Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-29
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO MINIS
TIERS AND LAYMEN.
Expressions of Opinion by Newspapers
Representing the Various Denom-
nations, on Many Subjects.

prayer, Whlch Is set forth in the letter,
entities st. Joseph "Most Proyidenf
Guardian of the Divine Family. the elect
race of Jesus Christ" "most loving Faith
er," and "our strongest support"
The Christian AdUocate Meth s,vs
1T is the boast of Trinity Church, in this
city, that Its doors have not been closed in
twenty years; even during the blizzard of
1888 the doors of this historic church were
OPEN 1t is a proud boast, and puts to
shame the Methodist churches that have
been closed in this city during the summer
all the Sabbaths of all the weeks from a
twelfth to sixth of the year We do not
refer to those closed for necessary repairs,p
OF President Harrison's dismissal of Mr..
Straus from his post of Minister to Turkey.
IN spite of the protests of the missionaries
the Boston Herald says. an this the
President is no worse than other religious
men In politics. 1t may be that religion
ought to be stronger in its power over the
human mind than in politics, but it is none
the less true that it seldom is. There are
many ministers, many elders and many
deconS who are also earnest and active
politicians. We do not question that they
are sincere men in both relations but with
the great majority of them, when religion
and politics come into conflict in their
minds, religion goes to the wall"
The Dominion Ch,Tchnlan saws: "The
Sisters of the Presentation, St. Cesare, p
@, have issued a lottery circular. which
reads: D" Dear Sir: To assist in carving
out our work of St. Joseph, and thus ar
rive at the completion of the sanctuary
erected IN honor of this great saint, we
have undertaken to dispose by lottery of
two gold watches. Seven masses in honor
of st. Joseph will be celebrated for the
benefit Of all persons taking one or more
chances on the watches. The first number
drawn from the lottery-box will receive a
gold watch worth $40, the second also a
gold watch worth S25. Furthermore, per-
sons filling, in whole or in part, the ac-
companying list with names will receive
| from us an object of piety. The fee is 50
cents"
The american Hebrelc says: "There
must be substantial correctness of religious
opinion prevalent among prominent Chris
| tian diyines and scholars Just at present, if
the heresy- hunters can find no worse cul-
prit than DR.. w. +. Harper of Yale. 1t
| would be difficult to mention the name of
| any American scholar in the present
generation, or since Moses Stuart, who has
done more than DIR. Harper to awaken a
widespread interest in the study of the
Hebrew language, or to foster and direct
an intelligent and devout study of the Old
Testament. The profitable study of the
Bible involves criticism. The only phase
of criticism which is inconsistent with the
vocation OF religious teacher is that
method Of the Higher Criticism which
starts from the theory that there can be
and Is no inspiration, prophecy, or super
natural phenomena. With this method
DIR. Harper has never evinced any SYM
pathy, and has, in fact, in set terms dis
ayowed and repudiated it."
The darkest creed in all our world is
that of the man who says he will never
believe what he cannot prove. Suppose a
child were to start out with this theory,
refusing to love his parents, as his parents,
until he could prove that they were his
parents Suppose man of any age were
to live up to this theory, refusing to accept
any truth on the authority of those better
| informed than himself! What life that
would be, that was limited by the bounda-
ries of mathematical demonstration After
all, the heart is better guide than the
head in matters of the heart; and the
proofs which satisfy the heart are to be
preferred in this sphere to the proofs
which appeal to the head. An English
writer has said: a hundred can live by
their faith to one who can examine it.n
| And again; In ancient times there might
be many martyrs; but there could not be
many apologists; so in the present day
many men can live by their religion, but
few can prove it." In one sense faith is
better than proofs; in another sense, faith
is the surest of proofS.-Sunday School
Times
OF Archdeacon Farrar's recent speech in
favor of brotherhoods, the Bishop of Ches-
ter (Dr. Jayne) says; "About the proposed
scheme for working our poor parishes upon
the principle of community life, would
venture to say: ~. That the project
seems to me to be quite reasonable and
worthy to be tried. In common with very
many who have had parochial experience
in town and country, | am convinced
that the subdivision of parishes has
been carried ont much too far, and that
the method of working from strong centers
is on many grounds, satisfactory and fruit
ful. The experiment of community life
at such centers has obviously much to say
for itself on economical, sympathetic,
disciplinary and enthusiastic grounds.
But (2) | venture to think that the sue
cess of this, as of other movements, will,
humanity speaking, depend very largely
upon its being undertaken modestly,
quietly, in the spirit of loyalty and pro-
portion, and without the sounding of
trumpets. If it becomes much-talked-of
and much written-about movement, and
its pioneers allow themselves to imagine
that they are going to work wonders and
be the elite of the Church of England,
the virtue will go out of it. In all church
work, modesty is the best policy"
The Examiner (Bapt) says: "a layman
writes to say that he hopes, before the dis
cussion of ministerial titles is dropped,
some one will turn his attention to Rev
erend,; as clerical prefix or title. i can
see,' he says, "a reason for the D. D.. pro-
vided it tells the truth as to the man and
he got it honestly, but as to the "Rev." l
am in darkness The request seems to us
to be pertinent If our Lord meant to
prohibit for all time the use by his follow
ers of any distinctive title or appellation,
in such commands as BE not We called
rabbi the conscientious scruples of some
ministers seem to US greatly misplaced.
The real objection, to our mind, is not to
scholastic degree given to but few and by
reason of certain supposed attainments of
scholarship, but to title given to every
minister as such. There are many laymen
quite as reverend i. e., to be reverenced
or respected, as any minister, but to the
latter alone is the title Rev applied.
VIII some good brother, whose conscience
is attended by the ID. d. explain how he
can tolerate his Rev" To us it looks
likestraining at the gnat and swallowing the
camel, but We would not judge harshly
men for whose characters we have the
greatest respect. Only, we would like to
know what are the reasons by which they
Justify to themselves an Interpretation of
Scripture that to US seems unreasonable
and inconsistent"
The Watchman (Bapt.1 says: a'The
Beery and Brave would be pleasant
ALTERATION of our veteran soldiery. But
dispatch from Milwaukee during the G.
A. r. meeting in that city reported: 'All
day crowd of old soldiers and their
families has been filing through the Pabst
Prauary nj tho ratio nf n ahout forfv rarco,,,