The herald., 1897-11-21

We are told that his whole hope was
anchored on eternity and the following
interesting extract from the privat.
journal of Queen Victoria Is given of tn,
essentially religious tendency of Tenny
sons mind. He talked of the many
friends he had lost and what it wouit
be II he did not feel and know that there
was another world where there wou!t
be no partings; and then he spoke witt
horror of the unbelievers and philoso
piers who would make you believe there
was no other world, no immortality
who tried to explain all away In mis-
cradle manner. We agreed that were
such a thing possible God. who is love
would be far more cruel than any hui
man being" Shakespeare and the Bible
were Tennyson's books of books. Refer
ence is made to the following statement
Of Jewett: He (Tennyson) spoke of tive
things he conceived to be beyond the
intelligence of man, and it was certain
ly not repeated by him from any irrev-
erence-the one. the intellectual genius
Of Shakespeare; the other, the religious
genius of Jesus Christ"
1t is pleasant to know that the sweet
est singer and greatest thinker Of mod
ciH tliIleS was d ulIl btHtNci III VIC sS''-
timent that death is but the portal to
the life elysian.
November 25, 1647. the catechism of the
Westminster assembly of divines was
instituted by presentation to the speaker
of the house Of commons (England) by
DIR. Cornelius Burgess, the proprietor OF
the assembly. Hence, on the 25th or
November. 1897. will occur the two hun
dred and tiftieth anniversary of that in
teresting historical event. OF the edition
of 1647 only 600 copies, by special order
of the house, were printed for the serv-
ice of the lords and commons. with strict
injunction-in the absurd and narrow
spirit of the then parliament-to the
printers to print more copies at his
peril. One of the 600 copies has, how
ever, been preserved in the library of the
British museum. and we are informed
that this has been reproduced by pho
tographic process in absolute fac-simile,
under the auspices of the publications
committee of the Presbyterian church
of England.
A series of significant questions are
propounded by The Baptist and Re
hector NASHVILLE. Tenn.) as the result of
statement made by the Cumberland
Presbyterian of the same city. The lat
ter journal referred to the fact that DIR.
George A. Lotion is. in point of service,
the oldest Protestant pastor in Nash
Vile who has been continuously en-
ployed in the same church. and yet he
has been in that city only ten years.
Thereupon the Baptist and Reflector
says: "Dr Lotion has also served his
church longer than any Baptist city
pastor in Tennessee, though he is just
rounding out his tenth year" Then
asks that paper: "What is the natter
Why those frequent changes in the
pastorate? Why all this restlessness on
the part of the people and pastors? Is
it part of the general restlessness of
the age? Is it 4 result of the hard
times? Are the pastors themselves at
fault. or is the fault with the churches?
Who can answer these questions"
The changes complained of may be
said to be the result of combination o.
all these causes rather than the effect
of any one of them. 1t should be borne
in mind that the most thoroughly equip
ped preacher of the gospel will in few
years-wth many a few months suffice
exhaust the intellectual resources
and all the finet1rt and ability necessary
to the harmonious management of th.
average heterogeneous congregation.
The day will come, much sooner than
the cycle of ten years. in which even de-
vout members of the church will :pncy
they heard that eloquent morning dis
course before, while to the less charita-
bly, disposed it will appear more than :.
twice-told tale. But, apart from this
not to- be- wondered-at trait of human
nature. there is nothing particularly
alarming in those frequent changes ir
the pastorate. On the contrary, are
they not mutually refreshing and useful
to both pastor and congregation? \
new minister arouses new interest in the
incumbent, at least, if not in the church.
= :
One Of the leading features Of the
Worlds Congress of religions at Chi
cago in 1898. says the Literary Digest
fOctober). consisted in the lectures of
the Swami Vivekananda Hindu monk
on the Vedanta philosophy. He deliv-
cred lectures upon this subject in this
country after the congress adjourned
and these have been recently issued in
book form, entitled "Raja Ioga." This
term means the complete control of the
mind over the body, and the modus ope-
randi of this assumes the dignity of
a psychological science-a science of the
soul. In th1 Hindu mind this science
is just as exact as chemistry or astron-
omy. The worth of this so-called
science will at once appear when it is
stated that to the Hindu mind the soul
of the basest criminal would be happy
could it rise to the psychic state. To
teach how the soul can be made free of
the body, how to rise to a high state of
psychic control, is the purpose of the
Raja Yoga. In other words. it is re-
vival of the dream-land philosophy of
the oriental mystics, which, to the prac-
tical western, European and American
mind, is like Throwing sunshine into
the shade upon cock of hay" And yet
there are many otherwise intelligent
persons of this country and Europe who
are led away by this igns fatuus, and
who are deeply immersed in this fantas-
tical effort-this metaphy ysical rainbow
chasing over the illimitable hogs and
morasses of speculative thought.
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