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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 11 August 1877, Page 3

TO THE! EDITOB. Sib, — In the letter m which " Saxon " closed a certain correspondence with some severe comments on the unfairness shown to him m the controversy, he iix-. cidentally remarked that " the Press is taking the place of the pulpit," but I doubt if he will state his reasons for thinking so however much it might gratify "Search," whose voice is too much like the voice of his late opponent to warrant anything but an unprofitable discussion on the matter, so I, without slightest intention of combating the Vpl^;, will briefly say a few words on.the subject. . , How comes it that London, for instance, has, out' of its vast- masses of souls, such a small percentage of church goers? Is it that the thousands — the hundreds of thousands — of non-church goers are all vicious and bad P Most decidedly not, for it is we'll known that a | 1 large proportion of them seek consola- ! tion and food for the mind m the noble ' writings which Bow from the Press m. many forms, and' take a firm hold on the minds of men, teaching them to think, - speak, and act aright far better than the , pulpit, m which, too often, meekness, longsufEering, and gentleness are absent, and the whole mind is exerted m verbal subtleties and contentions. There are indeed some exceptions, and I have listened to Spurgeon m his vast tabernacle preaching to a congregation of some' five thousand souls, and I am convinced that his wonderful success is chiefly due to his careful avoidance of all matters of contention, and merely preaching the plain truth, m a deep grand earnestness, which rings m his voice, and is seen m his look and very movements, all of which work m perfect sympathy with the warm and loving feelings of a great heart. It would be absurd to expect that each community should have a Spurgeon m its midst ; or indeed under the present system anyone approaching to a Spurgeon. So tens of thousands of persons receive solace and help from, perhaps, one great writer who preaches — not through the accident of an accident, nor through any unfitness for other work, but by $. -perfect fitness m talents, acquirements and inclination. Often, too, as Bishop Wordsworth, of Lincoln, said, " Pastors of the Church of Christ are tempted by the inducements, not of saving souls and promoting the glory of God, but by such allurements as gardens and greenhouses,

coaches, and stables^ a comfortable parsonage and well kept grounds, with a : trout-stream and grammar school for the sons, and with the sea not f ar off f or'the wife and daughters, had good society and j a railway station within a mile, and ait income of £800 a year ; and, it is.added, thatthe incumbent is 7&ryears of age, and ithat the. pppulatitoii is small; with light duty." Originally the Church was simply . the house of pra^r, and when the pulpit appeared it' vras to expound the Scriptures, but it gradually assumed a power over inanbeyond its proper ofEce, . which was almost lost sight of m the striving for .supreme Command, when the Press beat back the invader, arid accepted the sway 'of mankind, leaving the Church to its legitimate function. — I am, &c, -■■•■ . ' : S Pbiscllia..