Our New York Letter.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 937, 14 February 1890, Page 9

Our New York Letter.

This week the Presbyterian Synod of Brooklyn met in the City of Churches. The attendance was exceedingly full, it being understood that the que-stion would come up for the modification of the Westminster Confession. This identical question nearly Bhook Andover to pieces a couple of years ago, and it is veiy evident from the vote taken last week that since that time the cause of revision has nob lost friends. The meeting was rendered interesting by the return of Dr H. J. Vsn Dyke, one of the most learned and eminent Presbyterian clergymen in the land. He retired from the council on the occasion of Dr Talmage’s trial several years ago, the council refusing to pass a vote of censure on the great evangelist. Dr Van Dyke accused Brother Talmage of violating the Eight Commandment, and of a number of other naughty things not sanctioned by the decalogue, but the council by a small vote brought in the Scotcli verdict, ‘Not proven,’ and Doctor Van Dyke severed his connection from the Brooklyn Synod and never set foot in it again till this week. Doctor Van Dyke is not only a scholar, but he is au oldfashioned, orthodox Presbyterian, and like Paul, the straightest of his sect. A kind, estimable, charitable gentleman, but iu defence of the Trinity or the Thirty.nine Articles he eould have stood by John Calvin while Servitus was burning at the stake, and regarded with satisfaction the justice of that terrible auto da fe. But- the clouds are breaking away. Dr Van Dyke was a leading spirit among the reformers. Beside him stood that staunch old Presbyterian, Theodore Cuyler, and score of others whose orthodoxy could never be questioned. Some thought that the sinner’s chance wa3 not ended with death, but that there might be a season of probation beyond the grave. This comes fearfully close to the Catholic dootrine of purgatory. One charit able brother thought that even Roman Catholics might be saved, and unblushingly announced that he personally knew several very worthy people of that persuasion whose chances for heaven, he thought, were pretty good. While this staggering announcement did not beget any wild enthusiasm, it provoked no antagonism, and that of itself is a subject of congratulation. The vote was nearly three-quarters in favour of revision, a sure indication ‘dat de worldo move.’

Speaking of Dr Talmage, considerable unfriendly criticism has been called out by the appeal of the Tabernacle pastor for outside aid to rebuild his church. What is most remarkable about this, is that up to the present time Dr Talmage has made no appeal to his own congregation, one of the wealthiest in the city, nor has he yet indicated that he was going to do anything himself out of his own abundant means. A local paper made a brief schedule of hia property in sight, and it foots up the comfortable sum of nearly a quarter of a million, and as he came to Brooklyn without a dollar fifteen years ago, it represents the very com-

fortable saving of sixteen thousand a year, in addition to his living. Not bad that. I know a number of country ministers that live on much less. Dr Talmage’s iiving expenses do not fall much below ten thousand a year. He has eighty thousand dollars in mortgages in the city of Brooklyn and vicinity, and other plums stowed away. His salary is twelve thousand dollars, his income from his sermons nets him a large sum ; thi3 is paid to him by a syndicate which negotiates with the papers for their publication. His salary as ediror is not less than five thousand, his revenue from marriages will give Mrs Talmage all the pin money she requires, and a leading member of his congregation informed me that just before his departure for England he refused fifteen hundred dollars for three lectures. Supposing that he has twenty such offers in a year which he accepts, this represents ten thousand dollars more, making in the aggregate, with income on mortgage bonds, &c., an income of at least forty thousand dollars per annum. It is not strange, therefore, that Doctor Talmage’s appeal for outside aid should have provoked the unfriendly criticism it has, for the Tabernacle pastor

and his congregation evidently forgot the good old adage, * The Lord helps those who help themselves.’ With a wealthy pastor and a rich congregation they might well leave the world’s charity to those weak and struggling congregations who are crying like the apostle on the angry sea, ‘ Lord save me, or I sink.’ Patti is back with us to take her fourth or fifth farewell. To the horror of her old admirers, she who left a little over a year ago as black as a rook, comes back to us with the head of a London variety actress of the Lydia Thomson type. It is hinted that the Diva, while sojourning at her castle in Wales, discovered several gray hairs in her capillary adornment which gave her suoh a shock that she took to her bed for a fortnight, and on her partial recovery the doctors immediately prescribed low diet and a change of air to save her reason. A distinguished French physician took in the case at a glance and prescribed champagne externally applied, with the happiest results, as far as the lady herself is concerned, but to the dreadful disappointment of her admirers and friends. She has come back to us a full fledged blonde, and we don’t like it. It was intended to give us a season of Italian opera, but there is no house disengaged large enough to make it pay. The Metropolitan Opera House is given over to Wagner and the Germans. The old Academy of Music, the scene of her former triumphs, is now packed nightly to see Denman Thompson in the ‘Old Homestead,’ and fcbe o is no other place at present WiU hpld j

money enough to pay. There is no such fuss to hear her as there was when she was here last. There were thousands of people then who believed Ler when she was here before, and said that it was her farewell engagement. They borrowed and begged five and ten dollars for seats, and came away cursing their folly ; they will not be caught again. But I don’t think Mr Abbey expected to make much money in New York ; he cleared nearly a hundred thousand dollars on her last engagement, but the bulk of it was made in Havanna, Mexico, and South America. I scarcely think she will repeat her former triumphs, but time will tell. Under tbe plea of religious tolerance we are now confronted with a very grave danger by the faith curists. This peculiar form of belief is not confined to Americans. There are'eongregaiions in New York and Brooklyn composed almost exclusively of Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes. These people do not believe in doctors. A few weeks ago I gave an account of the death of Marie Olsen, a Swedish girl, who died at the house of a countryman of hers of the same name, but no relation. When she was dying Olsen refused to call a doctor, and the girl herself did not want one, but some charitable neighbours sent one in. He prescribed for the girl, but Olsen did not send for the proscription, and if he had done so the dying gDI would not have taken the medicine, for she believed that she was in the hands of the Lord, and if He wanted to save her He would do so, and if He did not want her to live Bhe was quite willing to die. Argument and entreaty were entirely useless, so tne next day she died. Olsen was arrested, but was discharged with an admonition from the magistrate. This week the children of one Jansen were taken down with scarlet fever ; the family and several boarders lived in the Jansen moms, '*■ and in the tenement were fifty people. The Jansens moved among them every day. The infected people rode in street cars and everywhere else, aud on Sunday went to their church, which Is a wretched hall iu Brooklyu, where there were assembled about fifty faith curists and nearly thirty children. During the services the enurch was raided by the police. Jansen and several others were taken to the station, and the children were taken to the hospital by the officers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. There is a statute in this State which makes it a penal offence for a parent or guardian to deny a sick child medical attendance. To comply with this law Jansen sent for a doctor, but when he came in he thought he had complied with the letter of the law, and told the doctor that he might beep his prescription as he would not give it to the child, who was in the bands of the Lord, Then followed the arrest on Sunday, and as hia offence is clear, I hardly think the Lord will interpose to save him from the Penitentiary. Broadbrim.