The record-union., 1895-05-10
York and Philadelphia. "And the need

York and Philadelphia. "And the need
for denominational academies and insti-
tutes is more urgent than in the case of
higher institutions, because in the latter
the pupil is reasonably mature, and is
supposed to know what he believes and
why he believes it. We are all very hui
man. We are none of us exempt from
the influence OF our surroundings. A
person who is perpetually in an atmos-.
phere OF Eplscopacy or Unitarianism or
Romanism will inevitably take the color
OF his surroundings, unless be be perpet-
ually on the watch and in a defensive at
titude. Do we believe the truths which
We profess to believe? Are they worth
holding? Are they worth defending?
Were our fathers fools when they bore
witness to the great distinctive truths or
the denomination? Roger Williams, and
Obadiah Holmes. and the Baptists of Vir-
glnia, and the great host of Baptist mar
tyrs-did they suffer for that which is a
matter OF supreme indifference? 10
maintain separate existence without
adequate reason is schism. Ii we have
nothing TO stand upon let us not stand.
But if the great principles wherein we
are separated from others have real be-
ing, and are such as to justify our exist
tence as a denomination, then let us
make some sacrifice for them, and let no
wretcned spirit of frugality, or equally
wretched, desire of social preferment for
our children, make us Indifferent to
them. Let US provide for our children
schools whore at least they will not be
subjected to ridicule for following the
faith OF their fathers"
"The church and the world cannot. in
this end of the century. be very we'll
looked upon as separated by the gulf that
separated them, say in the age Of the An
tonines," says the New York Churchnadn
(P. E.). 1T is aquestiOn whether 1t Is
desirab BILE that they should be looked upon
as separate least in a Christian coun-
try. ii the world, the commercial world,
exists in the bosom of the church, or side
by side with the church in a Christian
country, it may without imprOpriety call
its winter solstice ChriSmas-tide, and its
season of spring activity Easter. We
are grateful when 1t goes no further, Ter
though buying and selling, advertising
and projecting are perfectly innocent and
indeed necessary features of human lie,
Christ turned out tho money changers
from the temple, and any profane use Tor
purposes of gain which dlshonors either
the house. the Book or the name OF God
must be condemned and avoided. Short
of this degree OF PROCLAMATION, the world
and the church, religion and commerce
they should intermingle. 1t Is only to
minds of morbid tendency that the
plain facts of lite suggest evil where none
either exists or Is Intended. None can
condemn the currency of such express
sions as Christmas turkey 'hot-cross
buns,' Easter bonnet. 'The church may
not shrink from thus coming i'll contact
with the world. Even if ecclesiastical
terninology thus pass into the booth and
market, the good churchman need not
be distressed with the dread of irrever-
ence. Irreverence begins when COM
merce uses ecclesiastical terms or quota
tons from the Holy Book for commercial
ends. This is the line drawn by common
sense and religion combined. To draw
a line closer than this is TO lapse into Pu-
ritanism or atfectation.o
Probably more nonsense is written
concerning deceased persons than upon
any other subject observes the New
York Christian AdUOcdte (Meth.). I'VE
read accounts of the most useful dis
tinguished,' 'honored,' and beloved
citizens whom we know to have been
financially dishonest, unkind 10 their
families or Incorporate; and yet the pa
perS speak Of them as models. But the
most striking illustration recently ap-
pearing is this: She was of nervous
temperament and was easily moved to
anger, but she was also OF fOrglV1ng
spirit. and frequently retracted hasty
remark This reminds US of an English
drama that represents some military man
as having shot barmaid, and satirically
adds that the noble fellow went down the
next morning to see her, and expressed
willingness to overlook the whole mat
ter. Speak nothing but good of the
dead,' is a safe maxim, but it does not re-
quire the attributing TO them OF qualities
that the whole community knows he or
she did not possess. One OF our minis
ters-who was afterward expelled for i'm
morality-preaching at the funeral OF
man of the most disreputable character,
a common drunkard, miser and pro-
fame, delivered his usual closing exhorta-
ton and called upon us so to live as to be
prepared to meet the old gentleman in
another world'-something that every
one in the house. including his own fam
lily, hoped to avoid"