Page:The Galaxy, Volume 6.djvu/464

436 "Perfection," "Widow's Victim," singing and dancing, "The Maniac" and other recitations, addresses, tight-rope, negro minstrelsy, and the fifth act of "Richard III." The performance began early and concluded at a quarter to three, "in ample time," as the Sound steamers say, "to take the early morning trains from New York." "Richard" commenced at two, whereby Mr. Prior, who personated the crook-backed tyrant, was able to get a good comfortable night of it, and to play before breakfast in the morning. Ah! those were the good old days of the drama, when you had your full quarter's worth of entertainment and an extra hour or two thrown in; and when you were not sent packing homeward long before midnight in order to accommodate Harlem and Gowanus.

— author of the article of "The Church of the Future" sends  the following:

"In my article of July upon this subject, I stated that the Methodist Church is one 'embodying a divine and universal sentiment, and not a creed or doctrine.' 'The Methodist, one of the great organs of this body, in reviewing the article, says, 'But he (the writer) errs in supposing that the form of doctrine which Wesley held as a member of the English Church is required to be accepted only by preachers before becoming such, and not by members before becoming such'—and further, 'the Methodist Episcopal Church has a distinct creed, assent to which is required as a requisite to admission into full church connection.' Is this indeed so? Let me state my authority for making the statement which I did make; I quote from Dr. Stevens's 'Centenary of American Methodism,' p. 134. 'One circumstance,' he (Wesley) says, 'is quite peculiar to the people called Methodists; that is the terms upon which any persons may be admitted into their society. They do not impose, in order to their admission, any opinions whatever.' Dr. Stevens says, p. 137, 'Conformity to the doctrines of the Church is required by its statute law, as a functional qualification for the ministry, but church members cannot be excluded for personal opinions while their lives conform to the practical discipline of the Church.' Further, I asked plainly of a Methodist clergyman of this city—Can I, can Dr. Osgood, can a Swedenborgian join your Church without making our doctrinal opinions square with yours or Bishop Simpson's?' He replied, 'You can.' I trust this is so; for upon this point the greatness and growth of this Church must, as it seems to me, be based."