Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-13
In RELIGIONS REALM.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO MINIS
TIERS AND LAYMEN.
Expressions of Opinion by Newspapers
Representing the Various Denom-
nations, on Many Subjects.


The Pemberton branch of the English
Church Association lately held meeting
when a Rev. Mr.. Davis, Vicar of Harborne,
said, among other things, that: "He must
protest in passing against the bestowal of
offices in the Church on Ritualistic clergy
men," and, alluding to the appointment of
Canon Body as Canon missioner of Dur
ham, he said, He would rather be guilty
of all the immoralities of the London
streets at night for month than be a
party to that appointment"
The "oldest prophetical journal in the
world" MessiaRs Herald, has sermon en-
titled "Elijah's Ride to Heaven" which in
the prophetic spirit tells ''what shall occur
when Jesus comes" Here is a sample of
its prophecies: ''How the blue flame of
death will envelop the casks and the bar
rels and the demijohnsl How the bar
tenders will flee away when the crash of
Gods vengeance shall fall on the marble
floors and cut-glass decanters and elegant
mirrors and magnificent surroundings! O.
what glorious bonfire the whole thing
will make! Lord God, we want to see that
day"
The WdtchmGn (Baptist) says: EITHER a
doctrine of the inspiration of the Script
ures making them final authority, or a
doctrine of the inspiration of the primi-
tive Christian Church must be asserted to
secure a basis of dogmatic belief. The
fundamental distinction between Roman
ism and Professionalism is not justification
hx,f fa;th hut Al
whether the Scriptures alone or the tradi-
ton in the Church and the Scriptures are
the final authority for belief. In proper
tion as belief in the inspiration of the
Scriptures is weakened, we find that seri-
Gus minded men, in search for an authori-
tative basis for dogmatic belief, are betak-
ing themselves to belief in the inspira-
tion of the Church as an organization-a
position that is but Sep removed from
Rome"
The CongreqatiOndlia says: "The Adrer-
tiser of the 18th inst. states, of Andover,
that: The most recently appointed mem
ber of the Board of Visitors, DR.. Walker.
said in effect with his voice what had pre-
viously been said by the other clerical
member with his vote, namely, that he
had discovered no sign of any teaching
there which was contrary to the spirit and
purpose of the founders This is so put
as to make it appear as if DR.. Walker were
at that moment referring to all which had
been said and done at the examinations,
and elsewhere, during the entire service of
the week. Our own careful report shows
that what DIR. Walker was understood to
say was this: That they (the 'gradu-
ates," in "their addresses had not uttered
syllable to which any one of the founders
would have Objected which is a very
different thing. Why is not an honorable
fairness an important element in these
theological discussions
Writing in the Church Rerierc on
''Brotherhoods of Clergy for City Work. p
the Rev. Arthur G. A. Hale says on the
question of celibacy: 'This, of course, is
involved, whether for life or for time, in
the idea of Brotherhood. But let it be
distinctly understood that in advocating 9
this, or in setting it before men, there is
no disparagement of the married estate
intended. As matter of fact, the most
Jealous upholders of the sanctity of mar
riage will often be found in the ranks of
the celibates; nor have we any desire for
general or compulsory law of celibacy
for the clergy. My own opinion is in ex-
act accordance with our Thirty-second
Article 1T is lawful for the clergy, as for
all other Christian people, to marry at
their own discretion, as they shall Judge
the same 10 serve better to godliness' |
only wish the young clergy and candi-
dates would consider the position serious
ly in that light. Married life may be, as
one has termed it, the highest form of
asceticism' This l am not prepared to
deny, or to discuss in this article. But
certainly 1t IS form of asceticism that is
not necessary for all persons, nor desirable
for certain forms of work We need some
men free, absolutely free, from domestic
and social ties, ready to go anywhere, to
do anything, to take their life in their
hands, to run the risk of infection, to live
in slums, which may be impossible, or
which it would be wrong, for married
clergyman to do"
The Nashville CTistian Adroeate Meth J
says: eve have spoken our mind quite
freely concerning the Louisiana lottery,
and we do not propose to keep silent until
the iniquity is abated. 1t is shameful
thing that two great Southern Generals
should be willing to sell their services to
this miserable fraud, which was spawned
upon the country during the days of re-.
construction, and is now chiefly owned and
operated by alien stockholders We hang
our heads whenever we think of this fact.
But, to be perfectly consistent, we feel
called upon to condemn all those schemes
of chance that are used by Christian
churches for the purpose of raising money.
The grab-bag and the rattle are only lot
teries on small scale They are utterly
irreligious and immoral, and ought not to
be tolerated. That right thinking people
can be persuaded to countenance them is a
mystery. Let us have done at once and
forever with all such performances. We
are opposed on principle to any method of
ecclesiastical fnanciering that does not ap-
peal primarily to the judgments and the
consciences of the people, and that does
not involve the exercise of outright and
unequivocal benevolence We make our
selves the proper laughing stock of I'M
godly men whenever we resort to tricks
and devices for filling the treasury of the
Lord. We must learn to put our hands
into our pockets and give whatever may
be needed for religious enterprises. Until
we shall have reached the point of doing
this we shall be mere novices in spiritual
living"
The Charchman prints an article from
the Rev. Professor Briggs of the Union
Seminary on denominational federation,
! and says of it: I've do not believe that,
| on calm reflection, denominational fedora
tion will command the support of any con-
siderable number of Christian people. As
| method of giving semblance of unity
to denominations of more or less close ap-
Proclamation to each other it will natu-
rally find many advocates; as a means OF
restoring or of even approaching unity
| among the followers of Christ we do not
think it will commend itself. From all
| that comes to our knowledge, we are
obliged to believe that the movement
towards Christian unity is strong and
deep-far deeper and far stronger than is
commonly supposed; and if this opinion
| is true; we may be sure that nothing short
of unity in fact and in form will satisfy
the sacred aspiration which exists. Even
| if denominational federation were not al
most or quite contradiction in terms OF
| the primary idea of unity, it could not be
| called more than step towards unity,
| ami our belief is that when the time
| comes to restore the external unity
of the church no halfway step