St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-26
SUNDAY CHATTER.

The Presbyterian assembly in New York
is touching with reluctance the proposition
to elm mate the almost disused dogma of
predestination and will avoid, probably, any
decisive action. Dr. HOWARD CROSBY, who
ranks with the most learned and progressive,
says that this part of the confession of faith
is disbelieved by the great majority of the
preachers They take it as ladies DO the
word obey in the marriage ceremony, with
large reservations. DR.. CROSBY doesn't be-
lieve 1t, and thinks it should be rooted out.
The lay members are not required to take it,
but it stands in their creed as part of their
faith, and is an element of obstruction and
Inconsistency. The ministers should afford
no ground for impeachment of sincerity.
Those outside spiritual folds are always ready
to find room for carping, and they are af
forded agood deal of this when the divinely
appointed profess in words what they concede
to be untrue. This may have something to
do with the problem considered in the as
sembly, how to keep up the supply of preach
ers. There is in that denomination great
and growing shortage in this respect.
ttt
The dispatches in Saturdays papers re-
port the death of LAURA BRIDGMAN at her
residence in d Boston asylum. She lived
nearly sixty years, deaf, dumb and blind,
losing the expression of these faculties in IN
fancy. Many years ago she attracted much
attention in the East by the almost phen6m-
enaf exhibitions Of culture and intelligence
she was able to give. DICKENS, in his
american Notes. gives an interesting dc
count of a visit to her. She frequently gave
public exhibitions of her powers that were
astonishing. Among the most durable i'm
pressions of early life were those connected
with this interesting lady on her visits to her
home in the Granite State. She was then in
the early maturity Of life, lady with Il face
of unsurpassed sweetness and loveliness,
the soul of tenderness and pathos stamped
upon her features. She went about the
house so freely that it would hardly be OBJ
served that she was sightless. She codld
write well, and was accomplished in several
lines of female culture. She seemed con
scious of the life about her, and apparently
understood the thoughts of others BY
personal touch. Probably she had the
faculty of mind reading, as it is termed Of
late.
The modern tendencies are to make relfg-
ion easy and pleasant and smooth out the as
perities and uncomfortable features The
olden times, and the memories Of some still
living recall chilly sensation or two. There
were no stoves in churches, and little In the
way of music. There was nothing about pew
architecture or equipment to invite repose
and placidity. The proclamations of the
pulpit were mainly of similar character. Re-
ligion seemed to have for its main purpose
to make people uncomfortable in mind and
BODY in this world and full of anticipation of
a continuance i'll the future. There Is not
much of that sort in the recent times. Relig-
ion has not changed. Its verities are immu
table. The principles enunciated 1, 800 years
ago are the same that the world needs now,
as it did then. There has been a great: deal
of unfolding of their purport and signifi-