The Monitor-register., 1897-12-03

Modern "Flyins Rolls"-Journals Thai
Drop Benedictions Upon the Nation-De-
n~ominational Differences.
copyright, 1897, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28.-In a previ-
Gus discourse DIR. Talmage, having
shown the opportunities of the secular
press, in this discourse speaks of the
mission of religious newspapers. His
text is, "Then I turned and lifted up
mine eyes and looked, and behold a fly
ing roll" (Zechariah V, u.
In a dream the prophet saw some
thing rolled up advancing through the
heavens. 1t contained a divine message.
1t. moved swiftly, as on wings. 1t had
much to do with the destiny of nations.
But if you will look up you will see
many flying rolls. They come with
great speed and have messages for all
the earth. The flying rolls of this CEN
fury are the newspapers. They carry
messages human and divine. They will
decide the destiny of the hemispheres.
There are in the United States about
20, 900 newspapers. The religious news
paper of which I am the editor was
born 10 years ago, but born again 7
years ago. In this brief time it has
grown to about 200, 900 circulation,
and, by the ordinary rule of calculating
the readers of a paper, it has about
l, 200, 900 readers. Our country was
blessed with many religious journals,
oli+aa INV oancooro+o1 ,,aon wh51a +Ioi-
contributors were the ablest and best of
all professions and occupations. Some
of those journals for half a century had
been dropping their benedictions upon
the nation, and they live on and will
continue to live on until there will be
no more use for their mission, the world
itself having become a flying roll on
the tempests of the last day, going out
of existence. There will be no more
use for such agencies when the world
ceases, because in the spiritual state we
shall have such velocity that we can
gather for ourselves all the news of
heaven, or, seeing some world in II
~flagration, may go ourselves in an in
slant to examine personally the scene
of disaster. =
All Regiments In One Army.
Was there room for another religious
journal in this land, already favored
with the highest style of religious jour
nalism? Oh, yes, if undenominational,
plenty of room! Nothing can ever take
the place of the UNCONVENTIONAL newspa-
per. When the millennium comes in, it
will find as many denominations as there
are now. People according to their
temperaments will always prefer this
or that form of church government, this
or that style of worship. You might
as we'll ask US all to live in one
house as to ask us all to worship in one
denomination or to abolish the regi-
ments of an army in order to make them
one great host.
Each denomination must have its own
journal, set apart especially to present
the charities, explain the work and for
ward the interests of that particular
sect. The death of one denominational
journal is a calamity to all the other de-
nominations. I would almost feel that a
great misfortune had happened nj if
The Christian Intelligencer of the Re-
formed church (my mother church, did
not come to my house every week, for l
was brought up on it, and it has become
a household necessity. Such a denomi-
national journal had better be editedsby
some one who, rocked in the cradle of
that church and ordained at her affairs,
having become venerable in her service,
sits specialized and wise and with heart
full Of sacred memories addresses the
living of today. In the most sacred crypt
Of our memory stands the statue of the
religious editors Abel Stevens and
Joshua Leavitt, and the royal family of
the Primes-Iren9us and Eusebius-
Jordan, where they will not have long
to wait for Elijah's chariot, and when
they go up, if we still be sitting at, our
editorial desks, we will cry out in the
memorable words, my father, my IA
Their, the chariot of Israel and the horse
men thereof"
But, then, there are great movements
in which all denominations wish to join,
and we want more undenominational
newspapers to marshal and advance and
inspire such movements. Yet such jour
nails have a difficult task, because all
Christian men, if they have behaved
well in their denominations, for some
reason preferred the one of their natural
and spiritual nativity, and even looking
off upon the general field and attempt
ing wider work will be apt to look at
things through UNCONVENTIONAL prefer
ence and to treat them with a denom-
national twist.
In the issuing of the religious jour
nal whose seventh anniversary l preach
that difficulty has been met and over
come by the fact that its publisher is a
Methodist, and in it's editorial rooms
there are a Presbyterian, an Episcopal
liam and a Congregationalist, and a line
of UNCONVENTIONAL prejudice in editorial
or reportorial column would run against
immediate protest. Against John Yves
ley's free grace or Calvin's eternal de-
crees or Bishop McIlvaine's c%anonicals
or DR.. Dowling's Baptistery from years
end to years end not a word is written
or printed. On all these subjects we
have convictions, but undenominational
journalism is not the place to state
them. He who tells all he knows and
expresses all he thinks ON all occasions
and in all places without reference tic
the proprieties is a boor OF a crank
and of no practical service either tc
church or state.
Complete Unity.
Undenominational journalism is alb.
so1utely necessary to demonstrate the
unity of the Christian world. Wide
and desperate attempt is made to show
that the religion of Jesus Christ is only
a battle-ground of sects, and the cry
has been: eff you want us to accept
your religion agree, gentlemen, as to
what the Christian religion really is.
This denomination says a few drops Of
water dripping from the end of the fin
gers is baptism, and another demands
the submergence of the entire body.
This one prays with book, and that one
makes extemporaneous u~tteTance. The
rector of one delivers his sermon in q
gown, while the backwoods preacher
Of another sect addresses the people in
his shirt sleeves. Some of your denomi-
nations have the majestic dominant in
the service and others ~spontaneity.
Some of you think that from all eterni'
ty some were predestinated to be saved,
and that from all eternity others were
doomed" Now, it is the business Of
Young Mems Christian associations and
tract societies and Sunday school unions
and pronounced undenominationai jour
nails to show the falsity Of the charge
that we are fighting among ourselves by
gathering all Christian denomination
on one platform or launching the unit
ed sentiment of all Christendom from