The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-30
Exchange Notes.
Topics of the Day Discussed.
a OUHIrauIct1On IN Terms.
(Christian Work.

A Contradiction in Terms.
(Christian Work.
The Presbyterian makes a plea of
shack to Christ and back to St. Paul
Also" The plea is not without signifi
canoe. A purely physiological West
minister Confession is contradiction in
terms.
Ideas Sometimes a Plague.
(Journal & Messenger.)
Ideas are sometimes put forward for
purpose, and if not vigorously opposed, are
accepted and become part of a nations
prejudice, though wholly untrue. They
are likely to remain to plague the next
generation.
Lowering the Pulpit"
independently
There are several things that may lower
the pulpit, such as a mercenary minister
who cares only for the money, or social
opportunity, or applause he may COM
mand and not for the welfare of his flock;
the preaching of anything that cannot be
compromised in the broad term right
eousness; ministry of doubt; discrimi-
nation against the many and in favor of
the few; minister of bad character.
The European Game.
(Examiner.)
The game of cross purpose between the
Powers regarding the Turkish question
goes merrily on The bone of contention
just now is, Shall coercion be ATTEMPTED
England and Italy favor stern measures,
Russia and France are willing (2) to CO.
cree but don't want to do it in England's
way, and Germany stands squarely op-
posed, contending that the Sultan must
be left to carry out the proposed reforms.
Meanwhile-what?
Burning Ingersol1 in Ehigy,
Northwestern Advocate.)
IL IS averred that company of the Sal
walton Army burned Robert G. IngersolI
in effigy. We regret this unwise zeal.
While 1t savors of laudable earnestness,
it convicts good men of deficiency of
good taste, tolerance, and dignified COM
mon sense Thousands will be prompt to
dlsavow the act and its unmannerly want
OF wisdom. We hope that the army will
not suffer unduly. The act was exception
al and does not represent the spirit of the
church.
Ex-tempore Discourse.
New York Observer.)
The truest kind of lex tempore" dis
course is that which is ''ex omnibus tenn
porlbus" and also sin tempore." No man
can speak well upon the spur of the mo-
ment who does not speak from out of all
his experience of the times that have
been, and with due regard to the exigen-
cies of the time that then is. The phrase
Tex tempore DISCOURSE thus contradicts
itself, unless it be wholly limited to the
language which the moment supplies. The
orator may, indeed, then robe his thought
in the toga of expression, but the body
of thought itself must have been of slow
growth.
Dogmatic Theology not Essential in Mis-
siOnary Work.
(Interior)
Our missionaries in eastern Asia and
Japan have for sometime awakened sus-
picion in some minds that they are losing
their interest in dogmatic theology. 1t is
perfectly natural that they should 1t is
not essential in their work They are
pitting the essential truths of Christiani-
ty unencumbered with non-essentials,
against the oriental religions--and that is
what missionaries and evangelists have
done in all the ages and are doing now in
America as against every kind of false re-
ligion and unbelief Go into any revival
meeting and you will hear it,
Sunday School Literature.
(Zion's Herald.)
Crippled lads, consumptive mothers,
angelic little girls with spinal complaint,
infdel fathers, lingering death beds,
famished families, innocent convicts, per-
secuted school boys and friendless chill
dren wrongfully accused of theft, have
held their own mournfully for many years.
1t is time we admitted, even into religious
fiction, some of the conscious joys of a
not altogether miserable world, so as
not to make ''religion and literature-the
two things which should make up the
sum of our happiness''-twin conspirators,
'sunder the guise of Sunday-school fic-
tion," against the natural and spontan-
eous brightness and buoyancy of child
hood.
The Arbitration Treaty.
The Advance.)
We have not attached much credit to
the protest against war with Great Brit
ain on the ground that we are cousins; for
if they were not our cousins we would
have no more right to kill them off. But
the protest against war between the two
most enlightened nations of the world was
valid because IL would have been a sin
against light, violation of the highest
instincts of a cultivated humanity,
trampling down of the religious teaching
of our temples of worship, of the Chris
tian home, of our literature and educa-
tional institutions. Both nations have
reached a point of Christian civilization
where the supremacy of reason and right
eousness over brute force must assert it.
self in conspicuous form. And this is what
the treaty does. 1t is declaration to the
world that the weary and bloody way of
war has come to an end so far as conflicts
between the two leading nations of the
earth are concerned.
Herbert Spencer's Forecast.
(PreSbyterlaD)
Mr.. Herbert Spencer, who is growing to
be quite an old man, has come into public
view lately afresh nv the notification of