Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-19
NUMBER 26.

churches TO agents, who have no direct re-
sponslbllity to the churches, for distribu-
ton. On the contrary there is every rea-
son both in the nature Of things and in
the practice OF other congregational bodies
why the churches should administer their
own beneyolences. He closes his paper
with these words: "We affirm our belief
that the change indicated in the mani
nous vote OF the National Council is in
evitable. Benevolent and mission work
belongs to churches as such. Ii is n com
mon work, 10 be managed by representa-
tives Voluntary and close eornorations
make individuals, and not churches. the
units and organs of power, and are repug-
nant therefore 10 the constitutive princi-
pie of our policy. Other abnormal things
have been or are being put away as this
principle asserts Its controlling power.
Our societies will be put away, or remod-
eled after those of other COngregationalists.
This is sure to come. Delay may be occa-
stoned by opposition, but the more quietly
and quickly the true adjustment is made.
the better. The General Association of
Connecticut, in 1859, declared that what
effects all ought to be managed by all.'
Our churches are independent. They
have power to manage all the individual
affairs without dictatlon or hndrance from
any They have power also to manage
all their common affairs through repre-
sentation. 1t is their business TO evaugel-
ize the world. They can do it through
agents chosen by themselves. There is no
Prss5y;erianism in shis, no dsuGer to lib
erty, for il has been tested for century.
4 speedy and complete adjustment of our
| 70 Al H.. ge,..4
without loss to charter rights lie. not
the agitation, then, be prolonged"
The Cklrcb Eclectic SAYS In an issue
of the New York Journal of Commerce some
weeks since, an old and largely circulated
commercial daily, appeared an editorial
entitled prayers for the Departed The
editor at the commencement OF it gives as
a reason for introducing the subject that
the subscriber had attended a ceremony IN
Roman Catholic Church where PRAYERS
for the Dead were offered, was greatly
excited and wrote to denounce it in un-
measured terms. Had this subscriber
known the result doubtless he would have
| feltit less sinful to have withheld his COM
munication. The fierce indictment, Of
the practice, the editor says 'awoke no
response in us and he then devotes a col
umn to a most logical argument in its
| favor. In a later issue the subject is again
| introduced, in which the editor begins by
saying that we had no idea that il would
excite such general interest among all
classes of readers These responses, we
are told, were most hearty and both graft
| fying and encouraging. He says some Of
the strongest men in the country wrote to
thank us for our argument in defense Of
the practice, and to say what an unspeak-
able comfort it had been to them to feel
that they were at fall liberty to give
utterance to their strong desires in be-
| half OF the dear ones who had gone before
| them to the unseen world We are told
that there was great uniformity of tone in
| these communications. Nearly all alluded
TO the painful character of the restraint
which had hindered them hitherto from
indulging in such petitions. This editor
ial is much longer than the first and goes
! into many arguments of q Scriptual char
acter. Again later the subject is treated
at even greater length. 1t appears to
have created an immense interest all over
the country, which then remained 'un-
abated and the subject is again further
and most ably treated. Indeed, it seems
to have done far-reaching amount of
good in clearing the atmosphere as to this
ancient practice with very many Christian
people. The entire group OF these editor
| ials is a remarkable contribution in sup
port of this great Catholic usage by a
member of the Congregation Communion.
| 1t is a strange commentary upon our
clergy, when layman OF one of the de-
nominations is able by few pages of MSS
to influence and convince a considerable
number of people all over the land of a
doctrine which some of our clergy even re-
fuse to accept, and vas: number who be-
lieve it had not the courage to teach as has
this venerable and greatly-respected editor
David VI. Stone-been able to do"