The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-21

of laymen, is there not ground for dis
trust of the Protestant preiudicef
1t is no part OF our contention that
the laity are incompetent tothe manage
ment of the church finances. Ii they
should put their mind and time to 1t they
would accomplish all that any one could
desire. They have their various bust
nesses demanding their best energies
and assuredly all their secular time. The
inevitable result as to church finances
is, that it is always secondary consid-
Grafton and not seldom tertiary, or even
more remote. 1t is generally believed
that the church finances will largely
take care of themselves. "If we get
good minister everything will go pros
perously," we hear said hundred times
a year. So, while the minister is exclud-
ed from the management of the finances.
the success of them is made dependent
on him. Is this sound or fair?
In our opinion. which has not grown
up in night, the weak spot in the Pro-
testant system, SO far as relates to finan-
ces is lay management. A profoundly
important essential of the prosperity and
usefulness of our churches is left largely
to chance. No one-there are excep-
tions but this is the rule-is attending
to this business with the care and con-
Germ with which he attends to his own
business. The wonder is that it thrives
at all. If religion we're not OF such tran
scendent Importance, if the minister
as rule were not 80 essential 10 the
well-being of society, institutions left to
shift for themselves, as our Protestant
churches generally are. would soon dis
appear from the earth. This is sub
ject which deserves the attention OF the
whole Protestant brotherhood.
We have for some years now accus-
toned ourselves to hear and to speak OF
Deutero-Isaiah. Canon Cheyne even
contends for "Trito Isaiah" The parti-
ton of the book into two or more parts,
on the theory of as many authors, has
not for some time been resisted by those
familiar with the course of the newer
Biblical criticism. Itmakes one open his
eyes, therefore, to find Principal Douglas,
of the Free Church College, Glasgow.
devoting treatise to the exposition OF
the idea that there is but one Isaiah
l. - ha w
have known all along that many scholars
hold this opinion. but they have for the
most part been content to hold it quietly
in recent years. DIR. Douglas moves the
previous question, with an effect, we
may be sure, quite the opposite of such
a move in Parliament. He is described
as IAN accomplished Hebraist of long
experience and sober judgment" and it
will be interesting to note the result OF
his examination of the alleged proof of
composite authorship.
The catechism is already too long to
suit the modern taste, but an addition
to it is urgently needed. 1t should run
somewhat thus. @. What is the duty OF
every Christian and good citizen when
an unworthy man is nominated by his
party for any office, especially if he has
secured the nomination by corrupt
means? A. To vote against him and
to use every honorable endeavor to de-
feat his election. In the present condi-
ton of our politics. when such man
gets the nomination the party papers let
themselves down with some such plati-
tude as, "Mr. Jones is a sound Rspubli-
can," or "Mr. Smith is life long Demo
crat.' The voters gulp down their dis
gust and go and vote "solid' as usual;
and in due season rejoice over great
victory! This very thing is going on in
some thousands of districts in this great
country this very autumn.
Our vigilant and efficient conten-
porary. the Independent. frequently
makes it's columns channel of useful
information to the whole public. Last
week its pages were opened to exposi-
tory papers by number of eminent
specialists on the subject of modern sur
gerry. The advance in the science with
in the last quarter of century is par
ticularly emphasized. BY anssthetics,
antiseptics and the application of knowl-
edge derived from the study of bacteri.
ology to sterilization of fluids and air,
the science of surgery has been revolu-
tionized. And while there may be some
superstition attending the discoveries
and certain professional fussiness de-
veloped, the revolution has been on the
whole both beautiful and benefcent.
DIR. Peterson expresses the opinion that
1.-The science of surgery will probably
never make much further advance. for
the simple reason that there are no other
regions to explore" Perfecting of
means, methods and skill in manipula-
tion will constitute the progress in time
to come.
There has been computed, ION the
basis of the latest scientific and statisti-
cal sources accessible" suggestive table
oe h. !.