New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-02
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
RELIGIOUS DRIFT AND COMMENT.


RELIGIOUS DRIFT AND COMMENT
The Encyclcal Letter Of the an-Angican Confer
cnco which has Just been held at Lambeth IS a some
what disappointing document. II fairly intclgcn' sun
avschool superintendent had read such paper al
rcIiclous potbcrfng II would have excited no remark
It deals with commonplace In a commonplace way.
In many II fats TO take largo view OF The SUD
iect in hand giving you the professional parochal view
Instead For Instance moro than half Of the para
graph on Temperance IS taken up with condcm-
nation of the practice Of using unfcrmcnted wine In
the Holy Communlon practice which IS neither
so hcinous general as to warrant so much
notice Again, in the paragraph of Socialism the good
bishops speak like the kindly wcllfed, gcnt'emaniy
officials they arc: but they don't seem to zee below
tbc surface The great and terrible problems OF so
cla life which today threaten tho very existence Oh
society simply suggest many anxious considerations
10 these learned prclatcs And in all the paragraphs
Of the letter ono is forcbly reminded
Of the schooltoy who invariably began his compost
tIon by saving that the horse the cow or Whatever
the subject happened to be- was good thing 30
the bishops say In effect that temperance IS good
thing. purity IS good thing, definite teaching OF
the faith IS a good thing, while divorce, poly eamy
and sabbath Dissertation arc bad things. All this IS
truc enough but we did not need great conference
Of learned bishops from part OF the world to tell
It to
What the Bishops say about Christian unity VIII
be read with considerable interest we holu our
selves I'm readiness they say, 10 enter mo Dro'-
e,I, conference with any Of those who may dcSlrc
inicr-communion with us In more OF P'' p'ir''
form, We lay down conditions on which such inter
communion IS in opinion, and according 10 our
copvIction pos ,!blc For, however We may long 10
embrace those now allcnacd from U.s. 50 that me
ideal If the one flock under the one shepherd may De
realized We must not be unfaihful stewards OF inc
Great dcposit entrusted 10 VIC cannot desert our
rosition either As 10 faith discipline Thai cohcoH
would IN our Judgment be neither true nor ucsifaoio
which should be produced by such surrender
1bls gerry GUARDED language simply means that the
Protestant sccts7 will be recognized by the Church
when they acknowledge themselves to De Only man
made scots, and accept Episcopal ordination hcy
Will never however. do that, and all thesc soirii
icrarccs about unity with The AnrHcdh Cul'I ,
,r. therefor y waste Of word, No such unllS VIII
ever take place or course The bishops arc not to c
blamed for saying kindly AID courtcousy Whdt az" .
rdadi,ions ON which their church Will unite with me
Protestant churches but they are 10 nr Diaa.c' o
seeming 20 suppose that those conditions can c'cr
be accepted
Now that tho Epscopaliaas have been proposing
terms OF unity TO their sister churches, would ANo
70 goo son,e O, the sccis" propose similar terms OF
unity to the Episcopal Church. What ho"l "o"r'
be raised by the good churchmcn' suppose WI "a
stance the Presbyterian General Assembly snou"
nat forth manifesto Ike this: VIC, members OF the
ilurch
sion. declare our willingness TO recognize the HUG
sort of Fpiscopalans a. part Of the church on con-
dnlon that IT gives mp Epscopacy, recognizes onN
thc ordination OF the Presbyterian Church. anu us
continue, the use Of "A liturgy ard NcStmch,S. m ~,
shall accept these conditions p vas created by
act Of Parliament, I'm the lcsh uI "U''S IN, ,hc' hi
hold Ourselves in readiness 10 a'' ,ha Ifc Lurrb
torr Church. | am quite sure lhal ,, Ilr 'n" ' 81
man would characterize such manifesto an Liza
pudcnf and arrogant. And The OhuE'hli'aN "oui"
be right.
slacc the adjournment Of the Lambeth Conference
Eishop Ryle o. Liverpool has called attention to the
feet that the Encyccal Letter has nothing to say ABOUT
tho diverse and irrcconclbc views entertained about
tte Holy Communion IN tho Anglican Church some
cvnrcssp OF humble regret for these divisions says
the hl,hop some strong desire for properly d'h''"
conditions of peace. some proposal to aucmpt the
restoration Of godly discipline and the creation ol
facorv ccccsas. zeal courts some bold declaa-
ton Thar with the utmost degree Of tocla'ion, our
Church VIII never rcaimt IN. mas, ana r.,' " ,,
concession. or 90 behind the icfoimaon-a Few pli"
statcucuts OF This Mind woull have immensely I'm
,,rrvcd the Encyclical. greatly strengthened me
church Of England. AID chcerd the hearts OF myuadS
al !oyal churcam.n. Alas. about al these points me
Enc cca I, painfully silent Against tha silence
enter my solemn protest
There IS one prcrrGatvc that many Of us would ike
IA sec vested I'm the clergy on certain occasions and
that IS a veto power IN thc naming or rather mis-
naming Of children tn baptism. 1t Is bad enough
when a luckcss infant has hccn named after some
prominent man who a0crward contlivcS TO get INTO
state prison. But there IS probably no help FOR that
unn people exercise discretion tn such matters.
Dut some one really ourh; 10 interfere wien parents
load down the helpless beings entrusted 10 their care
with long string u unsuitable. fantastic. bizarre and
meaningless names Tho number and variety Of such
unsuitable names IS great rs to defy enumeration.
not Only is history sacred and profanc ransackod for
such names. but hybrid combinations are invented
which might be safely woishppcd without breaking
the second Commandment. for they are like nothing
I'm the heaven above or in the earth beneath o. IN
tho wecrs under the earth. An English observer has
noticed that Amorcan boys and girls are sad.
should rot be a. al surprised II many Of them wcrr
,pd about the uncon:h names which have been sad
died on them without either thcir knowledge or con
sent heard ia" other day Of thicaS" GEM lchiau
who has four Gnc children. and who Is determined that
they shall never b. al on Thu account. For Instead
q inpoe.rg any distinctive meme on them. he nas
ard -Four Thcsc DESTINATIONS answer al the pus.
poses ~ names ard when the children reach years Of
discretion they assume such names as they desire.
pcrhaps after all the clergy would not always cxcr-
c,c wisely the right choose for tho children
whom thy rlpiHc | recall the Of an eccentric
clergyman Of the English Church I'm canada who was
requested to chCo.e name for fine boy who had
recently been born m the parish and who promptly
to ihc ama1rmcni Of III the congregations
Bishop Harrington has written an article protesting
AGAINST vI.ly washy hymns He doesn't Ike 10 have
admitted mo hymnal, compositions which are per
nimcd with fond memory OF a conycniicle or
death bed or a mOilcr, Lncc such compositions
are found almost every household, csscd carriuy
between The faded leaves Of family Bible or laid pathcl
ically away In bureau drawer, with other precious
mcmcntocs II vanished face voice. fugitive joy
or an untold experience Most people VIII think the
Bishop nccdlessly harsh IN condcmnng such illusions.
I T..
50 hollowcd by tender associations moro likely To be
effective public worship than one not consccracdf
Certainly n would seem To most people II remain,
true however. a the Bishop says. thai many hymns n
our popular hYmnals unworthy of the place they
CccIpv Many hymns Ia says, " are prayers.
Dor. mctIca arrangement cNcWp them from. case fl
sur'.V .luD and order Apart from fc sfnchruulirrs
of fac rLr, Ian year p'opir of srn.biy and qich
sense a lie ialutu,t, Wei that they 30