Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1891-01-04
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 Nashville Christian AdUocate Meth.
says: s1t does ones soul good to see the
face of an old friend. Some years ago the
Homiletic Review published a pleasant but
somewhat superficial sermon from tex. in
the Book of Exodus. During the summer
following it was preached verbatim at. a
District Conference in a certain State by
two different brethren on two successive
days, neither of the preachers being pres.
ent to hear the other. Since then we have
caught the echo of it in more than one CITY
pulpit, and very recently we have known
IL to DO duty on state occasion. We could
laugh our sides sore over such things, if we
did not feel more disposed to cry"
The Christian Leader (Univ.) says: IAN
editorial in the Christian Union of Decem-
Der 4th excites cur curiosity. We are
curious to know what, and how much. DR..
Abbott means by expressions that seem TO
announce explicit Universalism. This is
one, and there are many to the same pur-
port: The whole process of life, reaching,
we have no doubt, cut into the other life as
we'll, since this life is so fragmentary and
broken, is process of redemption Does
this mean what it appears to mean? Does
DR.. Abbott and does his paper stand on
platform which declares that the whole
process of life,' including this world and
the next, is process of redemption? An
other thing we are curious to know is, how
many ministers and churches. not Univer-
sailst, DR.. Abbott represents"
The Canada Presbyterian says: 'Dr.
Dykes is of the opinion that five hundred
people willing to be edited make much
better congregation than a thousand SEN
sation hunters No doubt that is true, but
if number of the five hundred constantly
grumble because the sensation hunters are
no. there, what can pastor do? The man
across the street who gets up show of
some kind TO draw the sensation hunters
would be perfectly welcome to them SO far
as any sensible preacher is concerned. but
the trouble comes in when some who are
supposed to belong to the five hundred in
telligent hearers complain because the SEN
sation hunters are absent. However it
may be IN England, in this country too
many people estimate the value of re-
ligious service by the number present. If
the crowd is there, all is we'll; if the SEN
satlon hunters are absent all is wrong,
s-S AAOiJ OPAiit W ao AAohAiCol-
ly present"
The Catholic World presents this picture
of the transcendentalists from the diary of
the late Father Hecker, who had studied
his subject at Brock Farm, Fruitlands and
Concord: "a transcendentalist is one who
has keen sight but little warmth of heart;
who has fine conceits. but is destitute of the
rich glow of love. He is en- rdpport with
the spiritual world, unconscious .of the
celestial one. He is all nerve and no
blood-colorless. He talks of self-reiance,
but fears to trust himself to love, but is al-
ways on the lookout for some new fact.
His nerves are always tight htstretched, like
| the string of bow; his life is all effort
In short period he loses his tone Behold
him sitting on chair; he is not sitting,
but braced upon its angles, as if his bones
were of iron and his nerves STEEL every
nerve is drawn, his hands are closed like a
| miser's-it is his lips and head that speak,
not his tongue and heart. He prefers talk
| ing about love to possessing it, and he pre-
| fers Socrates to Jesus. Nature is his church,
and he is his own god. He is dissecting
crltic-henrtless, cold. What would excite
love and sympathy in another, excites in
| him curiosity and interest. He would have
written an essay on the power of the soul
at the foot OF the Cross"
] The Christian Leader (Univl SAYS: "In
| the very short list OF names of eminent
| and authoritative evolutionists, Alfred
| Russell Wallace is second to no one, ex-
cepting Darwin himself. In describing a
certain stage of evolution Mr. Wallace uses
these words: We find a still more mar
velous change, one completely beyond all
possibility of explanation by matter, its
| laws and forces. Here we see introduced
sensation, the fundamental distinction be-
tween the animal and vegetable kingdom
1t by introduced'-the italics are our own
Mr.. Wallace uses the word advisediy, lie
virtually comedies the point of special Gre
alton. Evolution has no place for the in
Producing of anything 1t would seem
from what Mr.. Wallace says of other stages
IN the order of nature, as if by introduc-
ing he means the opposite of DEVELOPMENT.
For example: The third stage is. as we
have seen, the existence in man of num-
Der of his most characteristic and noblest
faculties, those which raise him furtherst
above the brutes, and open up possibilities
OF almost indefinite Advancement. These
faculties could not possibly have been de-
veloped by means of the same laws which
have determined the progressive develop
ment OF the organic world in general. and
also OF mans physical organism. These
three distinct stages of progress from the
inorganic world of matter and motion up
to man, point clearly to an unseen uni.
verse, to a world of spirit, to which the
world OF matter is altogether subordinate
This certainly is not Darwinism. 1t NAV
be we'll for the general reader to wait until
the masters have come to an agreement
The Rev. George T. Rider saws, in the
Lisia,g Church Up. E.): 1T is well that there
should be pause for Advent meditation in
the choral world and its exciting work.
The four last things that concern any man.
should command heart and voice and
voice and choir. This is time for slow
ing up and letting the heated journals
cool of, otherwise we shall be in i'll mood
for the glorious feast of the Incarnation.
The sober gravity of Advent is the liturgic
foreground, and the Holy Mother has so
tempered the liturgic approaches that the
great Christ-Mass shall break up this Ad-
vent twilight with ali the glory of the
newly-risen Son of Righteousness. This
is immeasurably deeper and holier than
esthetic sentiment. 1t lies in the sacred
order and among the precious mysteries of
the church's liturgic year. The true priest
early catches the secret and tunes his ser.
mons and ritual betimes. The colors of
altar and vestments are penitential. Why,
then, should the choir keep up the musical
bravery and exultation until Advent
merges into Christmas, hardly observed
What 8 season of choral self-denial and
abnegation What an opportunity to get
acquainted with the ancient melodies of
our Holy Mother, and drink in the ineff,-
bic sweetness and tenderness of those cradle
songs of eternal love when she held her
| children very close to her breast AT least
let Us try the sober majesty OF unison com.
munion services and anthems, if our ears
and hearts are yet unwonted to the mysti.
cal pieadings of the ancient Plain song"
The Examiner Bapt) says: "Eckermsnn
reports, in one of his Conversations. the fol.
lowing notable saying of Goethe: the
style of writer is almost always the faith.
ful representation of his mind; therefore, if
any one wishes to write clear style let
him begin by making his thoughts clear.
and II any would write noble style let
him frst possess noble SOUL The culture
OF expression must include, therefore. the
culture of mind and heart. We must learn
how to think and feel about things. We
must get honesty, directness, and lofty pur.
| pose wrought into the fiber of our being.
We must fix right standards of judgment.
We must be taught, and be willing to learn.