The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25
TH0UGHTSpo
#OH%
#ON~
MORALS% MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.

France is nothing if rot surprising.
After posing for centuries as the advocate
and expotent of laxity in morals, she now
hops over to Puritan strictness and issues
governmental decree forbidding betting
on horse races. This is popular and
fashionable vice everywhere-in France
especially. Yet the powers that be, who
live, and move and have their being in
universal suffrage. notwithstanding their
democratic genesis and tenure, enact Cato
and sternly prohibit the most fascinating
and demoralizing sin of the day. The
authorities say they were forced to
it by irresistible considerations-part
larly by consciousness of the gen.
eral corruption produced by gambling.
Some vices are peculiar to sex, some to
station, some to age, and some are ma
tional. But gambling is international,
universal-the sin of the centuries. A
conservative estimate puts the sum which
daily changes hands through gambling at
$S0,000,000. In striking at the world-old
and worldwide sin, and especially at the
most common and dangerous form of it,
betting at races, the French government
deserves the thanks of Christendom-
thanks all the more warm because of the
| unexpectedness of the boon. But this is
only a new illustration of DJsraeli's
maxim that cit is the unexpected that
happens"
At meeting OF the municipal council
of Paris, March 6, Project Loze said that
the Paris mutuals would be positively
| suppressed, and that the Offices in which
e, Aaff rsea1 oil a
in the course of demoli
cation. Five brigades of police would
attend the races to suppress the book
makers, and the infantry always present
would be reinforced.
A week ago today the Sunday races were
run at Anteuil. An immense crowd was
in attendance. There was no disturbance,
owing, doubtless, to the thorough and
ell-advertised preparations of the govern
ment. The prohibitory decree was strictly
| enforced.
So then. as we have looked to Paris for
the fashion of our raiment, the seasoning
of our food and certain dubious styles of
literature, we must hencefortlSook to her
! for n moral initiation. 'Tis n welcome
change, but it is almost as startling as it
would be to see Sarah Bernhard assume
the role of the Roman Cornelia.
The methodist church needs 1000 new
supplied.
Mr.. Gladstone is rs active at eighty as
he was at forty. He preserves the fire of
youth under the snow OF age. His pen is
| linked in flame-from Mount Sinai. Perhaps
the most remarkable literary achievement
OF the marvellous statesman and scholar is
his book. just published, entitled THE
Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture"
The chapters originally appeared az
articles in the S,Hddu-SchOOl Times in the
| United States, and in Good Words in En-
gland, which printed them simultaneous
| ly. They have now been collected. re-
vised, enlarged and grouped in vo ume.
Mr.. Gladstone deals first with the critics
of the bible, whose various theories he
examines and explodes. He then takes
up the story of the creation and finds it
| constructed according to accepted his
torical methods, sust ined by scientific
research aud teaching moral and religious
| lessons oil supreme value. Upon this the
| patriarchal religion is based. The chief
| truths are the unity of God, who is the
universal creator, the entrance OF sin, the
| promise of a redeemer, and the institution
| of the Sabbath. From the translation OF
| EnoCh il is concluded that Immortality
| was foreshadowed.
Then the law and the system of feasts
and sacrifices is outlined, the appointment
| of priests and prophets is described and
the jewish economy moves under our
eyes like splendid panorama-the object
| of this dispensation beingth preservation
| of the patriarchal religion, which is devel-
oped step further, and the preparation
| for Jesus Christ. Another section deals
with the uniqueness, antiquity and per-
manent value OF the Psalms as "the para
mount manual of devotion" These de-
clare and interpret the piimeval faith.
The succeeding chapter on the Mosaic
| legislation could only have been written
! by Il statesman familiar with the course
OF legislation. II argues for the high an
| tiquity OF the Penlateuch, and for its
| unity, in fashion which il will
be difficult to answer. From his
long experience in making laws
Mr.. Gladstone avows his conviction
that the records OF facts and Of laws in the
five books OF Moses were contemporaries
ous, and that they belong to the line to
which they have always been assigned
until the recent assault by the higher
criticism" school.
The whole argument Is c,inched by a
forcible presentation OF the corroborations
OF scripture from the regions OF history
and natural science. and by a msrshalinR
OF the related discoveries OF recent years.
Altogether, the volume is tonic. Every
clergyman should read it, and so should
any man who is mentally athletic enough
10 walk or run beside the "grand old
man" Even more astonishing than his
vigor of mind II his breadth and depth Of
scholarship. Speciaties are proverbially
narrowing. Yet here is one who is ut
once a consummate politician, an expert
Homeric student and lay exegete who
outrivals mos, professionals. As Grattan
said OF Fox: You must measure such q
mind by parallels OF latitude"
A contemporary cal 8 attention to n sig
ni6cant voice from the Jews. "The Amer.
lean Hebrew free thinkers association
has just published nm altogether notable
utterance. II was brought out in reply To
an article by Jewish rabbi. arguing that
Jesus was either myth or an impostor.
This iree-thinking body appointed three OF
its members to examine this attack and
report upon ii. summarily stated, this is
what they reported. viz: That Christianity
cannot he fraud or delusion, because Ii
| has atOOd all tRefa and hae ~ ma Qver for-