The record-union., 1891-03-22
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions from the Various
Religious Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

An English paper called Church 1{ili-
t01at says: 1.-The current methods of con-
ducting Sunday-schools have had a
blighting influence on the spirituality OF
the churches. There has never been less
| spirituality in our churches, since the in
hdel period preceding the year 1900, than
just now"
Discussing editorially the debates in
the Convocation of Canterbury. the
! Church Times (London) says: 1.-The upper
house had under discussion the report OF
the Committee on Brotherhoods and
Slsterhoods. We have little to say more
than we have said already in regard to
the clauses as adopted by their lordships
and sent to the lower house. But we
venture again TO urge that it is somewhat
absurd to fix the age OF thirty in the case
OF woman and twenty-five in that of a
man as the period before which lifelong
engagements will not be recognized Not
only are the lifelong engagements OF
marriage entered upon at an earlier stage
without rebuke. but these last are not
subject TO release, and those to the re-
! llgIous community can be dispensed by
! the Bishop on cause shown.
Betting and Gambling was consid-
cred in both houses. The Bishop of Lon
don did not think there was anything
sinful in q small wager or in playing for
small sums OF money. If his Lordship is
right, then betting and gambling are not
| sinful in themselves, but only in their
abuse; and the practice stands upon pre-
cisely the same level as drinking to ex-
cess, or inordinate indulgence of any
| other naturally harmless pleasure. There
is no doubt that moralists have always
found difficulty in bringing this vice
under the operation of any recognized
principle; indeed, it is impossible to con-
denim betting and gambling per sc, ex-
| cept on the far-reaching assumption that
| q man has no right to take and profit by
money which he has not earned. There
| has been a good deal of confused talking
about this matter, and the remarks OF
their Lordships wial help to clear the way
and to make plain the moral basis of the
| question in debate"
The Christian Inquirer Rapt.) says :
| Speaking of the financial trouble attend
ing the building of the new BROOKLYN
Tabernacle, the Eagte, quoting the re-
| mark of one of the Trustees, that DIR.
Talmages investment in the Tabernacle
is already heavy says:
1t is known that he has waived salary
for some time, besides contributing in
other ways. When it is remembered that
he has been preaching three times q week
to thousands OF persons, for more than
twenty years, and that this multitude
| fails to come forward promptly and pro-
| vide for him q substitute for the structure
| destroyed by fire, ingratitude on a large
scale seems to beidemonstrated.'
Outsiders would like to know how
there can be found in the city of Brook
lyn church, representing over 1000
members, that cannot itself pay for a
| house of worship. The multitude owe
DIR. Talmage's work substantial recopni-
tion, but large congregations generally
build churches without expecting help
| oil tt,o, 4 II
collected from Insurance companies, and
a mortgage of S125, 900, 1000 church mem
bers cannot provide themselves a house,
unless they have an abundance of pow
erty, there is something very defective in
their piety. Besides all this, the receipts
for the first 100000 subscribers for the
paper the pastor edits were pledged to
have come in the financial difficulty is
made more enig1natical."
On the matter of exclusive claims of the
Episcopal Church. the ChasychBon saws:
SO far as we know, the Church pretends
to exclude no man, and no body of men,
from anything whatsoever! She pro-
nounces Judgment on none! She denies
the grace of God to none! In SO far as
any hold the Faith, the ministry, the sac
raments of Christ, whether they adhere to
her or not, she rejoices that they do so.
Ii any deny the Faith, reject the ministry,
| or refuse the sacraments, she can only
grieve-she does not Judge, and still less
does she condemn. If any would impose
on her ministry of which the apostles
knew nothing, or strange doctrines of
which the apostles never heard, OF rules
of conduct which they did not lay down,
she declines TO put her peoples neck
under yoke which the fathers knew not;
but still she does not judge, and still less
does she condemn those who do. 1t often
happens that her sons are bolder than
their mother, and pretend to judge when
she is silent. So much the worse for
them; but the Church, whose teaching
and example they refuse to follow, is not
to blame for their misconduct
The Wdtchnloma (Bapt.) says: 'sWe OBJ
serve that some friends of Bible-training
schools are accustoming themselves,
when advocating the utility of these ex-
cellent institutions, to speak disparag-
ingly of theology and theologians. More
than once we have heard these brethren
declare that they want to get and teach
the simple truths of the Scriptures with
out theology. Extremes meet. The rad
ical Unitarians are never weary of decry-
ing theology, and these earnest Christian
workers re-echo the same note, No the
ology.' But what is theology? Theology
is nothing more than mans philosophy
or theory of the relation of facts pertain
ing to God. The human mind is so made