The record-union., 1894-01-27

the lapse of time has dulled the ardor of
combat, it is more to the honor and the
dignity OF the great Presbyterian Church
10 aScrlbe 1t to nobler impulses; to the
quiet reflections of wise men and good
men on both sides; to the sober second
thought which comes when the outward
conflict is over, and they retire from the
arena, in which they have been cheered
on by the applause of thousands of spec
tators, and enter into their closets, where
none but God can hear, and reconsider all
questions with no judge but their own
conSciences."
The point that many Catholics make
that there is not sufficient opportunity TO
give children religious instruction out
SIDE OF the public schools, and that neith-
or parents nor Sunday school can be de-
pendent upon for suitable training,
strikes us as a rather serious indictment
of the church," says the New York hide
pendent. Admitting the divine right OF
parents and duty OF the church to pro-
vide proper training for children, IL seems
to US that divine right involves an imper-
alive duty, and that the church should
see to 1t that this duty is performed with
out appeal to public authority or depend
ence on public funds. Protestants can
day-school, ana Catholics ought not to
confess their inability to do as much.
We are glad that there is a concensus OF
opinion among Catholics that further agi-
ton is not wise. We are glad that they
are persuaded that it would be useless.
AS we understand the general thought
upon the subject. the people are satisfied
that the non-sectarlan is the only school
which the State can properly support,
that its maintenance does no substantial
injustice TO any CITIZEN
Abiding to recent articles in the Fo-
RAN the interior Pres of Chicago re-
marks: 1.-THE poor fellow who wrote this
Decline of the American Pulpit knows
the tricks of his trade well enough to put
a title to his piece which is in line with
the preludices OF the periodical at which
he aims it, and which is sensational,
more or less, in it's promise. Then he
must make show of solid material by
! getting up some statistics. The rest is
for filling. AS there has been no decline
in the American pulpit, the statistics
nave no releYance, the filling is tea
! grounds, neither flavor nor substance In
it. The march of progress in every line
| is marvellous. When one happens on
any field Of thought or work that he has
| not seen for few years he is astonlshed.
! We have been as much surprised, when,
! from time to time, we were thrown
! among ministers in other cities, and
/ especially in country places and in the
/ Western missionary fields, by their tai
ent and culture, as we have ever been by
view of The progress Of abstract or ap-
| piled science. There is as much, but
more, OF pure, rich and precious Biblical
| preaching as there was forty or fifty
years ago. There is more because there
is less of small polemic i'll it. In other
respects there is no comparison. The
preaching of to-day is incomparably
finer than it was forty years ago. The
churches are gaining very steadily on
the population, increasing at more
rapid ratio. That is to say that the min
listers are further in advance of the peo-
pie than they were-tbeir influence over
them larger than it was. But there is nc
use in arguing with literary Bohemians.
No man with drop of human sympathy
in his soul would begrudge them their
little douceurs, nor inquire loo partcu-
ularly how they managed TO get them out
OF hard-hearted publishers"
'If cleanliness is next to godliness, and
1 if beauty be Of heaven, then the presence
of an aggressive and spiritual church In q
town ought to make that town not only
more moral, but cleaner and more at
| tractive," says the Cumberland PreSbyte-
qiaR of Nashville. Tenn. "a pure soul
may dwell in filthy body, but we doubt
| it. Surely frequent baths are a means o1
grace, and the best way to make vaga-
| bond a self-respecCing man is to faith
fully cleanse and decently clothe his
| body, and then ask God to purify his
| heart. A devout and Jealous church
may live right Oh in the midst of dirty
streets, ,dingy and weather-stained houses,
broken gates and fences, treeless and
neglected sidewalks, and an environ
ment of universal carelessness and de-
cay-but we doubt it. Certainly neatly
kept streets and homes and grounds, add
greatly to the success that church has in
| bringing the unsaved OF that town to the
foot of the cross; nor is poverty ever an
excuse for dirt; soap is cheap and water
! is free: paint costs Very little, and white
wash may be had for tri1le. Grass and
trees get the rain and sunshine without
money and without price, when men will
exert themselves just a little to get the
grass and trees. a large amount Of pub
| lie sentiment in favor of neatness and
beauty, with a little money and good
deal of muscle and some taste, will
transform any unsightly village into 9
thing of lOveliness. Our churches can
! if they will. create the necessary senti-
ment, and the individual members may
furnish their share Of the other necessa-
ries."