New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
THE PARSONS STUDY.
GIIMpSES AND CHANCES AT THINGS kh-
LIGIOUS

|
LIGIOUS
| n.,sr. pot.er of Hobart College, Geneva, ~ T.,
:. often ,een in this city As the advocate and chlci
| ..or ~ the new movement to Consolidate and ad-
| vapce the educational interests OF the Episcopa'
| Church he Is likely to be even more woeiy ho"
than he is now. il must be nearly twenty-five '"''
,nce DR. Potter first began his ministry In the Leht
Valley, though he doesn't LOOK H. Incre are po IN
who st,II remember the evangelical fervor OF the ta'
| a. licking vouue man In those days. He gave up
| 81, rort ~ become a chaplain in the Civil War Bu'
secretary Stanton thought him too delicate for the ar
duous life OF q soldier. and refused TO appoint nm
| soon after he showed his heroism by swimming ou'
| from Fire Island and saving rieno rom dioNnn'
Dur,ng these earlier years of hds ministry nc turhe'
h and harms TO account In his evangelistc work. anu
churches in many places where before there
had been no religious services. When Lehgh UNI
versitv WAS organized he was made the hrst seerea'
NJ +he hoard of trustees, and afterward became Po
sessor of moral philosophy, metaphysics ana Ohii'
t,an evidences Then he became associate rector VI
G. pauI,s Church, Troy, leaving that place 70 pe
e nres,dent ofnion College, and during his term Oh
ofqoe he raised large of money for that nst'u
tion He left Union to become president OF hopa'V
College since which time he has declined the presoe
Of two colleges and bishoprc. This is record ,iia'
torciblv illustrates the proverbal Potter luck out
after all that phrase Is only another way OF uesooe
the Potter ability
The paptists who believe In the pre-mllennial com
ing of Christ have been meeting In Brooklyn 10 'n
over the situation. fear that the millennium Is no.
q very live topic to-day. We are as little interes'ea
in the future as In the past. The present. anu
its concerns are all In all to u.s. IL the sceal'is''
cond tell rs anything certain about the end on the
world we might pause and listen But when a man
fries to prove to that the thing is all hglireu o
in the Apocalypse we don't even ,ninh
worth while to answer him. 1t Is nara
hocv eve
have been interested in questions Of speculative 'no
,o- and vet they WERE Blase clubmen in lexan-
dria would discuss the double procession OF the hoy
Ghost or the Fiogue with the same eager heS' VIVA
which clubmen to-day discuss RECIPROCITY anu ~
the Middle Ages groups Of men In tine marHcop'',
would argue about the end OF the worid' IusC as ono
mentlv as modern politician will argue In aVor VI ms
party Now few good, earnest men discuss u'o 0a"o
question and even the Christian churches don't caro-
-, ,,,h,t thor cay II they were TO announce the
opd If the world for next week. not the most pous
christian outside their little company would give 'he
matter a second thought.
The great Methodist missionary gathering IN Boston
is too important to be discussed in paragraph bu'
- 90 t,ro tbouchts occur TO me- First, the magni-
,rao NJ IFS operations II is to distribute million
and a ouarter of dollars this coming year Tor Worh III
every part of the globe. Merely from business pm
Of view therefore, this is a very imporIah, oou'
welding tremendous power. directed whohy u si0d
and noble objects Secondly the splendid success Oh
Notbodism forces upon attention the fact ula' Ito
leaders have been, and are. great men, not Always
ho ,,re in lines of scholarship or literature buo az
nreachers church builders, organizers ana mlssonaeS
It's peope have plenty Of vital pety ana sluuS i'''
no denomination perhaps. succeeds IN getting o'oso'
IN the shirt Of Christ. But 1t doesn't rely Wholly o
pety and faith for its success IL JOINS WIN ''e",
hnsress sacactv forethought. executive ability and
in fact II
eccesefI career in business II is for the shouer
o., oe himself heard in the Methodist Church but, II
be is sbouter and nothing else, It Is pretty SAFE U
say that he will reach position where he VIII
have any voice in shaping the policy OF the church
7 don't like the idea of formally christening
q new vessel with a bottle of champagne Because
., 4 q waste of good champagne7 Well, on that
noint there might be something to say But nave
other objections to the practice. In the frst place.
Il Is bit of oldtme foOlery that Is out OF place III
this Industrial practical age. 1t is entirely out OF
harmony with modern business methods, and no good
end is served by perpetuating It, In the second
Mace IL is sacreligious In the name OF Neptune
cbristen thee, is / believe, the formula generally
used Now in the first place the introduction OF
Neptune reduces the to the level OF opera
bouffe. II is though we should pretend 10 take
seriously nursery tale. We all Know
that NEPTUNE is a myth. and we are ex-
Next the use of the word christen in such a con-
ncction is an insult to one of the most solemn rites
of the Christian Church. To "cIristen' Is 10 make
Christian and the word is therefore grotesquey ou'
of place in naming vessel Why not drop tne Wno,e
busness and have the secretary of the Navy Issue
an Official order giving a vessel its name? certainly
that would be in keeping with the spirit OF the
age
Certain Episcopalians hold jug-handed idea Of
Christian unity This came ont in some speeches III
the Church Congress. In them 1t was urged , Una,
rescue work can only be done by the Churcr
Observes The Examiner in view Of the actual &C
complishmeut of that Church. without wish To
Of some parishes trinity and Grace in this city viii
at once suggest themselves TO those who are well
nformed-we have hesitation IN saying that no re-
ious body OF It's size and does less in rescue
than the Episcopal Church 1t Is al. distinctly cn rd
fashionable. and most Of It's members, both lay ana
cleric, wish it to remain such such at least IS our
idea of external and organic unity 1t Is an rrdeseent
dream, ecclesiastical wilo',the wisp The only l,
belief and poy That attempts at this Find Of unity
have failed in some cases, Is no argument against
either their value or their practicabty.'
The last revision OF the English PrayerBook was
made in 1861. And manuscrlpt copy OF the oooE
as revised made and annexed to the Act Oh
Unformity The two precious documents were de-
posted il he ae9t & s5n nfaT t the sc cnaP aso
some alleged inaccuracies in the ordinary edition OF
Official manuscript copy d the book, but il could no.
where be found. In 1867, however, Dean Stanley
found IT, to the great Joy OF all churchmen. As no
Duplicate exists, and to guard against similar dis;
appearance in the future IL has been determined
10 reproduce the manuscript by photography, and The
Queens printers have successfully Photographed the
ga pages Of the manuscript. 4 limited edition OF
75O copies will be issued which viii be sold
at two gIineas a copy. Those who are fortunate
enough to get a copy may consider themselves very
lucky as the book will undoubtedly be worth its
weight in gold in few years.
THEY COULDN'T SEE THE JOKE
rrorp Tho pnIadelnhia Press