The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-17
RclIwious DrIrt and DIseussIon.

spreading poverty and ruin in the South"
Religious Drift and Discussion.
The Rev. Mr.. Thompson, pastor Of the
Disciples Church, Centre Wheeling, is de.
voting himself to the work Of raising money
to pay Off the debt Of the church. The
amount to be raised is about 5000.
Present appearances indicate that the
Presbyterians of Washington county will
have u big day on the 10th. at their Cen.
tennial celebration at Upper Buffalo
Church-one Of the pioneer churches Of
the denomination in the Ohio valley.
How they provide for the vacation sup.
ply Of English parish pulpits may be seen
from these advertisements in London
paper:
L2Cum teuens wanted, Immediately, 10 take charge
for three months ~ ANAL country parish near
lIleeater aud within al hour Of OxiOnl. Views mod
crate high church, g per week aud furnished Odg-
lngH suitable for bachelor Address with references
HSV. J. II. Thresher, liucknell, BIcester, Oxen.
L. April p u June g. Musical. Unmarried
Fine church with good ritual, Two and half hours
from london. Remuneration Els lSI.-Rect0r
"GnanllAn'' Office 8 Bnrleigh street, Strand, VIC.
Presbyterian rigor seems to be relaxing
from year to year in the land Of the this
tie a committee reported to the recent
synod at Edinburgh, in the form OF de-
cIaratory act, important notifications of
the rigid creed OF the fathers. It's general
effect is to allow the members OF the
church considerable latitude Of opinion on
such doctrines US election, human deprav-
ity, the salvation Of infants and OF the
heather, and OF the Mosaic account OF
creation. On each point the act restates
explicitly the old Calvanistic view to be
the faith OF the church, and then adds
that this view is to be held as not incon.
sistent with another view, which is some.
times widely different and some
times contradictory. The small mer-
Cies thus conceded to advancing
or advanced opinion have been gratefully
accepted so far; but the concessions made
rather the fact that any concession has
been made-have filed the older diyines
with alarm and even dismay. In one re.
spect the leclaratory act failed to satisfy
those who were chiefly instrumental in
obtaining it. Rev. David NIacrae com.
planned loudly and earnestly that no lib
Grty OF opinion was allowed in 1t on the
doctrine OF eternal punishment; and in so
dong he expressed his own adherence OF
tho views on that subject expressed in the
confession, which, he considered, were in.
consistent with the character OF God as
"a just and merciful God and heavenly
Father" and characterized the punish.
ment "Ot 80 or 100 years OF sinful life
with ten thousand million years OF excru.
ciating agony" as in fact and in brief "a
monstrous injustice" such as God could
not be capable OF. For uttering these SEN
timents in the Synod, Mr.. 6Iacrae was
then and there committed for heresy. A
committee was ppointed to deal with him
and his faith, and it reported to subse.
qnent diet that he was utterly unsound
and that he ought to be suspended from
the ministry forthwith. The Synod, how
ever, was not prepared 10 lynch Mr.. Ma
craze quite 30 hastily. 1t was seen that he
had the sympathy Of large section Of the
laity, and that to make him a MARTYR
would be TO SOW the seed OF future heresy.
1t was, therefore, resolved TO remit the
whole case to a special commission with
presbyterial powers.
Yet another Scotch heresy case is that
ola young Prof. Robertson Smith, author
fan orthodox questionable paper in the
English Encyclopedia. DR.. Davidson,
professor Of Hebrew at Edinburgh, has
complicated matters by writing letter in
defense of his heretical brother professor.
What he says in Prof. Smiths interest is
substantially this: that tho line taken BY
the Encyclopedia is the line which is be-
ing certainly taken by modern criticism.
that, talk us we like, the tide will over.
whelm us, and that under these circum.
stances 1t is folly to contend against IT,
"Such despairing cry" writes a conser.
vative correspondent OF the Observer, sis
enough to create panic, and DR.. David
son has been asked rather pointedly II he
has ever done anything to save the Penta-
tcuCh from shipwreck,"
A New York Episcopal bishop anony-
mously advertised a few weeks ago for five
young clergymen to perform missionary
service in his diocese on certain self-deny.
ing conditions. They would receive their
board and $3.50 year for clothing and
other conveniences, They must be well
educated, sound in mind and body, users
Of no artificial stimulants or narcotics,
men of good practical sense-and the
possession OF these qualifications must be
sufficiently certified to. The bishops
meager otter drew forth ridicule and sharp
criticisms from various quarters, and Il was
called either an atIront or a joke upon the
ministry. Whereupon the bishop reveals
himself to be Dr. Huntington, ofthe cen.
tral Now York diocese, and he
deals out little wholesome sarcasm at
the expense OF his critics. He remarks,
in the first place, that he does not
create the conditions that he named nor
even express his sympathy with them, nor
propose to ask or urge any man to comply
with them; he only mentions them as OK.
listing and unavoidable. Speaking OF him.
selfin the third person lie continues, "His
gross sin is that he imagines that out Of
hundreds who have foresworn the world
for the Kingdom OF heaven. and who
preach sermons, and sing hymns about
cross.bearers and marching soldiers and
suffering sainthood and the glorfes Of self.
pronunciation, there may possibly be FIVE.
only FIVE, who would not count a very
abstemious ministry in oneof our middle
state intolerable, or the offer oil Il either