Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-12-03
THE FLYING ROLL"
REV. DR.. TALMAGE AND THE RE-
uGIOUS NEWSPAPERS MISSION.
The Flying Roll" Zechariah Saw and the
Modern "Flying RolIs"-Journals That
Drop Benedictions Upon the Nstion-De-
nominational Differences.

Jus AlH(OulSO III. 4dlAlaktt lLH
shown the opportunities Of the secular
press, in this discourse speaks Of the
mission of religious newspapers. His
text is, "Then l turned and lifted up
mine eyes and looked, and behold fly
ing roll" (Zechariah V, u.
In dream the prophet saw some
thing rolled up advancing through the
heavens. 1t contained 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
tury 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, 600 newspapers The religious news
paper Of which l am the editor was
born 10 years ago, but born again z
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
1000, 900 readers Our country was
blessed with many religious journals,
edited by consecrated men, while their
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 con-
fagration, 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 denominatiOnal newspa-
per. When the millennium comes in, 1t
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 well 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. l would almost feel that a
great misfortune had happened me II
The Christian Intelligencer Of the Re
formed church (my mother church) did
not come to my house every week, for
was brought up on it, and it has become
a household necessity. Such denomi.
national journal had better be edited by
some one who, rocked in the cradle OF
that church and ordained at her altars,
having become venerable in her service
sits spectacled and wise and with heari
full of sacred memories addresses the
living of today. In the most sacred cryp
of our memory stands the statue OF the
religious editors Abel Stevens anC
Joshua Leavitt, and the royal family o.
the Primes-Ireneus and Eusebius-
while others linger Oh the banks OF th'
Jordan, where they will not have Ions
TO wait for Elijah's chariot, and whei
they 20 up, if we still be sitting at ou'
editorial desks, we will cry out in tn
memorable words, My father, my IA
ther. the chariot Of Israel and the horse
men thereof"
But. then, there are great movement
in which all denominations wish TO JOIN
and we want more undenominationa
newspapers to marshal and advance an'
inspire such movements. Yet such jour
mails have o difficult task, because al
Christian men, if they have behaves
well in their denominations, for som
reason preferred the one Of their natura
and spiritual nativity, and even lookin
off upon the general field and attempt
ing wider work will be apt to look a
things through denominational prefer
ence and to treat them with demon
national twist.
In the issuing Of the religious jour
nal whose seventh anniversary i preac
that difficulty has been met and oyei
come by the fact that its publisher is
Methodist, and in its editorial room
there are a Presbyterian, an Episcopa
: liam and Congregationalist, and lin
of denominational prejudice in editoria
or reportorial column would run again'
immediate protest. Against John We'
, levis free grace or Calvin's eternal d'
crees or Bishop McIlvaine's canonical
or DIR. Dowling's Baptistery from year
r end TO wears end not word is write
or printed. On all these subjects "
have convictions, but undenomination'
journalism is not the place to sta'
r them. He who tells all he knows an
expresses all he thinks ON all occasion
and in all places without reference
the proprieties is a boor or Gran
and Of no practical service either
U church or state.
Complete Unity.
Undenominationa journalism is a|
solutely necessary to demonstrate q
unitv Of tine Christian world. VIC
and desperate attempt is made to sho
that the religion of Jesus Christ is onl
battle-ground Of sects, and the ci
has been; "If you want us to accel
your religion, agree, gentlemen, as
what the Christian religion really l
This denomination says few drops
water dripping from the end of the fl
9. gers is baptism. and another deman'
the submergence of the entire bod
This one prays with book, and that OIL
II makes extemporaneous utterance. III
rector Of one delivers his sermon In
gown, while the backwoods preach