New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
CURRENT RELIGIOUS OPINION

hymn either means what il says or II does
not III IL means certain thing. let It be used as
an expression of that thing, not used at ALL
There Is no difference between singing truth. and
saying that truth in the ordinary tones of the
speaking voice A spoken untruth is not Invested
OF Ito Inherent fasehOOd when 10 rs set to and
sung. however artisticaily. We have right to
say to the Lord God: " Here's my heart, on, take
and seal it, unless mean Just that. If We
sing, Thus far the Lord hath led NE on 10 should
be with a reverent and deep of Divine guild
ance OF our lives, fom youth to the present day.
We insult the Master If We exclalm,
Jesus, my cross have taken
All TO leave and follow thee"
if we have never taken I'D our crosses at all or
having done so. have no idea of leaving anything
in particular or of following Christ in any direc-
ton opposite to our own desires. The prayer
Z" Rock of Ages cleft for me,
Let NE hide myself in thee -
is prayer, not vain repetition. We need not
plates-Of the turning of revival tunes into
marches or bail-music as is sometimes done at
side hotels, or of testing use of good old church
music by rreverent cOllegans or school girls 1t Is
of the misuse imperfect use of hymns and tunes
| IN religious worship, that We speak. To many, to
most. they are reminders Of the music above, and
they among the greatest aids in the progress OF
the soul onward and upward but 20 some they are
at best parts in worship, mere episodes in
devotion. When a hymn IL read, il should be fol-
lowed with attention to the close when il is sung
il should be made so tar a. possible. part OF ones
spiritual exercises. Aspra ions or resolutions.
not utilize them,-and hymns are not always per-
feet or Scrptural,-dO not sing them. But If you
do believe them sing them as a real expression Of
yOur belief, OF, mt any rate, listen 10 them IN me
same spirit With which you listen to the minister
when he prays.-LThe Sunday-School Times.
We are often inclined to look at Germany as the
bulwark Of Professionalism in Continental Europe
and to compare her enl ghtened state with the deg
radiation of the Catholic nations; but to those
familiar with German life her Protestant.sm Is but
the symbol of religious indifference. Protestant
Germany is spiritually dead Ii one stalds 1t any
hour of the day in 4 church Of Southern Europe, he
persons continually entering, kneelin2 before
some altar and then going away with brighter coun-
tenances. They may be ignorant uneni ghtened, bat
most OF them are at least sincere The picture
in Germany Is very different; for example, 10
certain prominent university town Of perhaps
10000 Inhabitants, there are six Protestant
churches. In five OF these. service Is held every
Sunday morning; in the sixth, every other week.
IL five of these churches an audience of hundred
would be large, while many times haze seen net
more than fifty present. The other church, the
smallest of the six Is generally well hlle. but the
congregation is made up principally Of iaborers and
servant girls the arstOcracy IL not seen there. AL
together the number Of church goers In this town
given Sabbath would probably be less than
ol0ry ar. regular attendants but not than or
DER cent of tue students Yet the most of the people
in this town have been confirmed. and many time
have heard the American residents characterized
as heather, because some OF them were not church-
members. When German has been confirmed,
that il enough and be is cOntented il he attends
church once twice 10 may he thrice, in the year,
usually upon OF the fast days. : The Congrega-
tlonaIst.
The so-called progressive" school of unhelievers
not unfrequently say that pclythesm was All
advance on fetichsm and Judaism was an advance
on polytheism, and Christianity WAS an advance on
Judaism. by and By there Will come an advance on
Christianity. But what advance! We say with
confidence that any dreamers OF new religion, so
far from throwing greater light on the problem or
a future life would leave II in pagan obscurlty.
Nothing is TO he hoped for from speculations. IN
tentions or pretended disclosures of any kind. But
this doctrine which Ii one of the >tones OF
religion which lies at this foundation of obedience,
piety hope and without which the idea of religion
vaushes and life becomes sOrdid and ignot lie, has
been az certainly demonstrated as anything can
be. After Christianity. what Nothing. Scep-
ticism means not something more and better, but
nothing at all OF brighter day II gives no as
surance It's face is toward darkness and despair.
IL bauishes Christ 10 find no Saviour and no saliva
tion For the verities and hopes of the Gospel IL
gives us conjectures and fantasies, with specula-
tons about the IN knowableness Of GOD ana the
future. or drearv PHILOSOPHERS which end IN hope
less and disgusting pessmism. II IL no compliment
TO Christianity 70 SAY 10 is good but there Ii some
thing better Iflt is not as good as the best. II 49,
essentially no better than the worst. II II cannot
do for each and all the utmost that Is possible TOT
any religion then It makes little difference whether
men nre Christians OF Jews. Turks or nhdels. 10
really ends In failure and lands them in the cOncu
sion that all religions are equally good and equally
worthless.-lThe Churchrnan.
Nature never produces alcohol, and it never is
produced except arihcially. Pasteur, the greatest
authority on fermentation, defines that process 10
be life without air Apples Dy the processes 0a
into their elements, but never produce alc0hoI.
Tie luices must be confined and shut away from
the air artifcially TO obtain that result, aud the
statement made by some Temperance lecturers that
the apple-u.ce begins to produce alcohol as soon
as it is expressed is not true Apple-lulce ireeiy
exposed TO air changes RAPIDLY but does not contain
alcohol. Ii goes back 10 IT'S ultimate clements
carbon. hydrogen and oxy9en-by different road
rots, As we say but does not ierlehs 1orn r Snu
Ill. md ~
mus; be confined. shut from free oxygen and sur
rounded by carbOnic acid gas, to produce alG0hOI
Alcohol is the carbon and hydrogen eft " hen
ferment producing plant like yeast IN ITS strugSIe
Tor oxygen is compelled to decompoSe substance
like sugar to obtain 1t, leaving the carDoh' ~ ro
gen and a'portIon Of tie oxygen MI lynoall' ia d
discourse delivered before tile Glasgow science &c
tures association IN 1916 says: he act OF Ter
menfation il result Of the effort OF the little plant
Yeast or something elsrl 10 maintain ITS respiration
bv means of combined oxygen. when It's supply OF
Tree oxygen il cut oh.'-tThe Northv estern CHRIS
tian Advocate.
The old and cherished policy of England by which
she has enslaved many peoples - revealing IIseI
nov in Frvpt She IL prustitutng religion there 10
her o yn base and selfish ends. as she Knows now 10
do so effectively. 10 tins che Is only DONG agalh
what she has ways done IN every county, ia
her love of right and justice, England mas payed
the hypocrite in every land which she desired 70
enslaye The natives in the East with whlch she
has had relations eau be ar testimony TO the truth
OF the statement. When II suits bis purpose Johh
Bull can be piOus CATHOLIC, urk OF Jew ,1oNcn
centuries ago England began that sort of policy IN
Ireland Henry H., like dutlfnl son vi tne
CbnrrL was deeply greved at the ungodly lives OF
the irish and humbly asked permission to cross the
Channel and bring those Irish sinners to proper
sense of their religions duties. In this same spirit
hi, successors in English rule are panied dear sen
sltlve souls at the shameful way in which Arab
violates tue sacred precepts OF the Koran and tney
devoutly wish that the sultan would concur III lne
chastisement which they desire to inlet upon MN
for his wIckedness.-[The Catholic Union.
What mr. American travellers do IN London may
he Inferred from he following little glbe az them
Inv The outlook; Canon Farrar continues tho Gus
tom of the late Dean Stanley 70 preach Oh questions