to be made in favor, also, of journals serving certain special purposes not concerned particularly with questions having moral bearings. This, then, confines our attention to that large class of miscellaneous newspapers dealing with matters of general interest and having essential influence upon morals.

Doubtless it is true that the press of the present day has come to be a mere index of public sentiment. Ought it not rather to be an element of power in molding the public mind for moral safety? We have to-day in this country a large and increasing number of journals, furnishing accurate statements and lucid discussions of financial and political questions, both national and international. Why, it may be asked, should it be thought an improper thing for a journal of respectable standing to hold as well-defined and accurate views upon moral questions? Why should news be always of the most sensational character? Why may not one be permitted to read a clean statement of facts, upon a page free from all disgusting particulars dug up out of the filth by some reporter pandering to indecency of thought? Why should it be thought a thing improper for a convention of religious people to be given an honest column, while the latest "mill" between two brutish men is, if mentioned at all, crowded to a corner of small proportion?

The treatment of the problem of intemperance to-day is left to journals making a specialty of temperance discussion, or to religious papers able to speak of it only in a limited space because of the pressure of other interests upon their notice. In each case what is written is likely to reach only those having already strong opinions in favor of temperance. Ought we not to have newspapers which are clear on this question? Undoubtedly we ought.

The social evil to-day is often helped along by journalists of loose morals, or by journalists under the domination of a constituency having loose ideas upon this subject-which amounts to the same thing. The demoralization prevalent in some sections of the country, with regard to the enforcement of laws against certain classes of criminals, becomes "confusion worse confounded" under the treatment of many newspapers. Villainous combinations for defending evils are allowed to exist because a public organ of sufficient conscience and nerve to drive it out of existence is wanting. That arch criminal, the rumseller, takes advantage of the apathy and blindness of the people and the cowardice and sympathy of rum-led or rum-made officials to carry on his business indefinitely. An editor having convictions on the subject might at least awaken public spirit to eradicate the evil. Lynch law has become the order of the day in certain sections of the country. News sheets publish wholesale the dishonorable details and defend the perpetrators of a worse type of murder than lynch law ever attempts to avenge.

We may well ask, What is to be the end of all this? The inventors of the modern rapid printing presses have conjured up a spirit difficult to control. If power sometimes is put into the hands of good and safe men, to the end that some thousands of individuals may be influenced by

them for good by the aid of printing, it is also within the power of evil men and men of loose thought to sway multitudes by the same means. And it would seem that more energy is put into the business and that presses of the greatest speed are used by the latter class.

In the mind of the writer the ideal newspaper, the one great need of the future, must embody, as elements of usefulness, a clear and spicy presentation of facts, that it may be readable as a news sheet; a preference always for clean, wholesome treatment of public questions, particularly of moral ones; a fearless handling of evils, under whatever name, and no matter by what influential means they may be supported; such an attitude toward the religious convictions of the people as shall tend rather to conserve and build up than to destroy the same. In fine, the ideal paper of the future must be a champion of moral reform and must lift up the standard for advance in every good thing. In the name of all common sense, why should this ideal be out of all reach? I do not think it is. I believe we ought to have, and will have sometime, a class of clean journals, edited by conscientious, able men. Evans, Colo.

J. A. LONG.

"BRIMSTONE OR ROSEWATER."

YEARS ago the now sainted Bishop Thomson wrote an editorial for a Methodist paper with the above caption, strongly inveighing against the sickly sentimentalism so largely substituted for the fiery and vigorous Gospel of the days of our fathers, and ardently urging a return to the preaching of the "law of the Lord," which is "perfect" and powerfully efficient in the conversion of souls. Subsequently, that great thinker and writer, Dr. Curry, who seemed to despise above everything else an "emasculated Gospel," noticed and enforced the exhortation with characteristic vigor. Do we not need a similar reminder in our day? The charge so frequently made by our Universalist friends, that she fears to preach the eternal suffering of the finally impenitent, tells heavily against orthodoxy; as in the main the preaching of the law, which is "holy, just, and good," is seldom heard, as of old, in her pulpits. And in this bad custom Methodism seems conspicuous.

But if the trend continues much longer in this direction will we not need the service of another John Wesley? Do we not need a strong but friendly hand to turn us back into the "old paths," lest we be overtaken in the enemy's land? Surely the "foundations" have been "moved." Before long Hades will be less dreadful than the cave of Adullam, and the sting of death will be almost entirely taken away. Have we not lost our way? Should not a halt be called? Shall not the constitution be revised, in order to secure better bearings and the reaching of a safe harbor? We drop the hint and await the issue. Who will clear away the mists and pour the light of truth upon our pathway? Let him come forth in the name of God and sound doctrine, and he shall be heard.

Catawissa, Pa.

J. B. MANN.

THE ITINERANTS' CLUB.

NOTES ON HARMAN'S "INTRODUCTION," CHAPTER VI. THIS chapter is devoted to an historical treatment of the criticism of the Pentateuch. The student should note that the current view of the Mosaic authorship is also the earlier view. So far as the external evidence is concerned the authorship of Moses is well established. The philosopher Philo, the historian Josephus, and the Christian fathers affirm the Mosaic authorship, so that the voice of the early Christian Church, as well as the conclusions of the Jews, harmonize with the teachings of Christ. It will be seen from this chapter that the consensus of thought until the eleventh century favored the Mosaic authorship, and that the earliest criticism was not an attack on the recognized belief as a whole, but was confined to a few points, namely, Gen. xxxvi, 31; Deut. xxxiv, and a few other passages. It was at the period of the Reformation and immediately following it that the destructive criticism was introduced. The Reformation gave scope to free inquiry and allowed attacks which had not before been extensively employed. In this chapter we notice also, after the middle of the seventeenth century, the rapid development of a sentiment antagonistic to the Mosaic authorship, in Hobbes, Peyrère, Spinoza, Richard Simon, and Le Clerc. The eighteenth century produced Bolingbroke, a bitter antagonist of the Mosaic authorship, and Carpzov, Michaelis, Eichhorn, and others, who, in a greater or less degree, defended it. The nineteenth century has been prolific in literature on the Pentateuch, and the chief contributors to it are mentioned in this chapter. Most of the writers are antagonistic to the received view, notably Graf, Wellhausen, and Kuenen, whose views have gained wide currency and have had great influence over many of the younger scholars of our time. All, however, do not find the same reasons for their conclusions. Some go so far as to deny the supernatural in the whole history, and others admit the supernatural while rejecting the authorship of Moses. It will be seen that Kuenen acknowledges that Moses was the leader of the Israelites in Egypt, that "the Exodus is an historical fact," and that the ten commandments "are derived from Moses." The value of these admissions must be carefully weighed. The later defenders of Moses have not been so numerous, at least in their published works, but they have not been wanting. The author mentions Professor Curtiss, Professor Watts, Professor Green, and others. The literature on the side of the Mosaic authorship is just beginning to come into prominence. Only recently have the defenders of the old faith felt the necessity laid upon them of aggressive action, and hence the delay in responding to a series of attacks which should, perhaps, have received attention before.

While the student should study with care all the writers whose names are mentioned by the author, he should lay special emphasis on those modern scholars on both sides of the question who have made the most decided 31-FIFTH SERIES, VOL. X.

impression upon the times. The sixth chapter is very important as preparing the way for the critical discussions that follow. A very clear conception of the points of difficulty raised by scholars is of the utmost importance in enabling one to appreciate all that appears from time to time on the subject of the Pentateuch.

In reviewing this chapter let the student give special attention to the following important particulars:

1. The names of those who have favored the Mosaic authorship in the different centuries.

2. The names of those who have maintained the opposite view, in a greater or less degree.

3. The points of variance and of agreement on the part of those who have antagonized the current view. This will enable the student to note the consensus or the conflict of scholarship upon this question.

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4. The dates at which certain forms of objection arose, and the persons who first introduced them. It will be observed (p. 70) that the hypothesis of Elohistic and Jehovistic documents originated with Astruc in an anonymous work published in 1753." This has proved a fruitful source of speculation, which has variously expanded the number of documents supposed to have been used in the compilation of the Pentateuch, according to the mental habits or caprices of individual critics.

5. The position of the newer criticism on each side of the question of the Mosaic authorship.

This chapter will show that the hostile forces are not a harmonious and well-disciplined army whose cohorts act in concert and in mutual support of one another, but are often a loosely compacted host, obeying conflicting leaders, mutually destructive one of another, and united by no single bond save a common desire to overthrow the orthodox positions.

THE MINISTERIAL STUDENT IN COLLEGE-SOME MISTAKES. In previous papers the candidate for the ministry is supposed to have been entered as a student in college and to have begun his college course. But he has scarcely taken up the regular work prescribed by the faculty before schemes to modify the course in some particulars come to him or are brought to his attention. Some one tells him that it is possible to abridge his stay in college by taking studies with some other class in addition to his regular work, and thus diminish his residence by at least a year. The desire to save time in preparation and to enter more speedily upon his chosen work of saving men is very commendable and should be given due weight. As an argument in its favor it will be cited that some men now eminent in the Church have done so and, by their after success, have demonstrated the wisdom of the plan.

But this haste on the part of students is greatly deprecated by all college faculties and works lasting injury to the young men who yield to it. It is destructive of that exact scholarship which is largely the aim of a college

course.

The college is not so much a place to get information as a place

where opportunity is afforded to secure mental discipline and to lay a thorough foundation of scholarship. To do this will require time. Accurate investigation cannot be made hurriedly. "Make haste slowly" is a law of special application to students. A mere committing of words and phrases to memory, a rapid glance at a lesson before entering the class room, a general and vague conception of the subject in question do not constitute the best training. One who would make the best use of his college life should prepare each lesson carefully, discover its salient points, note its bearings, and thus make each step a basis for succeeding steps. This haste also fails to accomplish the object proposed. No matter how hard one studies, he cannot in a year do more than one year's work. Passing through the course and passing satisfactory examinations thereon do not fulfill the real ends of a college education. There must be growth, mental and spiritual development, a constant expanding of the faculties. These cannot be gained by extraordinary efforts, but must be wrought by slow and daily toil. The courses of study in institutions of learning have been prepared by wise and experienced teachers and are the results of extended observation. They measure what a student can safely undertake; and he who uses his faculties to excess in order to do more will really accomplish less in actual scholastic results.

It must also be remembered that for the needs of the ministry such haste is unnecessary. There is at present an ample supply of ministers for the demands of our Church, and the cry of the Church is not for more preachers, but for better preparation on the part of those who enter its service. When new fields were being opened more rapidly than at present there was a great demand for young men, and often mere boys were pushed forward into the ministry. But now, especially in our older communities, the "boy preacher" is no longer sought after, but men are required who can rightly divide the word of truth. The people are anxious to have well-qualified ministers, especially such as are thoroughly fitted by study and by experience to expound the Gospel. They prefer to wait for young men to finish their studies rather than have them rush prematurely into the ministry. It is a great mistake for a student to cut short his course. It injures his health by over-application, and at the same time impairs his scholarship and his future usefulness.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE "ITINERANTS' CLUB."

DIAGNOSIS Should precede treatment. We therefore preface our suggestions by a brief statement of the case under consideration. It must be borne in mind that the objects to be secured by the Conference course of study are information, disciplined mental power, and studious habits. The unprepared condition of a large number, if not a majority, of the brethren in the course must also be remembered. They begin and finish their studies with few or no reference books, and have access to very limited libraries. The worry over two sermons weekly is greater during this period than at any subsequent time, and of course the sermons are