Welsh Journals

12 THE WELSH WEEKLY. March 18, 1892. NOTES FROM THE WELSH COLLEGES. (By Our Special Correspondents.) MANSFIELD COLLEGE. Dr. Fairbairn on the Kingdom of Christ. The Principal preached on Sunday morning, March 6, his text being, " My Kingdom is not of this world." At the beginning of his discourse he vividly described the scene of our Lord's trial, and the actors in the drama, showing what a contrast to the ideal of the Eoman procu¬ rator was the kingdom of Christ. The kingdom of Christ, the Doctor showed, was in antithesis, as kingdom of God, to that of the Prince of this world ; as kingdom of Heaven, to the kingdoms of earth. But what did Christ mean by the " kingdom " ? It was not synonymous with any church conceived as a polity ; it existed wherever men were obe¬ dient to God and His commandments. The essential ele¬ ment of it was a moral life. The term ecclesia was used but twice by Christ; kingdom 112 times. In the two places where eK/cX-70-ta {ecclesia). was used it had different senses ; in the charge to Peter it denoted the whole mul¬ titude of the people of God; in the other place (" Tell it to the church, &c"), it denoted a single assembly or con¬ gregation. "Ecclesia " had two associations ; one derived from the Hebrew Qahal, the congregation of the people of Israel, the other derived from Greek republican ideas. But what was essential iri the idea was the emphasis laid on the power and the will of the people as the final authority in the kingdom. Nowhere did Christ speak of a sacerdotal organization or hierarchy. He himself was Si&kovos, servant; He is never priest. The terms used for overseers of the church, imo-Koiros and irps<r[36Tepos, are never used of Christ by Him¬ self or His immediate disciples. The Christian religion came to the writers of the Apostolic and sub-Apostolic ages as something quite novel; it was a religion wit' out a priest. The only passage in the early Greek fathers which hai any reference to priesthood was in Justin Martyr, and even that passage did refer to an official priesthood. But in Tertullian we found Sacerdos coming to signify the official priesthood in the church. This use spread from the West to the East, and was found later in St. Cyprian, and then rapidly became a common term to designate the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The reason for this use of the term Sacerdos (priest) in Christianity was that men brought up in the heathen religions imported heathen ideas into their Christianity. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the centre of Imperial power—Bome—became the centre of the church; and the offices of the Boman empire be- came the types of the offices of the church; the procurator became the bishop, the Emperor the Pope, the legionaries the clergy, after the disruption of the Empire. Though the Boman Catholic Church did great work in organizing Europe during the Middle Ages, the countries where it now prevails were the most reactionary and revolutionary, as, e.g., the South American Bepublics. The countries in which progress, civil and political, had been made, were the Protestant. These succeeded by taking up what was essential in Christ's idea of the kingdom of God; that is, by insisting on the moral life. Dr. Fairbairn cautioned his hearers against being led away by the conception of a church whose ideal was an aesthetic repose. He himself liked the conception of the church militant, a church struggling to overcome the evil of the world. The true kingdom could only be realised in the world by obedience to the direct voice of God in the conscience. The only true church consisted of the congregation of those who were faithful to the commands of the moral law. PONTYPOOL COLLEGE. It was with great pleasure the students heard, a few weeks ago, that the Bev.'T. C. Edwards, D.D., of Cardiff, had kindly consented to visit the College to speak to them on his favourite subject, " Elocution." True to his promise Dr. Edwards came on Tuesday, the 8th inst. The lecture was delivered in English, and was listened to with rapt attention by all present, and the frequent bursts of applause which greeted the successful efforts of the accom¬ plished lecturer, showed that it was greatly appreciated. As circumstances were propitious, tire gentlemen who form the House Committee o this institution were able to be present with the students, and the expression of their countenances during the address bespoke the value which ihey placed on what Dr. Edwards said, and their sorrow that they were not students, that thej once more might begin their ministerial career, and put into practice the advice offered. Elocution has been, and is, a neglected study, especially in the Welsh colleges. Undoubtedly many preachers "have come to an early grave through having despised it. We are every day reminded, notwith¬ standing many attempts to convince us to the contrary, that the characteristic Welsh "hwyl" is still in great demand, and the preacher should be taught how to produce it without injury to himself. We are proud to find that since Dr. Edwards came to Cardiff, he has visited several of the Welsh colleges, to urge the importance of studying this important subject. It is to be hoped that the students will benefit by his kind labours, and that the authorities will see the necessity of including "Elocution" in the curriculum of each college. The students here feel greatly indebted to the reverend gentleman for visiting them, and hope to see him paying another visit ere long. At the close of the lecture Principal Edwards, who presided, pro¬ posed a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, which was seconded in a humorous speech by the Rev. D. B. Jones( Caerleon, and carried with acclamation. Dr. Edwards responded in suitable terms. The second debate of this term came off on Friday, 11th inst. Messrs. H. Thomas and F. A. Bees introduced the discussion, in the affirmative and negative respectively, on " Is Strict Communion Bight ? " WEEK BY WEEK. COLLEGE NOTES. The Committee appointed by the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, to make a selection of candidates for the appointment of Registrar and Secretary, met at their London offices in Chancery Lane on Tuesday afternoon last. Mr. 0. M. Edwards, M.A., Lincoln College, Oxford, took the chair. The following gentlemen were selected from 76 candidates for submission to the next council:— Major Simner, Acting Secretary; the Bev. T. Mortimer Green, Calvinistic Methodist minister; Mr. D. Samuel, M.A., Congregational deacon and schoolmaster; Mr. Thomas Owens, Calvinistic Methodist deacon and schodl- master ; Mr. T. J. Williams, solicitor; the Bev. J. Eiddon Jones, Calvinistic Methodist minister, and Clerk to the School Board, Llanrug, Carnarvon. The final decision was to be made on the 16th inst. Mr. J. E. Lloyd, Professor of Modern History in the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, has accepted the post of Secretary and Begistrar, vacant by the resig¬ nation of Mr. Cadwaladr Davies, in the University College of North Wales, Bangor. Professor Lloyd will enter upon his new duties about the middle of April. The Breeon student? resident at Cardiff have, during the past month, held Cymanfa's, both at Mintry Street, Cathays, and at Severn Boad, Canton. The officiating students were Messrs. John Elias, Tonypandy; E. Nicholas, Maenclochog; T. Tudor, Ferndale ; J. M. Jones, Cwmaman ; T. G. Newell, Porthmadog; D. J. Griffiths, Borth; Joseph Williams, Pentrey; J. J.Williams, Ynysybvvl; and Mr. D. J. Wigley, Aberdare. In the list of those who took their M.A. degree at Cam¬ bridge on March 10, we find the name of Mr. W. Lewis- Jones, of Bangor College. THE PRUDENTIAL. We have much pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to an advertisement elsewhere of the Company popularly known as " The Prudential." The reports which were presented at the 43rd annual meeting of the Prudential Assurance Company, Limited, held on the 3rd inst., once more indicated the stupendous operations of that well-known society. One of these reports was the quinquennial report for the period ending' December 31, 1891. This showed that during the five years under review the assets of the Company have grown from £6,811,954 to £14,623,627, or an increase of £7,811,673. The annual premium income of the ordinary and the industrial branches combined, at the beginning of the quinquennium, was £3,472,911, and at the end it had risen to £5,386,990, being an increase of £1,914,079. During last year the assets increased by £2,043,757 over those of 1890, The permiums received during the year were £3,688,338 in the industrial branch, and £1,442,746 in the ordinary branch, and the claims amounted to £2,034,406 in the two branches. The number of deaths were 186,711, and endowments matured 978. The number of policies in force was 9,617,484, and the profits divided by way of bonus, £1,624,880. It is an extraordinary fact that the whole population of Norway and Denmark and Sweden is less than the number insured in this Company. Over 5000 deaths occurred by accident, 362 being killed in the streets, 239 lost at sea, 5 from playing at football, 1 killed in battle, 1 died from the bite of a lion, 319 from colliery accdents, and 362 were killed on the railway, Locally, the three drowned at Barry a few weeks ago, and three killed in the Barry tunnel a fortnight ago, were assured, and the claims promptly paid. A young man named Macdonnell, of Adamsdown, was drowned two hours before the date of bis policy a few weeks ago, but the local superintendent, Mr. Wyatt, sub¬ mitted the case to the company, and the full claim was paid of £100 for the shilling. Nearly 50,000 persons are assured in the Cardiff district, and during last year 936 persons died, to whose relatives were paid £9400, besides what was paid in the ordinary branch. All claims are paid at once in the local office at St. John's Square on production of proof of death. A new office is being built in St. Mary Street at a cost of £14,000. The company has lent the Cardiff School Board £123,300 7s. 2d.; the Cardiff Union, £1,407 5s. 5d. ; the Aberdare Local Board, £2,844 17s. 5d.; the Llandaff Highway Board, £163 12s. 4d.; and the Merthyr Local Board, £9318 12s. 6d. It is said that an anti-Christian campaign is being started in Turkey. The parish of Canton, Cardiff, has the largest population of any parish in England and Wales. The authorities in Cardiff are putting in force the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890. In the Cerddor for March, Mr. D. Emlyn Evans has a critical and appreciative sketch of Rubinstein. Rev. Db. Thomas is gradually improving in health. His jubilee in the ministry will be celebrated next May. Rev. Michael D. Jones announces that a company of Welsh people will emigrate to Patagonia next June. Lady Dilke was well received in Cardiff, and warmly supported in her advocacy of the rights of shop-women. Me. E. Staneoed; Chief Manager of the Chemical Works at Ellwood, Indiana, is a Welshman from Bryntroedgam. The Central African Mission of the London Missionary Society is in need of a good hand printing-press with type. At the tea, dinner, and entertainment given to the blind of Cardiff there were 130 guests; 56 of these were totally blind. It is said that Vicar Thompson, of Cardiff, intends erecting a new church in that town, between his parish and that of Canton. A memoeial church to the Duke of Clarence is to be erec!ed at Llandudno. Lord Mostyn has given the land and Lady Mostyn has contributed £1000. Peof. Barbiee, of the University College, Cardiff, U studying Welsh, and expresses himself highly delighted with its power of expression and the wealth and beauty of its literature. The Bishop of Manchester, says the Manchester Guardian, has consented to deliver the address to the students at the next anniversary of the Independent College Whalley Range, Manchester. The Pope has just given out as his opinion that the modern musical compositions heard in churches are much too lively and theatrical; so he is sending out circulars to the most famous musicians in Europe and America, inviting their suggestions for reform. Walt Whitman's condition, it is sad to say, shows not the slightest hope of improvement, and his sufferings from insomnia are telling heavily on him. A letter from Lord Tennyson, which was read to him last week, greatly cheered him, but his physicians entertain no hope of his recovery. —Hawk. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has, during the last recorded month, investigated 681 complaints of ill-treatment and neglect, affecting the welfare of 1753 children. In 426 cases warnings were given; in 89 the offences were of so gross a nature as to necessitate prosecutions (percentage of convictions, 95-5), the rest being dealt with in other ways.* The Chicago Advance, noticing the discussion on the title " Rev.," which commenced in The Independent and ha3 been taken up in other religious papers, says :—" Perhaps it would be just as well if the prefix were laid away. Some of our English brethren, and American for that matter, might also drop their D.D.'s, for if they keep on doubting, denying, and developing all theology out of pure naturalism, they will not leave enough divinity to answer to the title." Scranton Blade declares that Welshmen witness with joy the steady progress made by the monument fund of Gwilym Gwent, the author of " Yr Haf," &c. " No knee in free America," we are told, " would bow to inane Royal personages, but in no country under the sun is there such homage paid to genius. ' Gwilym Gwent' was a musical genius, who conferred greatest honour upon the Welsh nation, and we should as a people co-operate in inscribing his name on marble, which may be read by our descendants of the third and fourth generation." During last year the Bible Society's circulation in Portugal has risen to over 19,000, the highest figure reached since the beginning of the agency in 1865. This has no doubt been partly owing to the issue by the committee of an edition of 8000 Gospels at 3d. (10 reis), which evidently meets a popular want, and accounts largely for the doubling of the colporteurs' sales in the item of portions. But there is a deeper cause, and the attention of the people seems to be turning to spiritual questions more than before. " Many are now acknowledging that our Protestant doctrines and well-taught schools are purer and better than others, and the testimony of a lady whose life has been spent in Lisbon, is that she now marvels to see message boys, bakers' men, and others of similar employment, read¬ ing the Scriptures and tracts, seeking after a more excellent way than they and their fathers have known." The tone of the year's report is v ry generally of this hopeful kind.