Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-07
SECULAR suors At the PULPIT.

Boston Transcript: There appears to be
another heresy trial ahead but these ahaire
do not interest us as much as they inter
estei our ancestors, who. IL they were bored
by the proceedings, we're buoyed UP by the
confident expectation OF seeing the hereto
burned in the market place. Nowadays the
hereto has a brilliant career opened to him,
II he really be hereto to some purpose.
Brooklyn Eagle Charles Dickens used 10
tell story of a preacher, in one of the
midland counties who could beat Parker at
his own game of gilt-edged swearing. The
preacher was liberal politician. and once
olIlciated at the funeral Of cousin OF the
editor of a tory newspaper. The editor was
present, In his alleged prayer the min
lister remarked: "Oh Lord, bless this af-
ilicted dispensation Of thine allwise Provi-
dence unto all here gathered including the
reptile sprawling before thee, who hath fire.
quently abused thy servant, in the columns
Of his beastly publication
Chicago Chronicle: The clergymen who
have inaugurated a crusade for the removal
of women's hats during church services make
little headway as compared with the similar
movement by theatcr managers. The reason
is very simple, as in the latter case the re-
moval of headgcar is made compulsory, how
ever diplomatic the enforcement of the ordi-
nance may be, while in the new church
crusade there is nothing but an appeal to the
voluntary good sense of the bonnet wearers
themselves Alas for the brittle reed on
which the clerical crusaders lean for sup
port. If all members of the clergy were
women they would know better than to re-
quest the feminine portion of the congrega-
tion to hide their creations of the milli-
ner's art under a bushel.
New York Tribune: The mock marriage
Of two children which took place on Friday
evening in q church of Coney Island was
an offense at once against decency, morality
and religion. 1t is passing strange that rep
utable people, and more especially church
members, can lend themselves to a travesty
of so solemn and important rite. We hear
many complaints nowadays of the low esti-
nation in which marriage is held, evidenced
by the frequency of divorces. But how can
irreligious people be expected to honor a
rite when church members are found bur
lesquing it in order to make an evenings
entertainment? And how can the children
who were made to take part in this sacri-
legious mummery be expected to look at
marriage as anything more than joke when
they grow up? Even thoughtlessness can
not serve as an excuse for such a perform
ance.
Philadelphia Times: DR.. Briggs is not
finding that haven of rest that he sought in
the Episcopal church. After his stormy eX-
perience among the Presbyterians, the
learned Biblical critic renounced their min
istry and was confirmed by Bishop Potter
and admitted as candidate for holy or
ders. After a period of probation in the
diaconate the bishop now proposes to ordain
Dr. Briggs to the priesthood, but he ap-
parently wished to do this without pub
licity and appointed special ordination dur
ing the coming month in a suburban parish
church, st. Peters Westchester. The rec
tor, Rev. DR.. Clendennin, objected. He not
only requested the bishop to hold the ordi-
nation somewhere else, but entered a solemn
protest against DR.. Briggs being ordained
anywhere to the priesthood of the Episcopal
church." setting forth his reasons in a long
arraignment of DR.. Briggs teaching about
the Bible. Bishop Potter has accordingly
Cancelled the appointment at st. Peters,
without announcing where the ordination
would be held.