The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-25

GA Friendly Critic having found fault
with Mr. Beecher for magnifying right living
at the expense of right thinking, while it is
certain that in the long run the religious life
of an age is shaped by its religious thought,
has led the eminent preacher to defend him.
self in the editorial columns of the Christian
Union from this criticism. While he does not
despise systems of theology. he maintains
that a godly life is the best exposition of the
thought of God, and to build men up in such
a life and to form in them such character is,
he thinks, the surest and most certain way to
deliver them from scepticism on the one hand
and from narrow and belituing conceptions
on the other The main obstacle to the prog
ress of religious truth, Mr.. Beecher believes,
is the low condition of mans moral and
spiritual nature. OF what avail, then, we
| may ask, has been all the moral and religious
teaching of the past? and how will it be ere
mankind is lifted up to higher plane OF
moral and religious truth and thought The
Union has a timely article also on Sunday
school books for boys, which condemns the
trashy literature that finds it's way into our
| Ouuuuy SCnOol IDrarleB.
| The Independent, touching ON "The Revival
Season." would like revival in summer as
well as in whitehall the year round and
every year And yet it sees in nature an
analogy to this law of periodic revivals Dur
ing scarce three months in the year the forest
sends out it's wealth of new shoots; the other
nine are given to ripening and rest. The
editor believes that there is to be this season
a more than ordinary outpouring of Gods
| spirit and revival of His work, and that there
is blessing for all who will pray and work
| for it. In the discussion of the question
| whether we should have two sermons on Sun
day or one, the Independent inclines to one and
the making more prominent of the Sabbath
school or children's service. 1t thinks that
two sermons, with Sabbath school and prayer
meetings, leave no time for the ''home
church" services. can ounce of mother is
worth pound of preacher"
The Methodist returns to the subject of
plagiarism in the Pulpit" to answer Western
correspondent, and concludes that no matter
how much man may borrow from others he
who digests his reading will not be pla-
giarist It also lets fly broadside at the
Examiner and Chronicle for its structures on a
former editorial Of the Methodist on the
decline of Baptist Exclusiveness," and gives
the names Of dozen prominent open COM
munion ministers of the Baptist Church which
the Examiner challenged it to name.
The Christian Advocate INDUCES in philo-
sophical treatise on Ecclesiastical Econ
omics," in which it enters q mild protest
against expensive Methodist church buildings
and small salaries to ministers. It thinks
that minister's expenses ought to amount to
more than an ordinary mechanic wages-for
the good of the Church and for his own and
his family's comfortable subsistence. His
salary should, therefore, be proportionally
larger. The Adyocate, in review of "Bishop
Cummins and His Schism," heartily endorses
the Reformed Episcopal Church movement
and wishes it abundant success in the name of
the Lord.
| The Evangelist devotes column and half
leader to tributes of respect to Professor Smith,
who has just resigned the chair of Systematic
Theology in Union Seminary, in this city,
and to DR.. Shedd, his elected successor. To
DR.. Smith, more than to any other one man, it
says, is due the union of the separated Presby-
terrain families Of the Old and New Schools.
The Evangelist also halls the new free church
m ovement inaugurated in the canton of Neuf-
chatel, Switzerland, and wishes it God speed.
The Baptist Weekly mildly favors ''compul-
sorry education;" thinks that "zeal for union"
is ga cause of strife" and for itself recog-
nizes larger measure of unity, as existing in
connection with ecclesiastical separations,
than many who are camorous for more.
The Christian Lsteligencer refers approvingly
to the late union communion service in
Brooklyn, in which Baptists, Presbyterians,
Congregationalists, Methodists and Reformed
Church Christians participated. 1t also under
stands (editorially) that Liberia is soon to be
put in telegraphic communication with the
rest of the world by connecting Cape Palmas
with the Brazilian submarine cable at st.
Vincent in the Cape Verd Islands. 1t
thinks line of steamers will follow this and
thus the young Republic will be brought
directly into the family of nations, and
through it, by and by, Intro-Africa is to be re-
generated and evangelical.
| The Liberal Christian is not in the least
alarmed at the unsettled state of theological
| opinion, the non-attendance of thousands Of
intelligent and unintelligent people upon
preaching aud public worship and the decline
of family prayer and domestic piety. There is
no more danger to the Church in these things
than there is to the State in the apparent lack
Of interest in our republican institutions.
The Christian Leader makes a proper dis
| tinction between 'Church union and Christian
union," favoring the latter and believing the
former limr2ssjhle, and impragtisabls were it