The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-17
e1SUNDAY THOUGHTSbo
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MORALSG0 MANNERS
IL A CLERGYMAN.

the reformed Dutch church and the re-
formed (German) church, has been de-
cided in the negative by the action of the
body.
This decision is unfortunate. It disap-
points the hopes of many observers who
expected that the proposed union be-
tween two churches so close to one another
in polity. theology and history might be
the precursor of a general sectarian dis
armament and pacifcation-the en-
tering wedge of protestant union.
The reformed DUTCH church has proved
too narrow either to see or to avail
itself of an opportunity to make history.
IT'S a provincial body, localized In and
about New York and New Jersey, and
fearful of being absorbed in the larger
reformed (German) church, whose mem
bership lies further west, and whose ideas
and spirit are correspondinQly broader.
Well. tits only a lost opportunity for
those churches. The idea survives and it
will be realized sooner or later, and sooner
than later by other ecclesiastical bodies
more liberal in their spirit and moro
American in their understanding of the
scope and purposes of federal union. The
reproseh and scandal of sectarlanism must
be put an enc to. 1t will be. Christs
seamless robe must cease to be rent and
ratified for. His prayer for one fold and
one shepherd must materjalize. The
world moves as Galilee said: az pur 81
muoVe;" not so fast in the churches as in
the community outside, but it does move.
We advise all ecclesiastical RIP Vdn
Winkles to stay asleep if they do not like
change and readjustment.
Something else. also. has been decided
seemingly, though we believe not really,
in the interest of ultra conservatism. The
great presbyterian church has defeated re-
vision. We are not to conclude from this,
however. that the spirit of progress is dis
comfted. Many of the best heads in
rNiity of a revision OF the antiquated
standards of the sixteenth century. No
amount of revision would modernize them
any more than any number of carpenters
could modernize an old Elizabethan man
sion. II were wiser and moro economical
20 let both the standards and the Eliza
bethan mansion stand az historic relics.
and build anew. Hence revision has been
ucl6dkoOy AAAEEiNg ho III tAlC lnhcI-
est of progress and as q means of forcin z
what the presbyterian church much
needs, VIZ: new short creed, photographic
like the times we live in, and expressive
OF present conceptions and convictions.
More than sixty presbyteries have called
for such doctrlnsl statement We shall
have it.
The current term "higher criticism" is
an unhappy one. 1t should seem to i'm
ply sort of superiority over other forms
of criticisms. Hence il is misleading. Its
real meaning, as scholars know, is the
literary and historical scrutiny OF the hu-
man elements in the bible. But mislsad-
ing terms are to be avoided. Especially is
this the case when such terms are associ-
ated. as higher criticism" is, with the
names and labors of destructive critics
like Kuenen and Wellhausen, and with
crude "guessss" and undigested hypothe-
ses, which are quite certain ultimately to
explode and disappear. A good deal of
excellent work has been discredited and a
number of competent and reverent
scholars have brought suspicion upon
themselves through the use of the term
higher criticism"
IT'S true saving of DR.. Charles Hodge
That one cannot reason with q whirlTind.
In speaking of the existing stress and
upheaval in theological circles, the Rev.
DR.. Mcpherson OF Chic o, asserts that it
Is by no means necessary, and may be
presumptuous 10 suppose that every time
the vehicle which carries the bible re-
ceives jolt, we must put forth our hands
to steady it, as Uzza would have steadied
the work of God.
It's point well made. Uzza's exper-
lence was not encouraging.
The general assembly of the presbyter-
Ian church will soon meet in Washington.
Our religious contemporaries are able TO
report 10 advance the majority and minor
Ity on certain judicial questions which are
10 come up. This Is REORGANIZATION
minus the divine sovereignty, says the
Interior.
Hitch your wagon to a star" says En-
srson. That is, get hold of the highest
motive. Act under the impulsion of di-
vine power. This is the secret of piety.
What the New England philosopher was
seeking in bis maxim 10 nothing but the
old truth of Jesus and of Paul: seek
those things which are above" This
habit of looking up will enable us 20 hitch
our wagon TO the best star of all-the star
of Bethlehem. Scientists used to talk
about the forces of nature. but science is
coming TO hold that there is but one grand
rentral force which governs all things.
Prof. TyDdall has shown that in the solar
system the sun Is the fountain not only of
light, but OF every movement on land and
Bea. In the same way the consciousness
Of God. the habit of acting under this con-
Bciousness, the knowledge that He sees US
and lends Himself to help US. that He is
our Father. and that We are His children
Is the grand central force which domi-
mates every thought and word and deed
of the Christian life.
Swift's darling motto was, IRE Ia 6dgG-
tlle-s good wish for a philosopher of his
complexion, the greater part of whose
wisdom, whencesoeyer il came, most
certainly came not from abovs.-COlCper,
What medley are our public prints.
Half the page filled with the vim of the
country and the other half filed with the
vices and the pleasures of there an
island taken and there a new comedy
here an empire lost and there an Italian
opera. or the duke of Gloucesters rout on
Sunday.-D.
A great mani Who realizes how much
sparOy and 70 pothip0