New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-19
THE PARSONS STUDY.
CHANCES AND GLIMPsES.

GLANCES AND GLlMfcEc'
HOW often we hear from the pulpit the mournfui
oomnloint that this age is, beyond every other age
o,ons or unbeeving or hppant, or worldly or
HUNDRED other bad things. "Never before exclamS
sor,o GOOD parson "has the world been - and then
no Zoos on TO lash particular evil, folly, or SIM as
though IL were new thing under the sun Now Oh
course this is, in the main, untrue "mie each "so
has its particular tendencies and special sins, the same
tendencies and sins have noushed in every other age
aThe CRYING sin Of this is materalsm' says tne
nreacher Possibly but materiallsm has always been
a CRYING sim and the good man has only TO open MS
ptbIe 10 find IL vigorously denounced crying SIN
from Genesis 10 Revelation. Never before nave men
becn so carried away with novelties exclams anothcr
rreocher OH yes they have. Paul found the
Atbenans living only to hear and tell some new thng'
aThe world to-day ignores the Divine claims OF the
| Church. thundcrs good DR.. Rubrc. Certainly pu'
co II has been from the days Of the Apostles HUMAN
nature dear brethren, is pretty much the same III
| eyery age-the same In its aspirations ana HspH%
| tons and the same in It's reversons TO whae Is u'i
| worthy base and untrue. And the same preacnme
that was so potent in the Areopagus and in the forum
| will reach the heart to-day.
The parson, like other earnest reformers, ofteh I'M
arines that the world wants truth. Yes, the WorIu
does want truth in theory, but In point OF fact IL e
qucnty doesn't know what to do with truth wheh IL
Gets IT, In religion politics, social life everywhere
but In pure mathematics, II Is essential 10 MAKE 'n0
truth popular by wrapping it up In harmless cover OF
stuffng it with some tnocuous substance 10 give ~
weight and bulk. Truth in infDtcslmal capsules ISL
popular and fear viii be popular The Cnurch
wisely recognizes the fact in developing BODY OF Ger
emonies and dogmas and traditions In which II wraps
| fundamental truth You could write the whoie OF
fundamental religion necessary to get TO Heaven on
your thumb-nai but you could convert nobody WIN IL
in that form What mpresses the average man Is 1'lo
complexity and bulk Of religion, its ecoesiastlcal OF
ganzation its detailed statements OF belef anu uo0
trine and It's professedly human views and opinions
and modes OF work. Truth IS esoteric and the Chch
which would follow in the steps Of its Master must
hold 1t but the Church itself is exoteric, and must
present the truth in such form that the average con-
| crete mind can readily and easily grasp It,
[ would be the last to crtclse the great religious
gatherings that are such feature Of modern religious
activity. They stimulate faith by enabling earnest
men and women to get together and talk over ohe'r
| differences and agreements They lead TO more IN
teIgent and systematic prosecution Oh Chrlstiau
work. They bring to light the weak spots as well aS
the strength of modern Christianity and so act as
sort of religious clearing house. Certainly the wonuer
fu growth OF such organizations as the Society OF
| Christian Endeavor and the Kings Daughters Is
| hopeful sign. And the continued growth OF such
powerfu auxiliares to the Church matter lot re-
| ioclng.
| But-now don't be alarmed for this "but" Is not
very big one-there IS danger In the popularity OF
| these assemblies. One think have pointed ouc on
previous occasion. 1t lies in the frtterlng away Oh
the working power Of the churches In too many Or
ranzatons in giving so much time and energy TO the
organizations that there little time or energy lett fof
the work which the organizations were creseu 10 uo
and believe many parishes are already beginning "
suffer from this evil. And another danger Is tue en-
couragement of what may be called talking religion
| mr. platform Christianity. The active takers ana
Of these great meetings ond societies are most
nrone 70 this danger They unconsclousy fall into the
notion that the successful organization OF society
| which shall have busting meetings WIN plenty Vi
speakers is the end and aim OF religion Ana so VIC
have religion OF talk instead Of religion OF deeds.
Let rs get together and talk BY all means But let
ne remember that the arena Of religion is not the plat
form hut the trivial round the common task of every
| day life.
Renewed attention Is being called In England to the
ohuse of the fee system in the case Of Bishops and
| Arohbishopselect These fees are both numerous anu
| large and seem to be exacted In accordance WIN
misty II not musty tradition, rather than because Oh
ANY we'll defined law the subject. First OF all the
new Bishop must 60 to the Crown ONCE ana lay down
ESQ odd for warrant certificate, letters patent ana
| a docouet Then the Royal Assent involves the, ex-
penditure OF nearly $50, and the Restitution OF TEN
poraIties costs upward of 962 After that he goes 70
the Home Office, where he Is touched" to the tune
| OF about s45 for Congo dElire, Letters hecom
| mandatory. ROYAL
Restitution of Temperatures. This done. he makes
his obelsance to the Board of Green Cloth which en-
tails Homage Fees TO the Earl Marshal and Heralds
| Amounting TO els odd. From there he proceeds 10
the Lord Great Chamberlans Office. and takes" his
| seat paying E5 therefor. lie then settles with the
Archbishops officers, paying 10 the secretary lot
Fiat for Confirmation, the VcarGcneral for Confrma-
ton and the Deputy Registrar for Mandate OF In
duction the sum OF E66. The Dean and Chapter now
lie in walt for him in the form Of the Chapter Clerk,
the Precentor the Cathedral Belrlngers and the Choir
who knock down" about 600 And last Of all the
Vicar of the Parish In which the cathedral is situated
must be seen" who with his satellites get about 1o4
Here amounting to about e425 for an ordinary
Bishop and in the of Archbishop the fees are
much greater 1t is thus apparent that Tammany
Halls system of assessments political candidates
has high ecclesiastical authority.
"The Christian Union reprints the following little
waif which doubtless reflects the view Of many to-
day who accept in a general way the old Greed Of
Calvin:
THE NEGLECTED INFANT.
An unelected infant sighed its little BREATH
tho the darkness along the shades OF DEATH
Until the gates OF Heaven before him he espied,
And ran TO and chung there and would not DO denied
Tho still from earth rose mutterngs cannot ter In
Depart into Gehenna, you child of wrath and SIM"
At last the gates were opened-a with features mild
STONED down and raised he weeping and noneected child
Immoita light thrilled softly down the avenues of bliss
And on the Infants forehead the spirit placed kiss.
WHO are you thus to halow my non-eected brow
'Dcar child my name Calvin, but things better
now"
| The new dress which "The Christian Union" has
| adopted is exceedingly handsome, and somehow or
| other makes It's contents more readable This paper
| is really a hgh-class weekly magazine well as a
religious journal, and fully deserves all the success
. that has come 10 it, 1t Is not its aim 10 supplant
the regular UNCONVENTIONAL Journals, but TO present
certain phases Of religious and secular thought and
opinion which the UNCONVENTIONAL papers neces-
sarly debarrcd from presenting. II is thus organ
az Christianity rather than the Church, and in its
treatment of religious questions fully ustines its
right TO It's name.
WITER TOO MUCH FOR An ARIZONA MOB