Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-06
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
MATTERS OF INTEREST To MINIS
TIERS AND LAYMEN.
Expressions of Opinion by Newspapers
Representing the Various Denom-
nations, on Many Subjects.


Representing the Various Denom-
nations, on Many Subjects.
The Observer Pres says: There is no
possible gain for religion, or education, or
national safety and progress, in shutting
our eyes to serious difficulties and dangers.
Next to the churches, in moral and unity
ing influences, are the common schools.
This vast foreign ecclesiastical machine.
the Roman Church, is making everv pos
sible exertion and sacrifice to establish its
own schools, and to secure for their sup-
port the public moneys. If it succeeds It
will to that extent have broken down the
common school system. 1t will have de-
stroyed its influence over that part of the
population which is in special need of
being brought into harmony with Ameri
can ideas of both civil and religious lib
erty."
"Farmton" SAYS in the Adednce:. az
should be glad to see hundreds of minis
tiers apply for the degree of DID. if they
were willing to pass an examination on
the subject of divinity. But most of those
who apply would shake in their theologi-
cal boots if they were to have a paper of
good hard questions put before them. A
friend of mine, who as an editor of papers
and books has had occasion to write
thousand or more obituary notices of de-
ceased ministers, has among the list of
questions which he sends to friends for in
formation this: Offices and honors p To
this question the widow of departed
brother made this reply: I'D. applied
for / am afraid that this DID. was a
patent which was not issued"
The Christian Adrocate Meth says: :
"a Methodist minister preached on an ex-
change in Congregational church where
the player of the bass viol was Univer-
salist. As the sermon was against the
fundamental doctrines of Universalism in
the morning, in the afternooF the player
tuned his instrument one-half a note flat
and made the most horrible discord. OBJ
serving him wink at one of the members
of the choir, the preacher observed in the
course of his sermon that as one violin out
of tune could spoil the harmony of twenty
voices and of every other instrument, SO
one sinner in heaven could spoil the har-
mony of that blest abode and as the HARM
less instrument played by malignant
spirit could produce such discord on earth,
so it would be necessary to cast out of the
heavenly kingdom everything that Of
Tended"
In its review of Paulsen's '.System der
Ethik," the Andorer Reriep says: "Paul-
sens exposition of Christian ethics is the
most brilliant portion of his work, but at
the same time the most paradcxical and
one-sided. If the New Testament ethics
appear to differ in toto from the Greek
ethics, it is because the emphasis was nee
essarily differently placed, owing to his
torical and local causes, and not because
the fundamental ideas of the Greek ethics
are opposed to Christianity when rightly
interpreted. This brilliant chapter will
be of service if it helps to a wider appre-
citation of the fact that the church has
over-emphasized certain virtues to the
neglect of others; for example, altruism as
against true regard for self-interest, sup-
preston of natural instincts as against
their healthful exercise, correctness of be-
lief as against beauty of life, etc. But it
should never be forgotten that the So
called New Testament virtues are the op-
posites of vices to which human nature is
peculiarly prone"
The Christian L1telligeacer (Reformed)
says: "The Interior calls attention to the
fact that the Committee on Revision ap-
pointed by the General Assembly is mostly
composed of theological professors. 1t
argues that this means a scientific rather
than Scriptural revision-a philosophi-
cal rather than an evangelical gospel 1t
is certain that the majority vote for revis-
ion came from the pastors and the people
rather than from the seminaries, and that
in the constitution of the committee more
than a proportionate weight has been
given to the opinion of the schools, and to
the opposition which centcred so largely
In them. 1t was doubtless done in the in
terest of harmony, and insures that the
revision, If 1t comes at all, will be on con-
servative lines. Yet we cannot but SYM
pathize with the just dislike of the editor
to a condition in which the editors and
the theological professors assume to run
the Presbyterian Church, Our system,
which does not allow theological pro-
fessor to be even member of a synod, is
however 1--WE think on the other, even if
it be the less Objectionable, extreme"
OF pastoral visitation the Central West
(Pres.) says: "There is your old-fashioned
pastor. for example. He brushes his hair
up over the bald crown of his honored
forehead, puts a Bible under his arm and
starts out to see his people. Without
using the phrase in its slangy sense. we
may very fttingly say that every visit he
makes is holy terror. 1t is terror be-
cause it is SO holy. Even the old folks
dread 1t, and what shall we say of the
children? The older boys take precipi-
lately to the barn. The hired men have
sudden business in the EXTREMIST corner of
the farthest field on the farm. The little
children have to take it because they have
not as yet learned the approved method of
escape. And the minister, good man, is
quite content with having the wife and
little folks present-with the husband. if
he be in proper subjection to his wife and
the powers that be, as the rare exception.
We remember to have been present at one
such pastoral visitation. We assisted in
the laudable task of dragging one small
boy from under the bed and another from
behind the closet, in order that they might
have divine Instruction. 1t is instruc-
tlon, but there was nothing divine about
1T. 1t had neither the sweetness of the
divine sunshine, nor the gentleness of the
divine summer rains, nor the smiling per-
suasiveness of the divine whisper of the
Holy Spirit in the heart. 1t was a rub
bing-in process, and naturally produced
some little friction
The following frank utterances of the
Christian Leader UNIV has its applica-
ton to secular as well as to religious jour
nallsm: ''How sincerely and how heartily
should we rejoice in an ideal paper, ranking
with the highest in literary quality, and
comprehensive of the current vital inter-
ests-literary, social, industrial, theo-
logical-the interest of the Universalist
Church dominant though not exclusive.
Again the ugly fact confounds us. The
humber brethren will-they must-haye
a chance. The situation in the Univer-
salist denomination IS this: OF course,
with many exceptions, the number of
which grows greater every year, Univer-
salists are neither the rich nor the poor;
neither the educated nor the illiterate;
neither literary coterle nor an unread