The record-union., 1891-08-08
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.

The Missionary Reuiew Of the World
says: 1t seems that there are various
sects IN North Africa which are almost or
quite purely Unitarian, paying little or
no attention to any historical claims of
Mohammed, hardly as much as our Uni
tarians OF the left pay to the claims of
Christ. They will probably be found
the least hopeful objects of Christian mis-
sions."
Of the Bishops consent to the consecra-
ton OF DR.. Phillips Brooks, the LiUang
Gedqch (P. E.) says: I'VE trust that the
result thus reached will be accepted by
all churchmen in spirit of profound
loyalty to the church. We earnestly hope
that there are good grounds for the assur-
| ance, which the Bishop-elect'S friends
have repeatedly made, that DR.. Brooks
viii, as Bishop of Massachusetts, be more
conservative than he has been as rector of
trinity Church, and as tender to the feel
lngs and convictions of churchmen as he
has been heretofore TO those who love
not the chIrch."
On the subject of episcopal elections the
Ch1trchmd7I says: ''The reference of the
| matter TO the House of Deputies is sheer
surplusage and to refer it to the standing
committees is much worse. 1t invites
meddling. 1t encourages slanderous
busybodies Of all orders in the church.
whose motto seems to be, Whenever YOU
see a chance to make mischief, seize it q
Hence, from time To time, it plunges the
church into one Of those occasional crises
IN which silly and sometimes simulated
! panic browns the voice OF reason and
turns the very church into Babel. Thus
far, the damage OF this sort Of business
has been rather annoying than injurious,
though we suppose that no one now feels
very proud at the remembrance of the
rejection OF James De Koven; but serious
results might easily follow some unfor-
tunate exercise Of the canonical power of
meddlesome oppression by which a
minority of less than One-fifth may inter
tere III the domestic affairs of another
minority, possibly more than One-tenth.
and that in spite of the unanimous ex-
| poStulation and remonstrance of major
ity of Seven-tenths.
1T is the easier to discuss the subject of
the functions of standing committees in
connection with episcopal elections be-
cause, anomalous as it is, and serious as
are the consequences which might follow
an abuse of the powers which it conferS,
1t has never yet, except in the unfortunate
case of DR.. De kOven, been actually op-
pressive in its results. Its chief present
| evils are the unseemly behavior for which
1t affords so enticing an opportunity and
| the undue excitement which it some
times occasions. At the present time.
when no diocese is vacant, and when the
subject, which is of equal interest to each
and every diocese, can be considered
apart from all personal and local refer
ences, we trust it may be weighed by the
Church with the gravity which its i'm
portance deser Yes."
NJ. Boegner, Director of the Paris MAJ
! son DIES Missions, sums up the difficulties
of North western Africa in words which
seem to reflect the condition of things
|
| country. He says: ''These African
churches give you the impression OF vast
caldrons in ebullition; everything there
! ~ in fermentation, in conflict, good. evil,
| the influences of race, of environment,
and, above all, of Christianity. We have
to believe, to hope that this last viii carry
| the day and bring forth noble fruits in
the moral life, as it already does in the
| domain of religious feeling. The former
are not lacking, but are behindhand
| This is the characteristic trait of these
| churches-a retardation of character COM
pared with sentiment and the manifesto
! tiOnS of this sentiment"
| The COngregdtionaEists says: However
much the Roman Catholic ecclesiastics in
this country may dislike and deny the
/ lntimations from Europe that the foreign
populations in this country are not ade-
| quately cared for, the recent agitation of
! the subject will doubtless spur them on
to more faithful and thorough ministra-
ton to these heterogeneous peoples. That
great deal Of attention is already paid
1 to them is vouched for by no less an au-
thority than Cardinal Gibbons, who de-
| clares that almost every Sunday witnesses
| the dedication of some church to the use
of Poles, Lithuanians, Bohemians, Ger
mans, or Italians. Could representa-
! tive of the combined Protestant Church
! Extension Societies of the country make
/ anything like similar claim? In view
/ of such an assertion the work carried on
among the foreign populations by our
! Home Missionary Society assumes a tre-
mendouS importance"
| The Christian Inquirer (Bapt.) SAYS:
''Some six months since there was pub
| lished, without note or comment, in the
| service OF children in London Baptist
Church. Ever since paragraphs have
been going in Presbyterian and Congre-
| gational papers on the subject The Her
0td and Presbyter lately had this para
graph:
| q1si1er (Baptist) speaks of the growing
custom among Baptist churches Of conse-
Grating infants in a ceremony similar to
| that usually employed in infant baptism,
| except that no water is used. We are not
| surprised at this. There is something in
infant baptism so fit and helpful, and so
satisfying to the parental instinct of Chris
| tian people, that we wonder that Baptists
| have not long ago found some substitute
| for it,
I'VE certainly knew nothing of this
| dry baptism as q growing custom
among Baptist churches It would sur
prise us to know that it is practised in
any halfdozen Baptist churches in Amer
! ica"
The Central West (Pres.) says every
one admits that a Methodist minister is
the best chap in the world to get money
out of anything. It is said that there was
once boy who tried to swallow silver
quarter. He got it down reasonable
! distance, but was unable to get it further.
In that emergency his fond parents con-
ceived the original idea that it might be
well to induce the piece of money to come
up rather than go down, to save the boy
doctor was sent for, but his skill was un-
equal to the task. He summoned q
council of physicians, but the quarter
still remained in statu quo. At that i'm
| portant moment q Methodist minister
! happened-or rather was fore-ordained-
to come along the street. He was called
| in. By the force Of long habit the quarter
in the boys throat Immediately arose
and dropped into his hand"
The April number of the Presbyterian
Messenger of the Presbyterian Church in
| England has a letter from q Chinese
graduate addressed to W. Faber, which is
| interesting, as showing the enormous
over valuation of mere literature which
is characteristic of China. The writer
says: GOOD medicine is that which
cures disease, but good medicine is, for
the most part, not palatable, and people
are apt TO loathe it. If you can by any
means make medicine smell fragrant and