, 1886-05-16
RELIGIOUS OPINION.

Bishop Henry C. Potter, writing on hi,
own office in Ths Church Eclectic, says:
ITO remember that the church is a church
and not n sect, a who.e AMI not a fragment.
Catholic before all. and therefore not Angli-
cnn, or E%vangelican, or Protestant merely
this is something that belongs prominently
to one who would exercise the true
power of the Episcopate in days like
these. | would no. be misunderstood here,
and | will not be. For that loose-jointed
optimism which accounts one mans credo MS
good as another's; which disregards or dis
e teens the sacred obligation of the church's
historic formularies; which forgets that be-
fore the life that is to be lived there Is not
only n faith, but the faith to be kept, | have
the s~cantiest respect. But we may not for
get that, us in Apostolic days, there was the
Pau inc and the Petrine presentation of The
truths of the gospel, and in primitive days the
theology o, n Clement OF Alexandria on the
one hand and of an Augustine on the other,
so ever since then there have been those
great schools Of thought and opinion in the
church, neither of VIII CHI, | believe. my
exist without the other, and to welcome
Whose activities II wiss bishop may well de-
sire that he may have that breadth of
vision and that openness and candor of mind
which shall freely acknowledge their right
10 DE- anu II ~, listI IlIut 10 tulnk and to
speak
The American Catholic Quarterly Review
says: The church has little faith in the good
intentions of the men VINO are urging the
theory and practice of cremation In the
mind of a few there reisns no un- CHRISTIAN
sentiment, bu. n bona fide scientific opinion.
whether well found d or not matters little.
Blu these are only the few. The great army
OF cremationists in Europe Is IN lde up OF
atheists and iniidcls, proposed enem es of
God and His revelation. II is clear enough
that, though some of them advance scient. fc
pretexts Tor their purpo,e, most of them
argue on irreligious grounds, and re-echo the
spirit, il not the words. OF the pagan crowds
who burnt the martyrs. Coull the church
be supposed to listen with any confidence or
respect to such men and Their theories. And
of sons men OF doubtful faith among our
selves 1t may well be askei: II th,y are so
intent u on benetitiig the public and avert
ing lnfect.oa, why is It that they have ever
on their lips cremation. and cremation onlyi
Why is 1t that thy do not champ on the
ciuse Of pure water and good dfaintgef The
water mn drink in our big cities is an
n~bominatio1. Drainage was perfectly I'M
derstood 1000 years ago and more. it Is now
one OF the lost art. Bad water and bad
drainage nre daily staying thou ,ands.
Whsrs is tue loud cry OF our benevolent
ph.io .ophersi
We entertain well grounded fears that the
day Will como when cremation VIII be forced
upon unwilling people by law. 1t will ueym
IN Europe, wIerc the worst elements of
society nre fast growing INFO power, 1t will
not be lone W tn the benevolent view OF pro-
viding for pup,ic health though this pretence
may be put forward Or perhaps they may
be cynical enough TO incorporate in the law
tleIf- lrue mo Tvs fuSI ms Tho ErH ncl Rapnk-
lie nit, mpted n hundred years ago to abolish
by law the immo tally of the SOU. As to
cur own country. 1t will be done much later,
ii ever; though We arc tlled with mis- wing
when we remember what Inns happened
within the Ia t forty years One tning Is
certain. Should cremation ever be made
compulsory by the civil power. the church
will yield obedience to the law. and ndaot
her PRAYER. and funeral rites to tho na.
method OF incineration