The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-24

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sages from New York indicate that
several popular preachers occupied
themselves on Sunday in advocating
war with Spain. in the same intemper-
ate strain of indiscriminate criticism
of the National Government, and heed
less disregard of consequences, with
which We are only too familiar from the
lips of irresponsible political dema
gogues. Surely Christian ministers,
above all, ought to recognize the fact
that war is a monstrous evil, and never
to be reSorted to until all other methods
have failed. 1t is a sad keynote for
Christmastide, the great reminder of
peace and good will, to sound the call
to arms
There is a great demand in these
days" says the New York observer"
Pres), for practically in the pulpit.
Give us practical sermons,' is the pop
ular cry. This now is all right, provid-
ed always that we do not narrow the
term practical down to the straight
ened limits of the particular bread
butter things in which we happen for
the time to be interested. For the
preaching at one juncture of a great
doctrine of Christian truth is in its
way as practical as a patchwork of
pulpit comment upon the minutae of
everyday experience is at another. To
go to the root of the whole matter,
there is nothing more really practical
for a man than for him to consider
how to be saved, and such considera-
ton OF necessity involves the thought
or certain abstract truths and relations.
We are unable, therefore, to approve
the estimate of those who think that
that is the only practical preaching
which talks not of visions of the skies,
not Of doctrines or creeds, but of du-
ties and drudgeries, of marketings and
merrymakings, of loaves and fishes, of
habits and tempers, of speech and So
ciety. Paul who has seen not only
a Jesus, but also truth of Jesus,
which, under the guidance of the Spirit
of God, he has systematiZed into
magnificently metaphysical theology,
is as practical in his way as a James
or a Jude, who are generally thought
of as the apostles of right living and
well-doing.'
THE whole tendency of modern edu
cation observes the New York
"Churchman" P. Ed, is to raise in a
youth the determination not to remain
in the station in which it has pleased
God he should be born, and it is only the
exception when a man is contented to be
just what his father was before him.
The son of the present day intends to be
a richer man. or a better Informed man,
or more independent man than his
father. This is we'll, so long as increase
of opportunity keeps pace with advance
in desire; but when desire outstrips OPP
portunity, discomfort begins The CEN
Trailing tendency of modern industry
and commerce has had the effect of re-
ducing the opportunity of the average
man to achieve independence and COM
potency. The commercial world is every
year calling for a larger army of men
who are mere servants, absolutely with
out hope of ever being anything more
than doors of narrow and mechanical
duties, and all the while the educational
world is turning out youths who are fit
ted for almost anything but that sort of
employment This is state of affairs
which is engaging the attention of stu
dents of social phenomena the world
over. 1t is we'll worth all the eloquence
the pulpit can bring to bear upon it,
and all the thought that men of affairs
can give to it. If the burdens of the
poor are to be lightened at all, it can
only be done by the exercise of practical
Christianity. 1t will not be done by
socialistic theories, nor by labor legisla-
ton, nor by any forcibe overturning of
the social order The founder of Christ
ianity never proposed any other way of
reforming society than by reforming the
individual. The attempt was made more
than once to entrap Him into declaring
in some upheaval of existing institu-
tons, but it always failed. Every pre-
cept He uttered was addressed to the
individual conscience"
"The pastor who confines his warnings
to those people who are not present to
hear him, wakes eloquent over the in
iquity of political methods and the va
carries of Ingersoll, while he remains 81
lent in regard to the worldly lives of his
own people and their neglect of parental
of his church." says the STANDARD
Bap.) Of Chicago, 80 faras one man can
be responsible for others. If the pulpit
is losing power as a factor in the worlds
life, it is because the preachers have de-
scended from their high prophetic office
to advertise themselves by means of
'preludes, stereopticons and bands
They msjudge the spirit of the age who
think that the preacher must no longer
speak with authority, but must discuss
theology as an open problem, defending
his own hypothesis, but not claiming for
it universal validity More than ever
before does the world need preachers
who can speak with authority based on
firm conviction of divine truth, not on
the assumption of superiority in natural
ability or in education which a century
ago gave the minister an unquestioned
leadership. After all, does not the fault
lie rather in lack of courage in the
pastoral relation than in want of faith
full preaching? The pastor may preach
once a month on the duty Of Christian
service and accomplish nothing, unless
In his intercourse with his people, in
their homes as well as at church, he
urges untiringly upon them the particu-
lar form of service which he desires
them to undertake"
LONG AGO.
1 once knew all the birds that came
ln1 in,