Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-07-10
LETT His principles to be carried in
earthen vessels.

lett His principles to be carried in
earthen vessels.
A FREE LITERATURE
compelled as it is to be full of learn
ing and full of reflection and full OF
beneyolence, falling all around the
temples of prayer and penetrating all
families will not lead to. atheism or
to skepticism, but it viii point out
wherein lies the true excellence of
the New Testament doctrine. For
hundreds of years the Churches main.
tanned censorship OF the books and
modified them. 1t smote the genus
OF thousand years and made it hide
away in the den of the hermit and
produce dead homilies when it should
have been pouring out song or the
eloquence of liberty, and now the
times have changed aud the books
have set up censorship of the
Church, but with this difference, the
Church SET up court Of violence and
ruled in wrath, literature has set up
court of simple thought and rules
by the power of love. The old
Church said, eco thou offender to
torments;" literature says to the
Church, "Come unto me if thou so
wilt--if not go thy way in peace. "
1t is probable that theology will yield
and approach literature.
Christianity cannot fail without
having failed in its general principles.
An army is not routed when its ad-
vanced skirmishers fall back. The
battle remains to be fought. Chris
tianity cannot be said to be imperiled
until mankind shall have tried long
its cardinal ideas as they were taught
by the Master. So far then as the
great books of the world are inviting
the Church toward broad ideas they
are
NOT INVITING TO RUIN
but toward the really fortified grounds
where there is every prospect that
for the first time the glory and hero.
ism of Gospel truth will flash forth
The influence of this literature will
not be less benefcent upon the pull
pit than upon the Church at large.
1t will perhaps affect the people
partly by affecting the pulpit. The
ocean of broad and free thought en-
veloping the sacred desk will, while
human nature remains as it is, soften
the tones of the most orthodox
clergymen, of all those who have
sensibiity of mind enough to make
them men of any information or edu-
cation. A narrow sectarian religion
must give way before centuries of
broad principles and kindly senti-
ment. Or else the public literature
must give way, and in this conflict it
is not difficult to see that the pulpit
will be the one to yield. The Scotch
preachers of the Calvinistic School
are modifying their Westminster
standards under this Influence of the
great generalization which English
and Scotch and German letters are
repeating in their ear INCREASINGLY.
Professor Patton feels that Presby
terrain parents are giving their best
sons to lucrative pursuits and that
the less gifted, less spirited, are the
ones left to drift into the ministry
that the quality of the average Pres
byterian clergyman il suffering de
cline. Observing and careful in such
estimates as DR. Patton is | believe
he has found only part of the cause
of such
A DECLINE OF CLERICAL WORTH,
for | am almost positive that should
Presbyterianism publicly announce a
simpler creed and make optional as
sent to the old views about the Old
Testament and about the DEGREES and
exact mind of God, many Presby-
terrain young men of the very high
est intellect would come forward to
carry flag with colors so rich and
new and bright. 1t would then seem
possible for these young men to COM
bine literature and Christianity,
whereas as matters have long been
in that denomination those only are
drawn into the pulpit who either
know nothing or else care nothing
for those deep principles which are
slumbering in humanity the basis of
all government and character and
civilization and hence of piety. The
sons of the high and rich Presbyte-
rians are not leaving other intellect
ual pursuits that they may amass
gold /; they are seeking schools and
professorships and editorial places
and hence if they are not entering
the ministry it must be from defects
in the intellectual quality of that
branch of life work. Let the Pres
byterian Church make its faith har-
monte with the universe and it's
blessed God, harmonic with that
One Heart that lived and died in
Bethlehem and | doubt not that in a
few years noble men will come to
lay their minds and hearts upon the
affairs of such new eloquence.
Of this we may be more sure that
the highest forms of thought issuing
from the formers of the great books
of our epoch will sound around our
churches and in the rooms of every
praying Christian and each studying
pastor until the discords of the indl-
vidual faiths shall pass away and the
Churches will all seek one piety and
one goodness and will love with a
deep affection all who love the Lord
in sincerity. One more hundred
years of free opinion sincerely and
kindly expressed will perhaps gather
the Christian multitude into one har-
mony, not into an identity of idea
but into greatness of mind and soul
that will ask nothing of mankind on.
righteousness and piety.
Discussing the cause of the depres.
sion IN English trade, the Pail Mall
Gazette remarks that the substitu.