New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-16
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.


Buckley, the Editor of The Christian Adrocate,
has sent to his journal from England an inter
| estlng account OF a talk which he had with
Professor Robertson Smith in Edinburgh.
| After some jocular remarks, in answer to ques-
| tons, In regard to the avidity with which Amer
lean publishers had seized his book and had pub
| llshed 1t, without saying, BY your leave,
| sir, Professor Smith spoke of his relations to
| the Free Church and on other topics. He re-
| tanned the same ecclesiastical standing in the
| Church, he said as he did before the proceed
| ings for hercsy We're begun against him,
| and he could accept a passionate at any time.
For the present, however" he said, 81 shall
not preach, not being willing to stir up contro-
| verSv" As to the effect of his trial, lectures,
| publications and the general discussion OF the
| subject, Professor Smith said: " he more IN
| telligent ministers and laymen are looking INTO
| these things. They feel that they have not had
| placed before them all the established results
| of the studies of recent times. 1t has come To
| be believed that the less studious and thought
| full element has eXerted Il dsprOpOrtlOnate con-
| troll over the public mind and over the acton Oh
| the Church. Precisely how far this VIII go, ana
| what form the final results Will take, the future
! must show. 1t is not my desire to disturb the
Church. | have not in doctrine departed from
| it's Standards. But it is folly to suppose that
upon collateral issues an unyarylng form OF eX-
preston can be perpetuated from age to age, or
that investigation can yield no further results"
How do you answer the charge" asked Dr.
| Buckley, that yOur criticisms lead to unbe-
| licvihg ratOnalsm I" "WEat maintain was
! the reply, is simply that what the Bible con-
tains is valuable only as it assists IN presenting
| Christ to the hearts of men. This Is not la-
| tiona!ism. Far from it. | begin with Christ,
and end with Him. Certain parts OF the Old
| Testament have only local ana temporary APP
| plcatOn, and the human element IN them IS
not binding on our cOnscienceS, or capable OF
being assimllated with true ana symmetrical
conception OF Christ Professor smith, how
ever, said that ministers ought not to preach on
| these questions. lie did not. They should he
! vote Themselves to positive truth-trutl when
can he proved. illustrated, applied In view
| of the heresy trial Of Dir. Thomas, of Chicago,
| ard of the wide discussion OF his case, what
Professor Smith says IN regard to ecclcSlastlcdl
| discipline concerning the dOctrinal utterances
| of ministers will be read with unusual interest:
| Ii is impossible" he said, for an OrganlZa-
| ton to exist without q common basis OF bciIet.
| II minister breaches contrary 10 the StanuiiIuS
| he should be suppressed. If / had been guilty
| and proved guilty of denying the standards Oh
| the Church to which | belong, but one course
| would nave been open to the Assembly,
namely, to remove me from the ministry.
| Ministers. indeed, who do rot agree with the
| recognized standards which form the h0nd OF
! union should not remain. Honesty requires
| them not to wait to be thrust out. AS sald a
! few moments ago, while my opinions Oh some
| points dilcr widely from the opinions held
! thereon by some others, | claim that upon the
doctrines OF the Church | have uttered nothing
| contrary To the STANDARDS. III COHCIlSlon' ~
| Buckley saws: The interview To me was slim
| ulating and instructive. The impression -
whole is that he is almost Il phenomenon oI IN
| tcllcctual vigOr and alertncoS, ana that ne Is
! thoroughly sincere; that his views may perhaps
| he safely held by HIM, but that, logically IOl-
| lowed to their last results, they would Ica9
many to the verge OF rationalsuc unbehef, IL
not to the last fatal plunge
UvIrARG,Ns AND SCrENTIsTs.--Thc third
biennial session OF the Ministers Institute be,
Gan at Princeton, Mass, on October q, and
| lasted for several days. The institute * sus-
| tanned by Unitarian Clergymcn ami others vi 40
| come together To discuss metaphy sizes and rcli-
| gous topics and many scholars attend the
meetings. The Introductory address was de-
| livcrcd by the Rev. DR.. Henry W. Bellows, or
! this city. Among the other speakers and read
| crs of ESSAYS were Professor +, II. Heuge ana
| Professor William James, OF Harvard Unlver
| sity the Rev. John Ff>ke, Professor George l..
! Cary, of Meadville, Penn, and Professor
| Joseph H. Allen. a sketch OF the Oldest l III
| tartan community was the subject or professor
| Aliens paper, which contained some interesting
| information. Pennsylvania, he said, was the
| early home of Unitarianlsnl, and III the course
| of "A recent visit thlthcr lac HAD gathered some
| information about the struggles OF the lllst
| Unitarian clergynen. The native tongue Oh tne
! proplc-a sturdy, rcsOlute, manly Eace-ls the
| Nlgyar The influence of SOclnlan thought
| reached these people in the sixteenth century,
| and the sympathiZcrS with the new ialth that
! involved LOYALTY To Christ rs the manly Son OF
| God and not as the incarnation OF DEITY were
.ulicctrd 10 persecution without stint The
| iirSt preacher in IrdnsylvanIa IN the sixteenth
! century WAS Francis David. who became Il
| pronounced Unitarian III IJb6, ana VINO con-
| ycrted large proportion OF the people 10 HIS
po,ltion. He died in prison because OF ms re-
| iusal to adore the Christ as God. f0>tus
| Socnius went to Poland, where in l19S he was
! dragged through the streets OF CracoW on ac.
| count of his belief. here are at present,
| 81 II. !. Ipn an
! churches i'm Pennsylvania, and the people are
| zcalousy pushing forward their church work.
| They have Il wholesome, Out-Ol-d00r temper
and their intellectual faculties are more s!lscep-
! tiDlc to stimulus than are the emotional. ING
! preachers are unAsSumlng, sincere men. a
banning pTofcsSOTshlp Is desired IN thclr lead
! lug educational institution. On the following
! day the Rev DIR. X. llcbcr Newton anu IrO-
! frssOr Felix Adler were among the speakers;
! Tine sessions closed on FRIDAY, OctObcr I, ana
! ,,rrr recorded rs very successful. About 100
| clergymcn and scientific men were III attend
ance.
THE Work OF 4 GCoD MAN-Of the late
! lanes p. Brace, the Western agent Of the
! CLIIdrcn's Aid Society who has placed more
! than ten thousand children III Western homes,
| the Rev. Mr.. Griffith, who preached the funeral
| sermon at East NaNcTly, Conn, last Iuesuay,
! said in part When Il mans lie Is III tile
| line of the Gospel, the good that he does VIII
| live after him. People will listen years after
| tLis to "a bright, Intelligent farmer III Il far
! Western state with Bible in his hand advo-
eating some Christian benevolent enterprise
lie viii press home Lis points by the force OF
! illustrations from history, and from his own
| life experience. He will relate the story OF
his early life and the connection of James L.
Hracc With it, how mainly through his efforts,
directed 10y Providence, he was nourlShrd ny
Christian influences and thus grew into Chris
tian manhood. Some good Methodist brother
| in q far Western church will he heard regularly
"iying his experience in the weekly prayer
meeting. Occasionally he will speak, but he
viii always think OF Mr.. Brace when he speaks
and thinks Of Gods great mercy to hlm; Inc
from thc great metropolis, where sin and temp