When the Emperor of China became disaffected toward Li Hung Chang during the war with Japan, and humiliated him by taking from him his peacock feather and his yellow jacket, all the Western world had a good laugh. We little dreamed that soon after the close of that war high dignitaries in a theological seminary of our own civilized country would imitate Li, not by putting off, but by putting on, the yellow jacket and peacock feather. But we have it on the authority of an editorial in the Independent that a trick of this kind was played by the professors of Union Theological Seminary on the last day of Professor Cheyne's recent lectures in that institution. The editor tells us that two or three years ago some of the dignitaries of the universities got together and agreed that on public occasions "the bachelor of arts should wear one sort of gown or toga, the master of arts another; the doctor of divinity should wear a scarlet hood hanging down on the back of his gown; the doctor of laws a hood of some other color, we forget what, and so through the list, and a special bar or stripe somewhere on the hood, we believe, should bear the colors of the institution which conferred the degree." He then describes the occasion just mentioned at Union:

      The other day Professor Cheyne delivered the last of his series of lectures in the chapel of the Union Theological Seminary in this city. The new president of the seminary was present and all the professors, and each doctor was resplendent in silk and scarlet. [265]

      Let the reader take notice that this was not an assembly of Roman Catholic bishops or cardinals, nor even of Episcopal bishops, but one of Presbyterian professors. But what kind of Presbyterians? The old-fashioned Presbyterian would as soon have appeared with a monkey's cap on his head and a hand-organ swung to his neck. These "polychrome scholars," as the Independent styles them, were the Presbyterian professors who, under the lead of Prof. C. A. Briggs, are trying to lead the young men of this country into disbelief of large portions of the Bible. How extremes do meet--starting off for something new in one direction, and in the other turning back to the dark ages and worshiping "man-millinery." The Independent very properly, though quite mildly, rebukes this folly, and I would be glad, if space permitted, to copy its editorial.

[SEBC 265-266]