The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-12-22

nOminational character of their inStftu-
| tions, and are not criticised by the pub
| lie for doing so, there are some BaptISts
who feel that it is an illustration of our
'bigotry' if we insist upon having our
colleges retain their denominational
affiliations and character, and the daily
press is wont to characterize those who
criticise this policy as religious moss
| backs. What in a Presbyterian OF
| Episcopal is denomina tional fealty, IN
BaptistS is bigotry sectarianlsm we
are inclined to believe that the move
ment for making some OF our coilegeS
Undenominational has its roots in SenSi-
tiveness to these sneers. 1t has seemed
to some brethren that the way TO dis
prove the charge Of narrowness Of sec
tarianism is TO surrender eYerythins
that is distinctive OF our faith, 10 assail
even the mild denominattOnal control
and affiliations Of our colleges, TO put
instructors of other denominations in
our theological seminaries, and meekly
to concede every position that may be
assailed Now this weak and tinid
policy is not serving the end of remoy-
ing the reproach of Sectarianism from
the Baptists. On the contrary, ii is Civ
ing colcr 10 il. When men see US so
fearful of being misunderstood or lam
pooned, they reason that we are con-
sciOus that their criticism is just. For
our part, while We would disapprove Of
any attempt to make our colleges the
instrument of sectarian propagandism,
which they have never been, we see no
reason why they should not be as un-
equivocally loyal TO the denominat ton
as Columbia or Racine is to the Episco-
palians. or Harvard to the Unitarians,
or Princeton 10 the Presbyterians. Let
US get rid of the notion that the fact
that Rochester or Brown or Colgate or
Colby is a Baptist college is to be de-
Tended, or apologized for, or explained
away. Episcopalans or Unitarians or
Presbyterians do not do it. Why should
We?'
"a word as to the relations of nucleus
and nebula,' says the Christian Regis
ter CUnit.) of oBston. 1.-The nucleus in
every club, church, conference, and 9TH
er organization of benevolence and re-
ligion will consist, first of all, Of the
principles which give the institution a
right to be. Secondly, and of next i'm
portance, it is made up of the persons
who are loyal to those principles, who
are willing to work with them, who take
jt for granted that it is part of their
common life and duty to maintain these
principles, to make them effective not
merely in the institutions to which they
are loyal, but to the world about them
for the welfare of which the institution
exists The persons who constitute this
nucleus. instead of regarding it as a
hardship that upon them come the duty
and responsibility of maintaining the
constant pull towards the center, ought
TO regard IL as a position of the highest
honor. They ought TO rejoice in IL, and,
without any regard to the gratitude or
ingratItude of those upon whom they
work, should look to the end to be gain
ed by the eXertion of influence. Com
paratively a few must constitute the
nucleus; but, they being faithful. the
nucleus grows, the central attraction
increases, the new world begins to
shape itself"
In an article on Rural Religion the
Living Church (P. Ed of Chicago re-
marks: In circles where religion con-
tinues to be an organized force there
are first the usual denominations, Con-
gregatiOnaliSt PreSbyterianS, and
Meth odists. for the most part, and next
a number of sects little known or heard
Of in cities, but sometimes exhibiting
surprising strength of numbers. Such, |
for instance, are the Dunkards and the |
Omish, a sect which makes the question |
Of button1holes and hooks and eyes a |
test of true religion. Here
and there The SpirftualisGs have gained |
a foothold. But the true rural popha- |
ton appears to be mostly unattached |
and to have little to do with religion
except when some travelling revivaliSt, |
whose antecedents and sectarian rela-J