Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-02
In RELIGIONS REALM.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO MINIS
TIERS AND LAYMEN.
Expressions of Opinion by Newspapers
Representing the Various Denom-
nations. on Many Subjects.

the faith of his fathers and who obeys thu
two great commandments, Love to Coo
and love to man."
DIR. Storrs himself, in a letter published
in the Independent, says of the Minute"
''ln one sense it is true, as has been stated
that | wrote it, in both its parts In an,
other, and a true sense, it was not mine
the first part of it being applied to a differ
ent conclusion from what l had eontem.
plated, the last part being shaped to ex
press as carefully and distinctly as possible
the decision of others, in which decision
except as an alternative to something
more distinctly opposed TO my views, ]
could not concur"
The Adrance says: "Dr. A. T. Pierson
of Philadelphia, has lately been speaking
in Liverpool, England. He speaks of a
| remarkable movement that has broken
out among the young men in Kansas, Ne
braska and Dakota and of an enthusiasm
all over the Northwest which could only
be compared IN its intensity to prairie
| fire. and declares that there are ~ 00C
students in the colleges of the United
States preparing for the mission field 1t
may be so. No doubt it ought to be. But
we greatly fear the perfervid DR.. Pierson
has allowed his wishes to run ahead of his
facts. We have heard before of some
| thousands of students in our colleges
pledged TO foreign MISSIONS but somehow
! they do not materialize. We would be
willing to hear less about their enthusiastic
pledges if we might see more proofs of the
new enthusiasm"
The Cristian Leader UNIV SAYS: 1--WE
understood our esteemed contemporary, the
AdraRce, TO be persuaded of the moral
soundness and political sagacity of the
method employed in the Elmira Reform
atory. 1t is known as the method of the
'indeterminate sentence That is, as the
Adronee describes, the instant criminal
is entered he is not so much doomed and
damned as put on probation-the term of
his imprisonment being for himself to de-
termine in the deliberate exercise of his
own moral nature and manhood fl
elects to reform-to which he is solicited
and encouraged by the Warden and keep
ers-his sentence viii end when there is
good reason to believe the reform is ac-
cOmplished. This method works well in
Elmira. Would it not be sound and safe
method with the prisoners who go away
into 'eonion' = indeterminate = punish
ment ~
The Liping Church (P. E.) says: "a writer
in the ChlTehman suggests a selection of
the most approved hymns to be bound up
with the Prayer-Book, to the number, say,
of 200, with the liberty to use in addition,
any collection approved by the diocesan.
This would avoid the difficulties attending
large, official compilation, and secure a
great liberty in the choice OF hymns where
greater variety might be desired. With
one qualification, we are not sure but
this plan might be feasible and good. We
see no good reason TO limit the liberty of
choice to such compilations as each Bishop
may approve for his diocese. There is no
such restriction in England, and there
seems 20 be no need of 1t there or here.
American Churchmen surely are entitled
to as much liberty SIS English Churchmen,
and they ought to be able to use it as dis
creetly. We may still learn something
from the old country, but we ought not to
need to go there for an object-lesson in
liberty"
The Examine, (Bapt.) says: The most
earnest supporters 0: the Sunday-school
feel most strongly that its weak point is
the difficulty of having capable teachers.
We remember hearing an eloquent speaker
at a convention descant in glowing terms
upon the ideal perfection of Bible study
and expository preaching as seen in a Sun
day class, where scholars are
grouped about teacher and each can be
guided. Alas, the system fails
to fulfill the ideal because the ideal
teacher is lacking A pastor lately had
occasion to take class that had been
taught for years by a leading man in his
church. He found them without knowl-
edge of the simplest Bible facts. They
had never heard Of any joseph but the
husband of Mary. Their religious ideas
were generally nebulous in the extreme.
This was by no means an exceptional case.
1t could be paralleled in most Sunday
schools. The trouble is not easy to deal
with. Volunteer teachers cannot be criti-
cised and held to their work as salaried
teachers are in other schools The most
are the most self-complacent.
It is the experience ofpastors and superin-
Iendents who have carried on teachers
meetings that the teachers in greatest need |
Of training could seldom be induced to at
tend. Some Sunday specialists have
gone so far as to advocate hiring teachers |
We do not believe the problem can be |
solved in that way"
The trouble over the case of Mr.. Covell |
in the american Board" is mounting to a |
great hight. So careful and responsible
IN authority as the Clrjstian Onion says:
Since the explosion which has followed |
.he knowledge Of DR.. Alden's endeayor to |
'et aside the conciliatory policy resolved |
upon at New York, circular letter has |
1een sent out by a member of the Pru-
lential Committee to a considerable num-
,er of daily newspapers, including the
Herald, Transcript aud Aducrtiser of Boston
md the Republican and Union of Spring
ield. This letter correctly states that Dr.
Alden is not the author Of the minute
Jut, though possibly technically correct in
tating that it was written by Dr. Storrs,
loes MIN an injustice in that statement. |
The minute was made up of two state
nents drafted by DIR. Storrs at different |
lines and for different purposes, and with
10 design of combining them into one
,aper, combination which materially
nodities the significance Of each separate
portion. The real view Of DR.. Storrs, and
# at least half OF the Prudential Commit
ee, was, from first to last, in favor of COM
Mr.. Covell, and the postpone
nent was acquiesced in only because of
Iesire to seek peace, and to pursue it by
ny honorable measure of compromise
hat could be suggested. 1t is charged by
members of the Prudential Committee
hat this minute, published as adopted
" the Prudential Committee, and con-
aiming the phrase that in this present
onclusion, reached after full and candid
by all the members of the
they cordially unite was never
ruly adopted by the committee, and does
ot express their unanimous conclusion.
t is asserted that this minute wss never
ven read over in committee, though at
ifferent times the different portions Of it
-ere read, and written protest signed by
wo members of the committee has been
ut on file at the Missionary Rooms
gainst its publication as a minute adopted
' the committee"
LEAVE THEM BEHIND.