The record-union., 1892-04-23
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
HgiOus Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the sectarian Press
some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Lavmen.

"A correspondent of the Church Times
calls attention to the danger of ohscuring
Jne church's appointed order for Good
Erluay by giving undue prominence To
tae lhree Hours Service. In no spirit
OF hostllity to the latter, he points out
that 1t Is voluntary Offering very
greatly dependent upon the spirituality
OF It's conductor, and his ability 10 main
tam high level OF devotional strength
ana mental freshness for so long pc
rlod, fasting, and after an unusually long
dlVlne service in the morning hours.
lie thinks many are tempted by the nov
city of the Three Hours Service TO neg
lect the order for the day, and that pro-
tracted preaching and modern hymns are
poor substitute for the Holy Evangelist,
st. John, and the wandertut psalms or
the Passion. The criticism, being en-
tirely friendly, should receive thought
1ul consideration" says the Chgtrchnta9
(P. e.. 1T may be well for the clergy
who use the Three Hours Service 10 note
particularly the effect of that devotion
upon the attendance at morning and
evening prayer. Very few of the laity
are able To spend the whole day in church,
and the number and classes OF people
who elect the Three Hours Service as the
devotion might furnish every parish
priest a hint and guide as to its desira-
bility in his own parish"
The LiUing Church Up. e. of Chicago
reprints this paragraph from the Stand
nrd 81 the Cross and the Church (P. e.:
FINALLY, let the preaching and teaching
be as varied and unreStrained as itmight
be, only so thatit be earnest in the effort
TO find out and to set forth the indisputa-
Die oracles of God, and to establish men
IN the Nicene faith. Even a reconstruc-
ZIONIST Of the creed, such as DR.. Lyman
Abbott, or an out-and-out Unitarian,
might be trusted to preach or teach on
subjects OF common Christian interest in
which his own speculations do not cross
the Well-known and recognized historic
belief Of this church, And comments
upon 1t as follows: 1T is principle well
understood by those who have special
cause TO promote in politics or religion
that 1t is OF primary importance when the
nrst surprise and repugnance has been
overcome, to secure at least a silent toIer-
atlon. Then the constant repetition of
their views, without any definite or de-
termned opposition, may be expected to
lead on TO recognition as a legitimate
school,, and, perhaps, general accept
ance. This is the process and the policy
of which our contemporary has made
itself the mouthpiece. Churchmen have
hardly been able to believe that in the
iace OF the prayer-book, the creeds and
the past history of this church, anything
llke Unitarianism could possibly gain a
footing within it. But with the new art
OF 'huX1ng' old forms with new mean
2ngs, anything becomes possible and it
may be found that a far more severe
struggle is before us than the majority
are yet able to realize before we can rest
secure in the old lines of church doctrine
and Bible truth"
"Doctrinal and practical preaching
should never be wholly separated. y the
New York Ct15stiam AdUocate Meth
thinks. Every sermon should have a
foundation of doctrine and a practical
application. A practical sermon with no
doctrine TO support it is too weak, and
doctrInal sermon without practical aim
IS too dry to ACCOMPLISH much. These
two have often been separated. we have
heard OF ministers who were considered
doctrInal preachers, and others who ig-
nored doctrines altogether. 10 preach
doctrines as they are set forth Ia a trea-
tlse on systematic theology is very poor
way. Some ministers have taken up
each Bible doctrine separately, and dis
cussed 1t IN systematic manner. as if
they felt called ON to give their hearers "a
whole body OF divinity in order to indoc-
trinate them into the Christian system.
He breaches doctrines best who weaves
them lnto his dlSGourSes SO skiIltully that
his hearers receive them as they do the
light that comes from the sun-as a mat
Ter of course Jesus proclaimed the great
doctrines of His Gospel in parallels and
In familiar Conversations
With reference to the course of the
New ork Methodist ministers in regard
10 ur. Parkhurst's sermons on municI-
pal corruption, the New York EIaH75ley,
iBapt. says: THE nauseous pleas Tor 'the
pure Gospel from Pammany newspapers
are only amusing and disgusting but the
implied censure of body OF intelligent
mlnisters-of a class, too, at the furthest
remove from the cream cheese type
cannot fail to provoke serious question.
Is there any ground for feeling that a
minister cannot properly treat in his pull
pit such themes as those handled so
plainly by DR.. Parknurst, or that if he
alludes to them at ALL it should be in gem
eral terms'and without going into repul-
sive details? Such feeling undoubtedly
exists. We have heard intelligent Christ
ian people say they would be sorry to
have their SONS and daughters sit under
DIR. Parkhurst's ministry if he is going to
talk like that. The first and obvious an
Swer TO such criticism is an appeal to the
Bible. If it isn't safe for young people to
listen to DR.. Parkhursts preaching, then
it isn't safe for them to read the old Test
ament prophets and the New Testa-
lnent apostles, or even the discourses of
Jesus himself. The Bible sets us no ex-
ample of kid-gioved and lnealy- y-mouthed
dealing with wickedness. Its writers are
far from confining themselves to gener-
alities. They don't hesitate to 90 into
the most shocking and loathsome details
OF sin. II there are any human utter
ances in which spades are ruthlessly
called spades, in which every form of in
iauity is specified and branded by name,
they are to be found in the book of Gods
holy law and of Christ's blessed Gospel -
"Dr. Parkhurst has rendered both com
munity and church a noble service" saws
the New y ork Cblistfun J1lion, ''at what
cost to himself the public cannot imagine.
He has proved the power of the pulpit
and the power of public conscience when
the prophet of God appeals to it. A
broadside in every morning journal in
New York would not have produced the
same impression on the city that this
single preacher has produced. Was it
necessary for him to visit In person the
houses of vice that he might expose them?
We neither know nor care. Generally
the commander-in-ehief relies on scouts
TO tell him of the enemy's forces But if
Alfred the Great chooses to disguise him
selfas wandering minstrel and enter in
person the Danish camp and so prepare
himself for to-morrow'S battle and
make 1t victory, who criticiseS has reck-
less courage? The truth is, there are
some people whom the clergyman can
never suit. If he goes to the house of
vice, they condemn him for going where
he Ought not TO be seen. If he does not
go, they condemn him for preaching
against wees that he knows nothing Of
II ne condemns municipal corruption,
tney ma lault because he breaches poll
ties, and tell him TO preach the Gospel
II he pre3ches the Gospel and
leaves municipal corruption alone,
they ask why he does not preach
on live topics, which men are inter
ested in. If he specifies they accuse him
of being perSOnai If he dOa's not S1,acifv