Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-01
RELIGIOUS NOTES.

The London Spectator says: )" The Bishop
of Manchester is unfair to the Ritualists.
He not only permitted the prosecution, and
therefore brought about the subsequent
imprisonment of Mr.. Green, for the use OF
ceremonial to which not even three OF
Mr. Green's parishioners could be found to
object, but he repeatedly tells us that he
is almost losing patience and hope at the
continuance of this idle controversy about
matters of ritual. A man who knows the
world as well as DR.. Fraser. ought to know
that human nature, being what it is, the
heat given out in contests concerning trivi.
alities on the fringe of great subject is a
sign OF genuine earnestness thrown into
that subject, and not of indifference"
Apropos of Sunday observance in the
vacation season, well known divine has
lately written "The summer is perfect
saturnalia, and people drop into very low
ebb of living. They spend their Sundays
at the beach or in the mountains. 1t is
wicked to fish in the pond, but not wicked
to loaf at tavern all day long with no
thought of worship from morning till
night. The thought of conservation is very
far from these minds, but the superstition
which palters with holiness by the wretched
formality of leaving one innocent recrea-
ton unused and tabooing it even for the
most devout, while allowing and using
others more absorbing, is a curious and OBJ
stinate frame of opinion and practice"
In spirit the following remarks of the
american Hebrew may apply to the cases
of many Christian congregations ''While
the having of a choir may be an open ques-
ton, and the taking advantage of the
female voices of the choir may or may not
be considered an advantage, there is moth
ing but reprobation for that sacrilegious
dawdling with things divine which congre-
cations indulge in when they permit choris-
tiers of alien faith to voice their prayer and
praise. If there must be vocal gymnastics
in the synagogue service, let them be per-
formed by Jewish voices, inspired by
hearts that are touched, and souls that are
responsive to the words of prayer, hal
lowed by so many tender memories which
only appeal with true significance to jew
ish feelings"
The Anglo-Catholic says Unless the
Puritans were the basest hypocrites their
shades could not look upon this land with.
out shudder. They believed most thor.
oughly in the religious education of the
young But their descendants do not fol.
low In their footsteps. The Puritans taught
religion their sons cry Down with dog.
ma, and even prohibit Bible reading in the
schools, or make it worthless and dan
gerous exercise by the manner in which it
is read. The Church of Rome has always
opposed these goddess schools Good
churchmen have taken the same position,
conventions have passed resolutions in
favor of church schools and even such a
Romophobist as Bishop Coke has pro-
nounced in favor OF instructing our own
children. The Presbyterians and the bet
ter class of Methodists are at last opening
their eyes to the danger of further neglect
ing what was formerly considered the most
essential teaching. We believe that our
system of morality is better than that of
any Protestant body. 1t is our duty,
therefore, to start schools which shall teach
our own children so that not one of them
shall be lost, and educate children of others
who might otherwise oppose us. If every
parish had its school, it would not be
twenty five years before we should have
more communicates than any other reE-
gious body"
GA Landlord and Farmer" writes to
the London Times as follows on the subject
of Sunday harvesting: MANY country
congregations who last Sunday, on their
way to church, passed acres of cut corn,
which through the last three weeks of bad
weather has been ready for carrying, must
have thought of the second lesson they
would hear read in their churches, and
have wondered why the saying of Jesus,
the Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath was not applicable
to the present time. As the precious hours
OF sunshine-sunshine for which the Arch
bishop had ordered prayer to be offered
up in all congregations-passed by, how
many in the congregations must have
thought of the proverb, God helps
those who help themselves and
have longed for words of encourage
ment from their clergy, bidding them
gather in the harvest while it could yet be
saved. No such words of practical relig-
ion came, fear, from any pulpit in the
country and the rain, which recommended
on Monday, has injured and destroyed
thousands of quarters of corn which for
the bitter observance of the Sabbath might
have been saved. During the present season
could the fine Sundays that have come be.
tween days of rain have been utilized, a
large portion of our crops would have been
saved, and the harvest thanksgiving,
which have become general institution in
the Church, would have more of genuine.
ness ia them than they can have had Of
years. If you, sir, will use your powerful
influence in teaching that it is no more a
sin to save the hay and corn crops
from needless destruction on Sunday
than to lift an ass or an OK from pit they
may have fallen into, you will confer a
material and moral benefit on this country"