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disheartening; the severation between the living and the dead is complete; when the earth is piled over the cold remains, all is over, except the sense of regret, and sorrow, and loneliness: the tie is broken, communion is gone. The cold Protestantism which forbids the living to hold communion of prayer with the departed before the throne of their common FATHER adds its chilling influence to isolate and divide the two great portions of the communion of saints, the Church visible and the Church invisible. How different is the orien

tal Christian in his belief and practice: the full realization of the doctrine of the communion of saints, and the vivid hope of the resurrection and life eternal, influences him in life and in death. The bridal robes and the bridal wreath deck the corpses of the departed, emblems of the rest into which they have lain down, and the glory and brightness of the rising that awaits them. Mr. Ellicott had this subject before him in his last sermon, but we cannot say that he realizes the great truths that accompany it. As far as he goes he speaks well, and as a commencement of the subject deserves great praise; but either he does not realise, or does not dare to bring before a university audience the full doctrine of the "Communion of Saints:" with faltering lips speaks he of prayer for the departed,-with cautious reserve of their prayers for us. We hope the day for such coldness is passing away, and warmer and more heavenly doctrines are cheering the hearts of thousands of mourners in our Church, and the blessed truth is felt and known, and is opening out to brighter view the glorious 'destiny of the creature.'

CORRESPONDENCE.

SCUDAMORE ORGANS.

To the Editor of the Ecclesiastic.

SIR,-If the cause of "Scudamore Organs," which is now I trust emerging from the pioneering stage, should ever prevail to good purpose it will be indebted for much of its early success to your judgment and discrimination. Your favourable mention, in the number for February, 1856, of Mr. Hall's efforts reached the Christians at Delhi, in consequence of whose inquiries was contrived the Scudamore Organ, Douglas pattern, with some probability of its being purchased for the small cruciform church, then existing in that heathen and miscreant city. When, upon the outbreak of the mutiny, the late Captain R. C. Douglas, commandant of the palace guard, who had written to Mr. Hall about an organ six months previously, expressly referring to your notice, was killed together with the chaplain, and the Christian com

munity in Delhi was overwhelmed, the proposed destination of course came to an end. As even Scudamore Organs admit of great variety, a specific name is very useful to denote a particular pattern, and therefore I took the liberty of suggesting that the type of Scudamore Organ, which had been expressly contrived in order to be as simple and compact as possible, with a view to exportation, should be called as above by the name of the Christian soldier, whose letter of inquiry had led to its production. The "original" Douglas organ, which is now private property, has been very useful in the pioneering stage of organic reform, for exhibition and for trial in more churches than

one.

It has now been subjected to thoroughly artistic voicing and other emendations in the hands of Mr. Willis, who thinks it a very useful and generally available type of Scudamore Organ, either for one or for more stops.

On the last paragraph but one of your review of my little book, in your number for April, 1858, I would beg to offer a few remarks. When you hear that Mr. Willis the organ-builder, already named, of 119, Albany-street, Regent's-park, London, the builder of the largest and completest organ in the world, has undertaken at my suggestion to supply Scudamore Organs to those who want them at about the prices named in my book, you will acknowledge that I have not been unmindful of your warning and suggestions. You will perceive from "Scudamore Organs," p. 63, and from my application to Herr Schulze, which was made as early as August, 1856, that I have all along been aware that as soon as the value of the principles had been tested by a few experiments, it would be quite necessary to enlist first-rate talent and art for any general and successful exemplification of them. On the other hand, as I for one shall be careful not to undervalue or forget the important assistance rendered by a local organ builder in the earlier efforts towards improvement, so I still hold to the importance of encouraging native, or at least local talent in almost every department of art and trade, so far as it can be done without giving undue encouragement to local bungling or imposition. Some of the worst work as well as some of the best work comes out of London, which is already too much of a metropolitan pandemonium. I believe that a much greater diffusion of art and trade than is at present in operation, would be much better for the health, wealth and strength of both Church and nation. If Paris be France, English Churchmen and English patriots do not desire that London should be England. To enlarge upon this point would be here out of place, but I would beg to remind you that the Church has in all ages encouraged such a diffusion. The abbeys, monasteries and Bishops' sees were the centres of civilization and the arts, as well as of Christianity. What is the teaching of such goodly and complete buildings on so desolate a spot, as for instance at S. David's in Wales, but that the English Church in early days acted on the maxim of S. Gregory the Great, in a letter to S. Augustine, "Non res pro locis, sed loca pro bonis rebus amanda sunt," and delighted, by power and blessing of her LORD, to make the wilderness "blossom as the rose."

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Allow me in conclusion to state that I now seem to have done nearly

all I can do in pioneering the way towards showing how simple but effective organs may be obtained at a moderate expense. I worked out the problem for my own parish. I have diligently explained the principles to all inquiring friends and correspondents, and I have published the little book, "Scudamore Organs," to serve as a hand-book of facts and principles, and to put as it were the clue for further progress into the hands of others. The coming of Herr Schulze the eminent German organ-builder to put up the new Doncaster organ being postponed, for the third time, till next spring, I have laid the book and principles as already stated before Mr. Willis, who had previously paid some attention to the wants of village churches, and is now prepared to carry out in the simplest organs, not only the principles of my little book, but also, so far as applicable, the principles and artistic skill which he has already exhibited with acknowledged success in the most magnificent organs. I have the utmost confidence in Mr. Willis's willingness to do justice to what may appear the small end of the subject; but you, and the intelligent public of the Church of England, must remember that the business of an organ-builder, however scientific, is to supply the best article of the kind which his employers require. If, therefore, those who want organs either disapprove of the principles I have set forth, or will not take the trouble to understand them and make them known, the simplification and improvements, which I have been at much expense and pains to initiate for village churches, &c., must still remain in abeyance. The words of your review, against the misconstruction of which especially I wish to guard myself, are these:

"We cannot impress too strongly upon Mr. Baron the necessity of making a good start. Let him remember that the first step to success in an undertaking is to gain people's confidence." True and valuable as these words are in themselves, I fear they may in the minds of some readers favour a misapprehension as to my pretensions. The only "start and "undertaking," for which I consider myself fully responsible, are the first practical exemplification of the principles in the chancel organ of Upton Scudamore church, and the book in which those principles are explained and still further exemplified. I would intreat you and the public of the Church of England, not to suppose that I have undertaken to run a tilt against the great European idol or its champions, and that you may remain as otiose as spectators in an ancient tournament, to applaud any successful strokes, or to smile with some degree of sympathy and pity, if I should not prove "strong enough for the place.'

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In my book I have sought to carry the appeal, not so much to authority ecclesiastical, royal, or musical, as to the religion and common sense, the ears and eyes of the members of the Church of England, and the ascertained principles of musical and acoustic science. I wish, therefore, not to gain people's confidence for myself, or any start or undertaking, but to teach them to have confidence in themselves and the principles of religious and scientific economy. I call upon them to be warriors and not merely spectators. I cannot undertake any leadership, nor do I know that any special leadership is required; but I may be allowed, although accepting only the rank and work of a common soldier, to point out the enemies to be encountered, and the method of

warfare. These are not large organs, which, if properly placed and properly used in cathedrals, or very large churches, may be glorious things fit to lift heavenward the one mind and spirit of a multitude, but, 1st--THE HYDRA OF UNTRUTH.

2nd--SECULARISM, which would give the opera, theatre, concert, and drawing-room, an undue influence in church-music, and by consequence, in the formation of the instrument for its regulation.

3rd-EMULATION, which leads one church or college to vie with another in the bigness and multitudinousness of its organ: compare Emulations," Gal. v. 20; and "The Frog and the Ox," Fable 36, James's Æsop.

66

4th-MAMMONISM, that is, the interest of some of the musical profession, and the organ-building trade, in promoting such over-bigness and multitudinousness.

5th-IDIOTISM, in ignoring the plain rules of art, by bad construction, by stowing away the organ in an organ-chamber, or any other acoustically bad position, by placing it between the choir and congregation, or divorcing in any way the organ from the voices.

6th-PRAISE-MACHINERY, that is, the substitution of the music of a machine for the voice and worship of man, including the substitution of a barrel for the skill and feeling of a player.

Against these enemies I would not propose any very aggressive measures; many of the mistakes which have been made have been wellmeant. I would chiefly contend for enlightenment, for the guidance of our future steps. In short I would propose a warfare like that of the followers of Gideon; that is, that we should hold forth in one hand the lamp of truth, and the trumpet to blow withal in the other. Let us take pains, by reading, study, and above all, by practical experience, to see how the theories of truth and piety can be best carried out in organs for village churches, &c.; and let us then, by our conversation and writings, or by our help in building or using what we see to be the right kind of organs, do what we can to impart our knowledge and information upon these points to those who have less leisure and opportunity for its acquisition.

I have the honour to be,

Your faithful and obliged servant,
JOHN BARON.

Rectory, Upton Scudamore, Wilts,

November, 1858.

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REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

1. Questions and Answers on the Collects. Two Parts, by JOHN FLINT, Office of the National Society. One Part by the Rev. H. STRETTON. Masters.

2. Questions on the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. By the Rev. T. L. CLAUGHTON. J. H. Parker.

THESE, though not going very deeply into Catholic doctrine, are all respectable Publications-if needed. And perhaps it will be said that the demand proves the want. We must be permitted however to go a little further back, and question if it is desirable to lengthen out instruction in the manner that is usually done, upon the Collects. Of course a great deal of matter may be introduced in this way into our Sunday School teaching, and children can be required to learn a multitude of texts, explanatory of this or that phrase or word. But the process strikes us as a very wearisome one, because it is forced and unnatural. For ourselves we are not advocates for making children learn much of Holy Scripture by heart; and we think that the habit of requiring the young mind to prove the Church's statements is very likely to produce a sceptical spirit. This objection also applies to such books as "The Church Catechism with Texts," published by the S. P. C. K., and “The Liturgy proved by the Bible." It is unnatural to children to doubt and to question, and they are scarcely likely to love a book which they are constantly required to turn to as a task.

On subjects which they are destined to hear controverted it is necessary that they should be armed by short dogmatic instruction; and here the use of a small number of texts is unavoidable.

Instruction on these points, and information about the Bible and the Prayer Book and the Church, is very necessary; but the Collects really do not need much explanation, and the lighter and more attractive the School is made on Sundays the better.

1. Opinion of the Bishop of Brechin on the Appeal of the Rev. P. Cheyne. Edinburgh: Lendrum.

2. Opinion of the Bishop of S. Andrew's on the Appeal of the Rev. P. Cheyne. Edinburgh: Blackwood and Sons.

HERE we have the only two "Opinions," or as we should say Judgments, that were delivered on the occasion of Mr. Cheyne's appeal to the Episcopal Synod. And certainly no two documents could well differ more in their character, as, we are informed, did their respective authors in delivering them. The Bishop of Brechin's is a most able and temperate review of the case; awarding blame where he thinks it justly due, but denying that Mr. Cheyne has exceeded the liberty allowed to a Scotch or English Priest, in speaking on the great mystery of the Eucharist. We strongly advise our readers to read and preserve the document.

Bishop Wordsworth's Opinion, on the other hand, abounds in vicious reasoning, and continual efforts ad augendam invidiam : and terminates with a finding as unjudicial in its character as it is possible to imagine.

VOL. XX.

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