Welsh Journals

July 8, 1892. THE WELSH WEEKLY, will be defrayed by a Cardiff gentleman. We are sure that 'Welsh nationalism, and especial Welsh evangelicalism, will be well represented in Mr. Pugh. The Moderator's manifesto is very favourably com¬ mented upon everywhere. Uttered on behalf of a body in which divergent views on political questions are held by the members, the manifesto is a model in every respect. We rejoice that there is such unanimity throughout the connexion on two points, namely, Disestablishment and Local Option. Everywhere the churches are exhorted to be faithful to their principles in these matters. The following is not a Presbyterian note, but while writing the foregoing note we received a communica¬ tion from Birmingham, stating that the Welshmen of that city are up and doing. A Welsh Electoral Union has been formed, with Mr. J. Humphreys Jones as chairman, one of the objects of which is "to bring under the consideration of the candidates (in the various divisions of the City of Birmingham, and the adjacent districts) the great question of the Dis¬ establishment of the Church of England in Wales, and to request them, if elected, to support and vote for Disestablishment when the question is brought before Parliament." Deputations have been sent by the Union to call upon each Liberal candidate to ascertain their views on the Disestablishment question, and all the Liberal candidates in the city and districts have invariably pledged themselves, if elected, to support and vote in favour of a motion or a bill for Disestablishment. If Welshmen in all large cities in England would combine to do do the same thing as the Birmingham Welshmen do, Disestablishment of the Church in Wales would be taken up more vigorously by our English friends. At the last General Assembly it was suggested in one of the reports that English churches in need of pastors should consult such men as Be v. L. Ellis and J. Pugh. To some of the delegates this looked like a new departure, and something that must be checked at once. But the necessity for some arrangement of the kind still remains. The shiftless condition of many of our English churches make it necessary that experienced brethren be consulted in the matter of finding out suitable pastors. There is nothing in the practice contrary to the principles of presbytery, on the contrary, a leading characteristic of the Presby¬ terian system would be developed. If co-operation and counsel is needed at all there is certainly need of it in the selection of a suitable pastor. In other branches of the Presbyterian Church good service is rendered in this way by the ministers who are appointed moderators over vacant churches, who not only preside at the election of a pastor, but who also do much to secure eligible candidates. Judging from the action of the English district of the Glamorgan monthly meeting it is apparent that something must be done. In the last meeting held at Penmark a request was made for a standing committee to assist churches in the quest for suitable pastors. The dis¬ cussion of the matter was postponed to the next meeting. --------------*.-----------__ CONGREGATIONAL NOTES. Principal Scott, of Lancashire Independent Col¬ lege, Manchester, is to be congratulated on having secured the services of Bishop Moorbouse for the Annual Day. There can be no stronger Congregation- alist than Principal Scott, and yet he is charitable enough to be able to hold in proper esteem worthy men who do not agree with himself on important but minor points. We well remember how the college authorities manifested their grief at the death of Bishop Fraser by putting the College flag on the tower half-mast. Principal Scott entertains the same spirit of charity towards the successor of that eminent prelate. It is said that the address given to the Btudents on this occasion by Bishop Moorhouse was a fine example of extemporaneous speaking. The Bishop Bhowed the charity of his mind in the declaration that he was a Christian first and a denominationalist next. He also said that it seemed to him " to be little short of folly, and almost criminality to ignore the good that was being done by those who as firmly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as he did, but who could not see that their church should be organised in precisely the same manner." In Tywysydd y Plant for this month there is a good photograph and an excellent biographical sketch of Rev. J. Davies, of Taihirion. It is a most interesting story from beginning to end, and also most elevating, for it places before us a man strong in "saving common sense," whose good name is held in honour in all the churches, and whose moral character is unimpeachable. A striking" fact in Mr. Davies's recent history is his renunciation of the weed after having been a devoted consumer of tobacco for half-a- century. This shows his strength of will. Bev. Job Miles, of Aberystwyth, was brought up and com¬ menced his career as a preacher in his church. We wish Mr. Davies long life1 and much work and happiness. _____J______ ___ j. The annual reports are to hand of the Congrega¬ tional Pastors' Betiring Fund and the Congregational Pastors' Widows' Fund for 1891. The first- mentioned society has paid during the past year £6174 to 158 annuitants, which brings up the total of payments since the commencement of the Fund in 1860 to £121,254. The second society has paid £1058 to 53 recipients in the course of the year, making £18,118 as the total sum paid from the foundation of the Fund. Both these societies are most deserving of support, but the churches in Wales are lacking very much in this matter. In the London Missionary Chronicle for this month the Home Secretary refers to the astonishing forms in which gifts towards the Society are made. "A lady sends £5 anonymously which she wishes to have acknowledged as the first saved money of one wishing to help on missionary work; a number of working men band together and buy a lantern and slides to be sent out to India in the service of Christ; and a lady, who does not have a new bonnet every season, sends £1 towards buying Dr. Griffith John a bicycle or tricycle." The lesson for us is—" Go ye and do like¬ wise," --------------♦—----------- BAPTIST NOTES. We beg to congratulate, the Rev. W. Morris, F.R.G.S., Treorky, and also the Baptist Association of East Glamorgan, on the noble and inspiring address delivered from the chair, at their annual meeting last week. For some reason or another the chairmen of our associations are, of late, apt to excuse themselves from delivering any weighty and apposite pronounce¬ ments from the chair. At .Pontygwaith, however, things were different; the theme—"Our Distinctive Principles "—was a timely one, while the Rev. W. Morris was well worthy of his theme. We are glad to learn that it is to be published in a pamphlet. Is is not time that the " address from the chair " and the " letter to the Churches " be merged into one ? Anent the selection of chairmen for our conferences and association meetings, a 'word or two cannot be out of place. It is readily admitted on all hands that the typical Celt prefers poetry to pounds, shillings, and pence, that the grand chorus competition at an Eistedd¬ fod, or an anthem at a musical festival, is more congenial to his tastes than the hubbub of the mart, the exchange, and the market-place. This is never felt more than in the conferences and our associations. We have had experience of several of them by this time, and the general complaint is the lack of business aptitude. Valuable hours are spent without doing but a very little. Brethren are appointed chairmen, not on account of any special capacity for such office, but on account of seniority, or popularity, or position. It is well to honour those to whom honour is due, but regard ought to be had to the, qualifications necessary in the President of a large conference. Spurgeon for his outspokenness on the down grade tendency, but to-day we are brought face to face with those perils that his prophetic eye saw years ago. The waters have been disturbed this time by the Rev. C. F. Aked, of Liverpool; not so much by the exchange of pulpits he effected with Rev. R. A. Armstrong, as by the asperity of his words when speaking of worthy men, and by his ridiculing and laughing at the very resolution he so gravely supported at the last May Meetings in London. Mr. H. E. Stone and the Rev. H. D. Brown, of Dublin, have withdrawn from the Baptist Union, and it is to be feared that many others will follow. We pray that some understanding will be arrived at soon. The Rev. R. A. Armstrong, of Liverpool, has issued his lecture on " The Principles and Ideals of the Unitarians," in pamphlet form, and has forwarded copies to Baptist ministers. He complains bitterly that Unitarians are ostracised and denied fellow¬ ship of other Christian bodies. We have not a word of condemnation for Unitarians as men ; their philanthropy, moral rectitude, and courage, their learning and liberality, we greatly admire; still, it is fair that we should ask them to regard us, as far as possible, from our own standpoint. To us the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Cbrist is a cardinal truth, a sine qua non of the gospel. Holding this as truth, how can we regard those who deny His Divinity, as of the same faith as ourselves. On personal grounds we would have been pleased to dwell in harmony with Unitarians, and never unsheath the sword; but since we regard ourselves as existing to preach the Incarnation of God in Christ, and the redemption of man through the Atonement made by Him on Calvary, how can we be true to our Lord and be silent on these points ? Mr. Armstrong may regard them as of secondary, but to us they are of primary importance. WESLETAN METHODIST NOTES. The Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland is still in a stormy sea, and is surrounded by dangers. We had hoped that we were about to enter upon a period of calm. Many condemned the late Mr. TnE Rev. W. G. Dawson, one of the most brilliant and popular of our young ministers, has decided to sever his connection with Methodism, he having accepted a pressing and unanimous invitation to become the Pastor of Highbury Quadrant Congrega- gational Church, London. Much as we regret the loss of Mr. Dawson, we do not affect any surprise at his decision. It is not for doctrinal but for practical reasons that he leaves us. He has chafed for many years under the restraints of our itinerant system, and believes a settled pastorate would suit him much better. We are heartily at one with him in this opinion. Mr. Dawson is one of a few, at least, amongst us in whose case a settled sphere of influence and work is much to be desired. The general feeling is that he ought not to have been removed from Glasgow last year. His ministry there was so unprecedentedly popular and successful that some method ought to have been devised, as in the cases of Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, Mark Guy Pearce, and Charles Garrett, for securing a continuance of his services in that important city, which recognised in him one of its foremost and most effective preachers, and where the influence of his'ministry was growing day by day. The Conference, however, did not pester itself to cope with the special exigencies of the case, and then not only Was a splendid opportunity neglected, but to-day Methodism suffers loss in consequence. Strong as our church is, she must surely suffer somewhat from this significant secession. Indeed, unless some¬ thing is speedily done to modify the stringency of the itinerant system in special cases, such as this, we have grave reason to fear that many more of our younger ministers of power and promise will follow Mr. Dawson's example. Although we do not consider that a radical or widespread change is necessary in regard tio the three years system, we are strongly of opinion nevertheless, that Conference should be at liberty to exercise its own judgment in cases where an extension of the term is considered advisable in the interests of Ifhe work of God in any circuit. At present it has no |uch liberty^for it is bound hand and foot by a legis¬ lative enactment of the last century.