary and Letters of Sarah Pierpont (af
terwards the wife of Jonathan Edwards); Marcel
la of Rome (concluded); Moral Uses of Dark
Things, No. 7, Of the Animal Infestations;
“ Spero-melioraThe Old-Time Orchard; Rem
iniscences of Sierra Leone; England’s Forgotten
Worthies ; The-Storm ; Rambles among the Ital
ian Hills; Representative Cities, No. 4, Athens,
The Diamond of the Occident; or the Fine Arts
and iEsthctic Culture; Grandma is Dead; Storm-
Cliff; Brazil and the Amazons; The Queen’s Eng
lish and Brother Jonathan’s; Nashville during
the War; William Goodell, D. D.; Just a Little
Way; Books of.the Month. . •
THE AMERICAN PRESYBTERIAN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1867.
COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE TWO BRANCHES IN 1866 AND 1867.
Synods . ............
Presbyteries
Licentiates
Candidates
Ministers .
Churches
Additions on Examination.
Additions on Certificate....
Communicants
Adult Baptisms
Infant Baptisms
Congregational
Boards
Ministerial Relief.
Miscellaneous*
Contingent Fund.
Total Funds—
These returns show a loss im the other branch,
of 1 licentiate,,and 12.candidates,iwith gaifis of 8
ministers, 15 churches, and 7,000 members, an
advance of scarcely 3 percent., against 11,138 in
the N. S. body—a gain ,of nearly 7£ per cent.
The net increase in membership, after deducting
2 per cent, of last year’s membership for deaths,
is only 39 per cent, of the gross accessions, while
in the N. S. Church it is 69 per cent. The ac
cessions on examination average less than 7.2 per
church, while in the N. S. Branch they are .over 8
per church.'
The average membership of each congregation
is less than 94, while in the Nv S. Church it is
close on 104.
There were fewer licensures in the O- S. than
the year before; hut there were eight more ordi
nations, and 35 more churches organized' than
last year; also 12 more ministers received from;
and 5 more dismissed to, other denominations.
PROM OUR ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT.
WATKINS GLEN,
This is one of the most interesting spots in na
ture upon which our, eyes have ever looked.
Imagine a small stream, falling, in silver spray,
over one ledge pf rocks after another, down
through a deep, narrow, crooked gorge, with
overhanging cliffs, from one to two hundred feet
high ; and you get the main facts of the picture.
But the variety and the strangeness, of the
scene cannot easily be conjectured. You first
ascend a precipitous stairway, about thirty feet
high; cross over a boiling flood of waters on a
small foot bridge, and pass in between two ledges
of rocks, overhanging so as almost to touch each
other high over your head; you creep along
against one of these ledges upon a mere shelf of
slippery rocks, until you pass the first fall; and
so one-may ascend, from five to eight hundred
feet, before coming out upon level ground.
You pass one little water-fall after ainother, far
down in this shaded dell, some only three feet
high, and some thirty or forty; climbing one
stairway after another; eroding the little wind
ing stream several times on rustic bridges, sur
prised and delighted at every turn with some new
beauty of this strange and romantic spot. We
were fortunate enough to have the Rev. :Mr.i
Howe for our escort; and though.he lives right
there, and has gone through the glen, it may be,
a hundred tames, yet he says he finds something
new every time, and enjoys each trip as though
he had never seen it before. ..
Half way up the glen, just upon the edge of a
great precipice of rocks, and overlooking one of
the highest falls of water, a house of refresh
ments has been erected, a spot' cleared off and'
provided with benches, under the shade of beau
tiful evergreens, for picnic parties. Several other:
places along the rou e are conveniently arranged
for the same purpose; and here picnics are often
held. One hundred young ladies of the Elmira
Female College constituted one such party; a
school from Binghamton another. We do not
see why excursionists from Philadelphia, might
not also find it a most delightful trip- We are
sure that tourists in the old world go much further
to visit scenes that have not half the curious at
tractions of this. . • - - ,
We may add, that it is on the direct line of
the Northern Central Railway, twenty-two miles
north of Elmira, forty-seven south of Canandai
gua, a pretty good “ half way house” between
Philadelphia and Niagara Falls. Let all who
choose, take the hint, and see - this wonderful
formation of rocks and water, hardly less inter
esting, though less grand, than Niagara itself.
Of the geological features of the spot, we dare
not speak. Much of the ro‘k is . soft. It is
broken into ten thousand fragments, even in the
cliffs, and often as you walk under them, it seems
as though the jar even of a loud word spoken,
might bring vast masses toppling down upon your
head. In some places, the rock is evidently
harder than in others. In some places also
boulders, or foreign stones, are embedded in the
layers of rock. The waters seem to have worn
away.the softer rocks, and left the hard heads
bare. Spots were also, pointed out where
sulphur is plainly manifest, and others where de
posits of alum are to be seen. Indeed, the alum
is mauifest to the taste. In several places the
overhanging cliffs, on the two sides of the
stream, are so near together, that trees have
fallen across, forming natural bridges, on which
venturesome boys sometimes creep from one side
'of the gorge : to the other, with imminent peril to
life and limb. . A single slip might land them,
a mass of human ruins, on the rooks one hun
dred feet below. And yet, the more danger, the
more 'boys sometimes seem'to-like to venture.
'HON. JOHN MAGEE.
There is residing at Watkins a man who illus
trates, in the fortune which he has built up for
School.
1867
Old S<
1866
New S<
1866
176
254
312
2,302
2,622
176
255
3*24
2,294
2,608
10,260
$2,673,606
625,512
10,000
$2,319,909
509,969
23,633
329,590
11,486
.. 3,933
$1,788,466
362,035
6,194
420,706
8,396
$3,731,165
$3,254,587
$2,485,797
Three more churches were received, from, and
four more were dismissed to, : other ; denominations,
and 17 more churches were' dissolvted than last
year. ' " ■ \
There were' 1411 more additions by examina
tion and 2916 on certificate. i
There is an increase of 263 adult,/ and 254
infant baptisms: . "
The increase of the O. S. in funds : for con-
gregational uses 8353,697, or near 16 per cent.;
for the Boards $55,543, or nearly 10 .per cent.;'
for disabled ministers $3840, or 16 per cent.;
for Miscellaneous $62 982, or 19 per cent.; and
a total gain' of $476,577, or . nearly ,15 ; ,per,
cent. ' ' . ' ■ ■
The O. S. tables show the the usual prepon
derance of congregations over ministers, (2622 :
against' :2302)-which contrasts : with the’, N. I S.
preponderance of ministers over churches, (1870
against 1560.) . •
himself, what energy- and enterprise may accom
plish In our country. He began,life poor;
now estimated ; to be worth ten or fifteen millions
of dollars. He owes a coal mine at Rail. Brook,
in the edge of Pennsylvania. He owns every
house in the mining village of 1)500 inhabitants.
The railway from his mines to Corning, a distance
of forty-five miles, with all its rolling stock, also
belongs to him; and Re has three trains of cars
a day, with fifty cars to each train, and five tons
of coal to each car—or 750 tons, of coal, arri
ving daily at Watkins, to be sent from this point,
to various parts of the land. This, we under
stand, is all soft coal, used generally for manu
facturing purposes. Mr. Magee is a member of
the Presbyterian church, (Rev. Mr. Howe’s,) has
given $30,000 toward the new church edifice
erecting for that society, and is accustomed to
make large benefactions, we understand, for other
good causes. A world of good, surely, a man
may do with such a fortune at his back.
This is the season of the year in which picnics
must be attended to, in order to interest, and
gratify the little ones. The Sabbath-schools of
the Central Church of this city turned out about
eight hundred strong for this purpose ou Wed--
nesday last. They filled fourteen cars on the
Central Railway; went down to Charlotte, seven
miles below Rochester, at the mouth of our
river; spent a part of the day in,.a beautiful
grove, fanned by the cool breezes from the ‘Lake,
andpart of the day ip a delightful sail over the
clear waters 1 of /the Ontario, in a big steamer at
tended by a band of, music and with streamers
flying. The children were in the best of spirits,
and were attended by teachers and parents to
look after them and provide for all their wants.
After spending all the morning in swinging.ancl
other sports in the grove, dinner was served to
near a thousand persons at 12 o'clock. It was
no small matter, of course, to provide for such a
multitude in the wilderness, made hungry by the
excursion and by play, and yet it was done; and
when all had eaten there remained three large
baskets, each .holding a bushel or more, of un
touched provisions. One basket was'sent to the
Orphan Asylum, one to the Industrial school,
.and one to the Home of the 'Friendless; thus
others were made partakers of the children’s joy.
After a day thus .spent, all .returned .in safetyto,
the city, tlie children singing and rejoicing, as
merry as the larks of the morning, and , the
teachers well pleased that they had spared uo
pains to make the day so delightful to those for
whose higher welfare they are constantly labor-
The Presbytery of St. Lawience (N.S.)ahd
Presbytery of Ogdensburg (0. S.) recently held
a joint meeting at' Gouvemeur. Eaeli organized
separately for busines-s, but all their public meet
ings were held in a delightful’union. In those
it was impossible to tell which were the old school
men and which the new. They talked the same
language, and prayed to the-same Father in
Heaven, illustrating the beauty of that union for
which we are so pleasantly hoping at the present
time. To carry the matter, still further, the
Presbytery of St. Lawrence, (N. S.) are invited
to meet with the Synodof Buffalo. (.0. S ) which
is to convene in Ogdensburg, with Dr. Miller’s
church, in August, and they have accepted the
invitation, and intend to be present. This is
practical re-union—a re-union of good feeling
and Christian courtesy, at least, in- whuh all
must rejoice.
At the time of the meeting of Synod it.is ex
pected also, that the new house of i/vyorship,.which
hasnowbeeu nearly .a year in process of erection;
for the Presbyterian church, (lir. Miller’s,) will
be dedicated to the service of Almighty God.
Altogether it will be a very interesting and mem
orable meeting of that Synod.- Genesee.
Rochester, N; Y., July 27,1867/‘
Gain pel
O.S.
School.
1867
109
116
273
1,870
1,560
13,253
109
110
215
1,739
1,528
10,289
loss 3.7
gain .35
over .6
near .S
: 28.7
2.9
6.2
2:5
15.2
9.7
4,387
$2,3*2,760
399,786
9,517
454,714
9,403
$3,107,180
PICNICS.
JOINT MEETING,
gtlijjf $ §ra ©jjmjjMf.
Gilbert Chapel; Wilmington, June 23rd.
On Sabbath afternoon this beautiful bouse of
Bible instruction and worship, the third erected
under the auspices of the Young Men’s
Christian Association of the Central Presbyteri
an Church', was dedicated with appropriate ser
vices by the Rev. Wm. Aikman, and the Rev. C.
D. ghaw, pastor elect of the Central Church.
■The building on the corner of 13th and French
Sts. ; thirty feet by fifty feet ,in Gothic style, seating
two hundred and fifty to three hundred people
was at a cost of $4OOO, and haß
fitly name<l “ in memofiam” of the sainted Gift
bert,,who being dead, yet lives in the hearts of
these children of; “ old Hanover,” Who,'since
leaving the 'mother's 1 roof in 1855; have done
such goodly service for’Jesus. ; ~ ’
A comely, comfortable home, is ' thus at last
provided for the mission school, conducted since
July 1858' ih the second story of
engine house, under the superintendence of Mr.
George W. Bush,’tci’whose faith and energy the
success of this. enterprise is mainly due.- ' m ■
The admirable address of, the. superintendent,
'on this occasion of the dedication,' showed a true
appreciation 1 of' : the' mission 'work' Jet ‘to be dope,'
in'its suggestion .pf'iihe need of self-sacrifiqe, of
time and money,.of th^same -energy and purpose
being put into the work as is shown in daily-bus
iness, 1 of. thei Opening this dhapel as well as
others for night schools if necessary, and of 1 the
employment of an earnest' devoted; missionary,
with proper, compensation as a.head: and overseer
of all this work.
nearly &
over 2..;
28.8
8.6
7.4
11.5
near 31.
10.4’
53.6
8.
12.9
Without a doubt God will accept this l gift, and
will reward his-servants with rich returns of His
Spirit, presence'and favor in tlieir future labors.
Olivet Chapel, .Wilmington. —This mis
sion enterprise under the-auspices of the Hano
ver Street Presbyterian church’ has just secured
the services of the Rev. A. J. Snyder of the
Fourth Presbytery of Philadelphia, at a salary of
$lOOO. Mr. Snyder enters, upon his labors on
the Ist of September. ,
It is a goodly sign, to see,the old vine putting
forth new schools.. There is a . bright,future be
fore our Church tin if the work is
rightly pushed'forward. 1 1 '
With the proper faith and missionary spirit,
the time oiight not to be very far distant .when
our two churches there—the Hanover and .the
Central, shall ’ unite i.n establishing, a’Third
Church, in- a location that will ensure an enter
prise of success and power. I -
A great responsibility rests upon them in their
enjoyment,pf spiritual and financial
“ There is that 'scattereth and yet inereaseth.”
(Prov. 11: 24.) . ' - ; ’ 1
. ; Old Pine Street Church.— The interior of
the o]d Pine Street,Presbyterian church, where,
the lamented Dr. Brainerd so long officiated, is
u .dergoing very extensive alterations: ' The gal
leries have' Been raised aihd reduced in width,
the pews are. to be modernized, ftlie walls and
ceiling painted, and the whole interior to, be so
changed that.it will present entirely new ap
pearance. Several months will be required to
.complete the work. —Public Ledger.
Instaxlaticins, &e.—The .Rresbytery of Ly
ons met in special session .at Rose valley, N. Y ,
Tuesday, Ju.Oe '2stli‘to ordain and iustal Rev.
John Jay Crane to the pastorate of the .Presby
terian chuichi at that place. The ordaining
prayer was made by Rev. Wm. Young of Junius,
under whose care the Church of Rose was re
cently much increased ih numbers and influence.
Rev. J. B. Beaumont, late of Olean, was
installed pastor of the: Prbsbytpfian church in
Waverly, N. Y., by a special committee of the
Chemung Presbytery on Tuesday July, 9t.h
The constitutional questions (.were proposed
by Dr. Curtis, of Elmira, sermon by Dr.
Elmira. The Presbyterian church and Congre
gation of. Susquehanna depot, Pa., recently gave
sa call to Mr. S. H, Moon, a graduate "of Auburn
Theological Seminary, to become' their pastor;
and' June 20th, alter a well' sustained,examina
tion in the previous part of the day, the installa
tion services took place in the evening. In
this instance twelve ministers participated in the
“ laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.”
Dayton, o.—Some time last fall, through the
instrumentality of "the . pastor, (Rev. R. A.
Sawyer,) of the. Third Street Presbyterian
‘ hurch, .the young of that Church organized an :
Association to promote Christian growth and ad
vance Christian work. It was decided to
commence a mission work in the eastern part of
the city, where a district appeared wanting in
Church and Sunday-school privileges. Suitable
grounds were purchased at the cost of a thou
sand dollars. ; A frame chapel 27 by 40 feet ca
pable of seating from 175 to 200 persons, was
built at a cost of about two thousand dollars. On
the (th of July the house was dedicated. On
the 14ih the Sunday-school was opened. About
s xtv scholars were in attendance. A full corps
of teachers were present ready for the work.,
Cincinnati —, A number of. the brethren of
the two Presbyteries oi Cincinnati, Old School
and Re,w, School, have agreed to uuite- in in-i
viting.a meeting of tlie, ministers .and rulio°- el
ders of these two Presbyteries, to convene in
Cincinnati about the 20th of August; to confer
together on . the subject of , re-unibn, and to ex
amine the basis of the Joint Committee of the
two Assemblies. Those ministers ,and ruling el-,
ders who wish to unite in this call are asked to
send their names to the editors of the Presbyter
or Christian Herald. ....... t
Detroit; Mich.—A correspondent of the
Christian Herald writes: ? . ■
Dr. Hogarth’s people take advantage of his
absence to set the Jefferson Avenue Church i’A
trim. The last heard of the Doctor he was ma
king a flank movement on Switzerland, seentin^
' O
afar the good old Calvinism of Geneva. The
old First Presbyterian Chareh, Dr. Duffield’s,
having two pastors can afford to hold over dog
days. While the Westminster, (Old School,
which means only etopping outside a little while,)
having a new pastor are taking it cool in spite of
the weather. They are enlarging their church
building —having regular preaching and waiting
patiently for re union notwithstanding their nns
representative, Hovey K. Clarke, made & three
hours speech in their Assembly against re-union.
That speech convinced the brethren in his own
Church here that the thing “ must be did.”
Canton, Mo. —This town has a beautiful and
healthy location on the west bank of the Missis
sippi, sixteen miles from Quincy, 111;, and about
midway from Quincy to Keokuk, lowa. Canton
is-itself ,a, beautiful town of 3,000 inhabitants,
substantially, and, in some of its private and pub
lic edifices, elegantly built. Loyalty is now grow
ing there, and disloyalty waning. Our new little
church there is in part a fruit of that fact.
Rev. L. W, Dunlap commenced preaching
there occasionally in January, 1865, and in the
following May organized a church’with seven
members. This number has increased to twenty
one, while the Sunday School recently organized
and efficiently conducted, numbers 1 25, and is
the most flourishing school in town. The build
ing is a neat, plain edifice, but will soon be
too small. 1 It cost about seventeen hundred dol
lars, of .which seven, hundred and fifty was col
lected in Canion,.and two hundred was received
from the Church Erection Fund. The dedication
services were participated in by Rev. L. W. Dan
lap, to whose exertions, when others were faith,
less, success; under 1 God, is due; and by Revs.
James A. Darrah and E. L. Hurd.— Cor. Evan
gelist. ' ‘ ''' " 1
New Richmond, O.—On Sabbath, July 14th,
at the close of the communion, a vote was taken
, in'the' church of New Richmond on the question
of a union of the o,ld and New School branches
of the Presbyterian Church,-, and of other Pres
byterians, on the basis of thei Confession of Faith.
The vote was unanimously in favor of such union.
This; vote was taken, not because such union
would add any thing to the strength of this
individual Church, but because it is believed that
it would greatly promote the’ cause" of truth and
righteousness, and tend greatly to national reform.
Cor. Herald.
Home Missions —Secretary Kendall says:—
“The churches are responding nobly to the late
Assembly’s appeals for, $250,000 this year for
Home Missions. The chnrcih at Cornwall, N. Y.,
made its annual contributions to the cause the first
Sabbath of this month; and gave more than five
times as iffheh as last' year. The churchat En
glewood, N. J.) made its annual contribution last
Sabbath, amounting to $9OO. Last year we re
ceived from that church $l4l. The people are
waking up tc> the wauls of the West- and South.
Let; the young, ministers that are ready to enlist
in this service report- themselves.”
Ministerial.— Rev. 'Abel S. Wood, formerly
of Yerona, N. Y., has accepted a unanimous call
fo the First Congregational Church, of Niagara
City, Y.- Rev. E,;C. Johnston,' having re
moved from Bainbridge, Ind., has entered upon
his. duties as stated supply for the churches of
Pisgah and Mt. Yernony in the neighborhood of
New Washington,' Clark co., Ind.——; —Rev. Fre
deric’ 11. Adams has resigned his.charge at Mar
quette and accepted a unanimous invitation to
labor, with the' Presbyterian. Church at Saline,
.Washtenaw county, Mich.-——Rev. E. P. Pratt,
D. D . desires his correspondents to address him
.for the present, at',Bell’s Mills, Blair co , Pa.-"-—■
Rev. W. W. Collins' has resigned tlie charge of
the church in Pen field, N' Y., to take effect on
the first day of August next.—H-Rev. A. Cr-ieker
having resigned the charge of the Ist Presbyterian*
Church of Genoa (with which he has been labor-’
.ing for the past eleven years) has removed tem
porarily to Hamilton, Madison county. —--Rev.
T. A. Gardner is engaged assated supply of the
Congregational Church,>f Orient, L L——Rev.
W. B. Qliidlaw has been appointed agent of Miami
University, to secure the full endowment of that
institution. He has signified his acceptance.
——Rev. Stuart Dodge;s -n of Hon. William E.
Dodge, of New York; has gone to Beirut, in Syria,
to be connected with the New College organized
under American auspices. -At a meeting of
Logansport presbytery, at Delphi, Ind., July 9th,
1867,, Rev. W. L. Harker, was received from the
Methodist Episcopal Church. ; Mr. Harker has'
had fifteen years’ experience as a preacher. He
is, as yet, without a charge. His P. O. address
is Pittsburg, Ipd.-—-Rev. Joseph Wilson has
removed from Neoga, 111., to Tipton, Tipton co.,
Ind. _ • '
Religions World Abroad.
tilt EAT BRITAIN.
Ritualism is still an engrossing topic. The
London Pall Mall, Gazette thinks it.has found the
solution ot the Ritualistic controversy: “It .is a
question of power, and the question is. Who is to
be master in the Church of England— the clergy or
the congregation?” Tt has little doubt what the
answer will be when the issue : is once made tho
roughly clear to the common understanding. The
average Briton ,will stand a great deal, as long as
his clergymen confines himself to sermons, but when -
his clerical friends assume authority to forgive sins,
extort, confessions, work miracles, and control the
church property, “lie will feel called upon to tiiake
them'knew ns-hisforefatliers d*d three
hundred yearsfago.” Had the Church of England
aligned the laity a due share of power inside the
Church, as did,,the,rest of the Reformed Churches,
there would have been less trouble through the
freaks of men ot technical training and scholastic
modes'ol thought, but devoid of popular sympathies.
"The London Times thinks that the number of
English pulpits where ritualism is defended, is over
estimated, at Lee, who is now a bene-’
heed clergymen jn Lambeth, and editor of the
■Church, 2irn.es,- a.penny ritualist paper, says: “Oui
desire would be to Catholicize the people through tbe
Church of England, and then taking loiih vs the fab
ncs o/our Church imd their temporalities, re unite with
both East aiid West on the basis of the faith 1 and
discipline of the undivided Church. If the present
policy of the English Church Union' be generally
accepted by Anglicans, it will not take ten vears to
see such tremendous .changes as have uot been since
the Henry tlie Eighth.”
~ The _ Royal Commission ■ on Ritualism con
tinues to-give general dissatisfaction as to its con
stituent elements, although, the High ..Church
sees no- ground..for compfaint. Lord
bhaftesbury refused 'to act as a member, because he