Welsh Journals

February ig, 1892. THE WELSH WEEKLY. Milton's life? A popular novel, however ephemeral will sell a hundredfold as well as a treatise on a theological subject. Coleridge's books had a very limited circulation. "The Friend," " Christabel," and " Biographia Literaria" were unfavourably received, and the first involved him in pecuniary embarrassment, and that most philosophical of English writers had to descend to writing school- books to get bread and cheese. CONGREGATIONAL NOTES. The appointment of Rev. W. F. Woods, B.A , by the Committee of the Congregational Union, to the Secretaryship, has called forth some severe criticisms, not of the new Secretary, but of the methods of the Committee. Some of the critics are not Congrega- tionalists, yet they loudly profess that all is said by them, and that the seeds of dissension are sown by them in the spirit of brotherly love, and with the single desire of benefiting the denomination. A pro¬ phecy of future woe is declared on the ground that the action of the Committee is unconstitutional. The im¬ portant facts are overlooked that this office has been vacant for a long period of time; that the organisations of the denomination are suffering in consequence; that the churches are impatient of this long delay ; that Mr. Woods is an excellent man, with an excellent record ; and that the churches will soon forgive and forget all the wrong-doings of the Committee if, as is sincerely hoped, they have succeeded in making a wise appointment. It is highly interesting to read Dr. Parker's effusions on this subject, which is as delicate as it is important. The position taken up by him at the last May As¬ sembly of the Union will not soon be forgotten. Since then he has issued three manifestoes. The first had a title which was calculated to give a serious shock to the nerve-centres of the denomination, " A Call to Arms." The title of the second acted like a sedative of mixed medicines on the disturbed nervous system of the Union—"A Call to Unity." The third has a more comprehensive title—" The Congregational Union," which might quite correctly and truthfully be altered into that of the first. In this last the powerful and popular preacher assumes the position and attitude of an Apostle of Order, and a Protector of Precedent. His quarrel is not with Mr. Woods, but the uncon¬ stitutional methods of the Committee. A bold step in the right direction has been taken V the Council of Mansfield College, Oxford, in arranging* a short series of lectures to be given within the walls of that institution for 12 days next summer, by some of the most eminent theologians of the day. The lecturers will treat their own special subjects, Biblical, Apologetic, or Dogmatic, as the case may be. The series will commence on Monday, July 18, and finish on the 30th of the same month. The total cost of lectures, dinners, lodgings, &o., excepting, of course, the railway fares, will not much exceed £5. Dr. Dale writes:—" I venture to think that where a young Minister has a small salary, his deacons could not spend .£5 more profitably than in putting it into his hand with the recommendation to go to the summer school at Oxford." Is it too much to hope that many Noncomformist churches in Wales will act on this Wise advice, and thus give a practical proof of their appreciation of an educated mi nistry ? Even an ordinary pump is supplied with a little water before any attempt is made to obtain water from the well. But as for the minister, he is expected to draw water out of the wells of salvation without re¬ ceiving anything more in the way of mental encourage¬ ment than a reference to the verse: " It is more blessed to give than to receive." It is to be hoped that this summer school of theology will inaugurate a new era in Wales. The views of a large number of well-meaning Christian people on the production of sermons are pitifully ludicrous. They demand that the present "ay ministry should be well educated ; they also expect irom the preacher every Sunday two carefully-prepared sermons, illustrated, if possible, not by sensational anecdotes, but by scientific, historical, and literary preferences, and delivered in a cultured style; yet they never give a single thought to the question of how the poorly-paid minister can obtain books to serve for his mental pabulum and stimulus. They demand that the preacher's mind should be a kind of perennial fountain, receiving nothing, but constantly sending forth clear and limpid streams of pure and lucid intel¬ lectual truth ; or a kind of perpetual motion, once Moved in his college course, never to stop going again. PRESBYTERIAN NOTES. One of the most honoured ministers of the Presby¬ terian Church of England has fallen asleep. Dr. Donald Fraser, who died on Friday night after a very short ill¬ ness, was the means, with a few others, of reconciling the English people to the Presbyterian form of church government. Born in Scotland ; educated in Canada ; ministered to a large congregation in Montreal for eight years, where French influence prevails; accepted a call to his native town, Inverness, where, they say, English is better spoken than in London ; and finally settled in London. He was thus specially qualified to be a representative of his Church in all Conferences on Christian Union. The same may be said of another distinguished Canadian in the London Presbyterian ministry, Dr. Munro Gibson. Such men have done much to redeem Presbyterianism from the charge, if it be a charge, of Scotticism. The prophet who informs the Times of the signs of the times in Wales predicts that the Calvinistic Methodists are going in for big tilings in the next general election. This is an old story, which appeared a short time ago in one of our contemporaries over the way, when a veritable "Gunpowder Plot" was alleged to have been discovered, by means of which Calvinistic Methodists were going to swamp all the theological colleges. Those who write thus love strife more than their native land. The increasing number of students at Trevecca College has made it necessary for Principal Prys to appeal to the churches to send to the College for preaching supplies. This should be regarded as a good sign, for we know that there is in South Wales a great demand for Trevecca students, and that the churches will not be slow in securing their services. What is wanted is a better system of arranging the supplies, which means abetter understanding between the churches and the College authorities. BAPTIST NOTES. In this month's Greal Mr. B. B. Williams writes interestingly and lovingly of his late revered father, Mr. W. Williams, printer and publisher, Llangollen. Our late friend certainly well deserves all the eulogy and high praise here given him by his affectionate son, as husband and father. But what entitles him most to the regard of people outside the family circle, especially of the Baptist body, was his connection for so long a period with the Press as printer of the time-honoured Athraw i Blentyn, and printer and publisher for many long years of the Greal. Pub¬ lishers are no doubt a deserving class in all countries, and those of Wales are no less deserving of the honour and regard of their countrymen, as men who have had to conduct their business under great p-acaaiacy risk. Wales owes much to her printers and publishers. Its preachers generally promoted and supplied its literature, especially its serial literature, and its publishers did much to support them in their often thankless and profitless task, and, of course, largely shared in the results. Mr. Williams acted in this latter capacity for the long space of 48 years. He had under his care in that period three Baptist serials, the Tyst Apostolaidd, the Greal, and the Aihraio. As printer and publisher of these magazines, he came into close contact—a contact which amounted to in¬ timate friendship—with some of the most notable men of the denomination, such as Dr. Pritchard, Dr. Ellis Evans, John Williams, the translator of Oraclau Bywiol, Robert Ellis, (Cynddelw), Dr. Jones, and Dr. Baberts, Pontypridd. Mr. Williams was the principal factor in putting before the world the valuable pro¬ ductions of these eminent men. Oue venerable brother, the Bev. R. D. Roberts, Llwynhendy, writes very interestingly his reminis¬ cences of men and things in the Baptistjdenomination in Anglesea during his pastorate upwards of 40 years ago in Llanfachreth. He is certainly doing great service to the denomination by his interesting biographical notes, so _full of anecdotes of men who, in their day, did immense service for the churches, but of whom no published record remains. It is enough to give the reader a notion of the interesting nature of these anecdotal notes to say that they cover the ground and time of Christmas Evans' pastorate, and include most of his colleagues in the Baptist ministry, and to whom the great preacher stood really in the relation of bishop, though not of the prelatic type. In the review of the " Memoir of Dr. Price, of Aber- dare," in our issue of the 5th2inst., the name of the author and the price of the book were omitted. The memoir may be had from the author, Bev. B. Evans, 46, Gadlys Road, Aberdare, for 3s. It is a prize essay for which 25 guineas and a gold medal were awarded to the author at the Brecon National Eisteddfod in 1889. WESLEYAN METHODIST NOTES. The meeting of the Special Committee appointed by the Conference to consider the three years' system of ministerial appointments has taken place. Its de¬ liberations were conducted with excellent moderation and good feeling, and its conclusions were arrived at with perfect unanimity. There was no desire on the part of anyone to destroy the itinerant principle, hence the Committee recorded "its unanimous conviction that the working of the itinerant principle, and, on the whole, of the three years' limit, in the past, has been highly beneficial to our churches." At the same time, it was clearly recognised that "in view of difficulties which have for many years past arisen, sometimes in circuits, and sometimes in Home Mission work, it has become very desirable that power should be obtained from Parliament, giving the Conference liberty to extend the term of ministerial appointment to such a period as it may deem fit." There can be little doubt that the committee, which was a large and representative one, hes ex¬ pressed the general feeling of the Connexion. But its decision is not final. The whole subject will have to come up for consideration at the next Conference, and the Conference will have to inform the Connexion how far it will propose to avail itself of such liberty—pro¬ vided it should be granted—and what safeguards and limitations it will set up in defence of the general principle. The committee suggest three restrictions : (1) that no minister be allowed to remain for a longer period than three years in a circuit without a three- fourths majority of the March Quarterly Meeting ; (2) that such invitation be subject to the sanction of the Conference ; and (3) that the extreme limit should in no case exceed six years. Should these proposals be accepted by the next Conference, they will then be sent down to the people, who, in the Quarterly Meetings and District Meetings, will express their will upon the matter. If they approve of them the Conference of 1893 will satisfy them, and an appeal will then be made to Parliament as soon as possible for the removal of the legal barrier. To such a cautious course as this, even the most stubborn and antiquated reactionist cannot reasonably take objection, seeing that it is apparently the wish of the majority that some modification should be made. All that the most conservative can require is that the experiment should be tried with judgment and care. The suggestions of the committee, it appears to us, will, if adopted, fully secure this. An interesting living curiosity has lately been dis¬ covered at Pontypridd by a representative of the South Wales Daily News, in the shape of a survivor of Waterloo, an old local preacher, still wonderfully hearty and active, in his .98th year. This old veteran