The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-26
EDITORIAL BRIEFS.
BY REV. I. M, ATWOOD, D, D,
Canton, N. Y.

this good thing But not all fault find
ing rises to the dignity Of criticism. A
critic is one who is capable OF Judging
of the qualities and accomplishments of
his fellows and whose aim is, by pointing
out deficiencies, to help them to a better
attainment. Too much i'll nature and
envy, not to say malice, goes to the pro
duction of some critical opinions. There
should be hight always in a criticism;
but if there be sweetness also it detracts
nothing from the light.
Several correspondents have under
taken to explain the precise way in which
the Rev. G. III. Spurgeon got back into
the Baptist Union; but it is yet some
thing of mystery From the explsna-
! tions, it does not seem that Mr. Spurgeon
has retracted anything; it is equally clear
that the Baptist Union has "mgde no
concession But three thousand Bsp-
tist ministers stood up and sang their re-
| ioicing that the impetuous prodigal had
returned. We rejoice with them. They
could not afford to lose Spurgeon: Spur
geon could not afford to be lost. The
reunion is altogether the best part of
the Union. Albeit, the Pickwick Club is
many times increased since the day of Mr.
Tupman.
An incidental effect of the modern
tendency to specialization in teaching.
both in preparatory schools and in col
lege, is loss of both the opportunity and
the power to take comprehensive views.
So much time spent on mastering, to the
last minutia, the details of subject,
and the habit acquired of microscopic in
spection, leave the student, even at the
end of long course of study, with pretty
muoh everything yet to learn. While
generalization as a steady intellectual
diet, tends to make the mind superficial
too constant attention to specialities cir
cumscribes its vision, and reduces it to a
decimal.
Efforts to be eloquent are failures
uniformly. Eloquence is not msnutsct-
ured article; it is spontaneous. If
speaker tries to be clear, accurate forci-
Bile; and if he has something to say and
is earnest in saying it, then he will be
likely to be eloquent, if there is any elo-
quence in him. If there is not no art
4 h or effort can put il in him. Rules; yiril4;-
practice are OF value, not in producing elo
euenoe, bat in helping the speaker to at.
tain whatever end he has in speaking. In
cidently to gaining his end he will "wax
eloquent" if the divine fire is in him. Elo-
quence like goodness cannot be direct
ly sought.
We should like somebody who is
member of The Society Of Science, Let
ters and the Art of Lon ion" to tell us
what good he gets out OF it. Henry Val
entine Gould, Bart, is president of this
comprehen sive organization. The baro-
net manifests in many ways a praisewor-
thy zeal to extend as far as possible the
shere OF the Society's operations" This
is done by the simple process OF getting
new members. Now the society is lib
eral il the matter Of nav members.
Either men or women, at home or abroad,
are eligible. The fee, however, is imper-
ative, so are the dues; and both are large
enough to support the dignity of bsro-
nisl institution Who knows what are
"the advantages" of membership in the
s. S. L. A OF L?
So small a heresy as holding, specu-
lstiyely, the possibility of second pro-
baton for such heather as did not have
kno Wedge Of Christ in the present life, is
resented with unyielding wrath by ma
jority in every "Evangelcal' sect. The
rancor and rage with which these
churches formerly regarded Universal.
ism, and with which some Of the weaker
brethren still honor it, is transferred in
petty much all its bulk and baseness to
the new enemy in their own camps.
Why this particular heresy excites so
much temper we are entirely at loss to
discover 1t is the most benevolent and
reasonable OF the whole family OF here
sizes; ana on the principles Of equity
should be visited with tewest stripes.
In the Netc Englauder DE- W. W.
Patton quotes from the letter of al Epis-
copal missionary in Japan, testimony
quite in the strain Of that we lately print
ed from Young japanese Christian in
this country. The missionary SAYS: "Ona
of the things that most Of all pains and
tOrments these Japanese is, that we
teach them the prison Of hell is irre yoca.
bly, shut. III They grieve over the fate
OF their departed childrcI, parents and
relatives, and often show their grief bv
tears. ~ They often ask il God cannot
take their father out of hell, etc, etc.
Again and again l and my brother mis-
sioueries were questioned by people
about their dead pare ats and fore "a hers
who had not heard the gospel They do
not cease to grieye, and 1 can hardly re
strain my tears at seeing men So dear to
ny heart suffer such iu .en5e pain Here
Is "A plctare ot what must be the unhappy
/ frame of all heather who come TO accept
/ Orthodox Christianity. But Dr. With
/ row and his pgrtisRu5 would have these
missionaries dry their tears, turn a deaf
ear 10 al inquiries about the fate of
dead hestheus." and bend their strength
to saving bout one in hundred thou