THE INHERENT DIFFICULTIES OF 'VOLUNTARYISM.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sia,—As between the methods of Churchmen and Non- conformists in the appointment of their ministers, there is not much to choose. There are " motes " and " beams " in all our eyes. The practical test and the theoretical test are not always the same. After reading your article on " The Inherent Difficulties of Voluntaryism," I was reminded of a story told me twelve or thirteen years ago by Mr. Baldwin Brown. I think he told the story of himself, but I am not quite certain at this distance of time. It was to the effect that he was introducing a brother minister with the words, "Let me introduce to you my friend, Mr. —, the Independent minister of —," when he was pulled up sharp by the minister, who said,—" Pardon me, Mr. Brown, the minister of the Inde- pendent congregation."
I think it was on the same occasion that he read me a letter he had just received from Mr. Page Roberts. It appeared that Mr. Roberts had sent him a copy of a book he had recently published, and with it a letter expressing regret that a man like Mr. Baldwin Brown, who had so much in common with Churchmen, was not altogether a Churchman. Mr. Brown had replied to this that he did not see his way clear to join a creed-bound and Act-of-Parliament-bound Church. Mr. Roberts's answer was contained in the letter he read to me, and it was, as well as I can remember, that a creed-bound. Church was better than a deed-bound Church ; and that it was better to be Act-of-Parliament-bound than elder-bound. 'and member-bound. Mr. Baldwin Brown said the retort was fair, though it happened not to apply to him nor to all his brethren in the ministry. He confessed that in many cases the ministers of Nonconformist churches set at naught the deeds under which the churches were built, and also—as the writer of your article states—that the power of elders and members was often so great that they -practically regulated the teaching from the pulpit.—I am, Sir, &c., M. A.
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