THAT TERRIBLE YEAR 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3446, 10 January 1880, Page 2

THAT TERRIBLE YEAR 1881.

In his sermon recently, the Venerable Archdeacon Inhess took occasion to'refer to certain paragraphs which bare lately appeared in the newspapers, foretelling all sorts of judgments upon the earth, to be caused by a conjunction of certain planets in the year 1881. Hejtrongly cautioned his hearers against believing that the* Almighty had been so care* less about his work, that the earth and stars were always, liable to be getting out of order, and he partly condemned the modern pulpit for teaching the people that God's judgments were delivered in a capricious manner. For instance, some men go out sailing in a boat on a Sunday, and are capsized and drowned; next Sunday the pulpit declares it was God'e judgment on these men for Sabbath-breaking, ignoring the fact that a hundred other boats were out on the same day, and returned in safety. These accidents were not caused through the caprice of God, but by either of the men not knowing how to manage the boat, or else by their taking too much strong beer, as a general rule. He stated be was not afraid of the stars going wrong, and causing a pestilence. There was more danger of pestilence here from the sparrows—which God did not bring here,, but man did—than from the stars. These little creatures carried feathers and straws' from the filthiest places, filled up the water-channels With them, and thus poisoned the water which people drank, causing diphtheria'and such like complaints. People went about with their heads turned to the sky, looking for a star to fall upon them, when, if they had been gazing upon the ground, they would not have fallen over a rock and hurt themselves.—Hamilton Spectator.