New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-15
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

A BROAD CHURCH UTTERANCE.-At a recent
meeting of the Episcopal Convention of Mis-
the Right Rev. c.. f. Robertson, preached a
sermon which ls exciting wide comment. Its
design was to specify what are the necessary
things beyond which the Church to-day should
not lay any burden on thu. people Speaking
| which the Church has always been liable is that
| of systematizing; or seeking to have filled
ont and ideally symmetrical belief; OF ela6or-
ating systems of faith and plans OF salvation.
| 1t has been unwilling as to any matter inseni-
| ously to say, We do not, as of faith, know; it
| has not been revealed The temptation has
been to start from the outer lines of revelation
| and say, Since this is SO. the inference which
follows naturally from 1t must also be true, and
of faith, therefore this also is tue, and to be
held This structure, thus little by little added
to. which at first has only the consistence Of
| individual belief, and pious fancy or opinion,
which finds expression only in devout ejacula-
TONS in sermons or prayers, at length fixes IT
self In canon, or formulary, or creed. These
differences grow like the barnacles on the ship,
and like them steadily impede its progress
They touch the truth at one point, and the
rest is a swelling superstructure without
authority. The Sisyphus effort to tarmonize
the Acknowledge of Sod and the freedom of
mans will is an instance with which we are
familiar. The mode of our Lords presence IN
the Holy Communion Is another matter in
which, along with definite Affirmation of the
fact there is in the Church an entire absence,
a of faith of any rationalizing explanation, sim
ply because this has been withheld from us IN
Gods Word.
Bishop WILLIAMS HoNoRED.-Ihe Hartford
Courant makes the following appreciative com
ment on the action of Yale College In confer
ring degree npon Bishop Williams: In hon
oring him that college has honored herself. He
is a man in whom all our people, without dis
tnction of creed, feel sense OF property. Re
pected for his requirements, loved for his
kindliness, revered for his goodness, he Is
man for any State to be proud OF and IL Is tit
and graceful thing that Yale has done in thus
testifying her sense of his worth. Some OF our
very oldest readers may think they can remem-
Der time when Yale would as soon have
thought of comforting the degree of DID. upon
the Pope himself as upon a Protestant Epls-
copal bishop. Rut we are a long way from that
time-supposIng it to have ever really existed"
A QUEER SoUETY.--Lord Shaftesbury il
president of a society for colonizing Jews in
the island of Cyprus. Then after while he
expects like another Moses to lead them all INTO
the promised land in order 10 fulfil certain
alleged Scriptural prophecies. He makes the
following statement OF his plan: We guar
antee ESQ fo- support this year of each family
in Cyprus, and the British Government take
them under their protection and will allot to
them suitable land. We ask immediate help IN
providing this sum for their settlement in the
island. That primary duty fulfilled, we intend
to continue the work in the Land of Promise
| ing Jews to setde In honest industry"
DIR. BoyAR.-Dr Horatius Bonar, the we'll
| known hymn writer, in a recent address, as
| moderator of the General Assembly of the
| Free Church of Scotland, lamented the rapid
decay of religion in the present age. The
old beliefs are vanishing, the old hopes are
| fading. and Christianity is becoming nothing
more than a name. DIR. Bonar sees in the
present reconstruction of religious. thought
| only the evidence of the coming triumph of
unbeief. Robertson Smith and those who
| think with him come in for large share OF
the blame for this state of affairs
The Ministerial Association of York, Penn,
| composed of clergymen from most OF the
! Protestant denominations, at a recent meeting
| passed a series of resolutions condemning the
sin OF Sabbath breaking, and calling upon rail-
road presidents especially to use their influence
| to prevent Sabbath travel.
| Bishop Pinkney, of Maryland, who has just
! died, was the fifth bishop of the diocese OF
| Maryland. A special meeting of the diocesan
| convention to elect q successor 10 him will
| probably be convened early in the autumn.
| What is announced as the greatest camp
! meeting to be held in the West this su mm or
will occur at Jacksonville, ILL.,, this week. 1t
| will be under the direction OF Harrison, the
Boy Preacher"
| There is a movement ON foot in Washing
| ton to erect % monument to Luther III that
| city, to be unveiled on the four hundredth
anniversary of his birth, November TO-
| Mr.. Robert Geer, of Albany, n. Y, has just
! presented to st. Pau's Church of that city a
| handsome early Gothic pulpit in memory OF his
| two wives deceased.
CURRENT RELIGIOUS OPINION