The record-union., 1891-06-27
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions from the Various
Religious Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the Sectarian Press
Ministers and Laymen.

The Standard Of the Cross (P. E.l says
of the case of DR.. Phillips Brooks cleo
ton to a bishopric and the objections
thereto: 1.-The church has safely passed
through crises similar to this one, only
that liz former instances dloceses have
submitted to be oyerruled by the church
at large Looking back at those in
stances, now, it seems perilous thing to
have done, as well as q questionable eX-
ercise of the sovereignty OF the church,
that she once vetoed the diocesan cleo
ton OF DIR. DekOven, and, again, that OF
Dr. Seymour. They were preSbyterS in
good standing; they had won the conf
dence Of the dioceses which elected them.
Would ii not have been better for the
church at large simply to record its rec
OgnitiOn of these facts, and to comply
with their election? The warrant for the
contrary course taken was that the cleo
ton OF those two was, in q manner, def
ant of the then recently and strongly eX-
pressed policy of the church as to ritual
istic practices and private confession. In
the case of DIR. Seymour, persistence and
tact on the one side, and, perhaps. re-
lentlng on the other, at last admitted OF
his elevation to the Episcopate. And if
DIR. Dekoyen had lived and Yindicated
the character now generally conceded TO
have been his, doubtless he, too, would
nave have been cOnSeCrated the Bishop
VI sOuI6 worthy QlOcGSe.'
George w. Shinn writes from Newton,
Mass, TO the ChUTchHlGB on the "incOr-
rect and misleading statements in circu-
latiOn concerning DR.. Brooks. Mr.. sShinn
says: "The truth is that while DR.. Brooks
has put the broadest interpretations upon
the canOns, and has held liberal views
towards the members Of other religious
bodies, he has not violated the laws of the
church. lie may have complained at
church congresses and elsewhere of what
he has thought to be narrowness, but he
has been loyal. There are fewer things to
explain in the thirty years ministry Of
DR.. Brooks than in the ministry of most
men.
''It is but fair to add, in conclusion,
that good number of those who voted
for him do not indorse all his views, bat
they feel sure that he will give the church
no cause of complaint, and that his epis-
copate will be memorable for large and
benehcent results to the church III MaSSa-
chusetts and throughout the land.
L cannot think of any calamity to the
Episcopal Church that would so retard
her progress in every diocese as failure
to confirm this election.
1T is not Massachusetts alone that
would suffer, but every diocese win be
injured by what must be regarded as
most unwise and unjust proceeding"
that a consideration of the character of
the evidence before the church leaves ex-
ceedingly slight ground for q refusal to
ratity DR.. Brooks election. When a dio-
cese Of $4,000 communicates choose a
bishop with virtual unanimity: when his
canonical testimonials are unanimously
signed by the whole convention at which
ne was chosen, and when the public
voice, as well as the voice of the church
prOclaimS the fitness of the man, some
thing more and weightier than has yet
been offered ought to be necessary to de-
pTiVe the diocese concerned of its consti-
tutiOnal freedom of election"
There is plain talk in the EUangeHst of
this week about the General embly.
The Rev. DR.. Parkhurst says: "If 90 per
cent. of the members We're sheep waiting
to be led, 10 per cent. were belI-wethers
waiting to lead them, and Princeton was
the bell-wether. Princeton is doctrinally
jealous; even more is she enthusiastically
ambitious. Formerly Princeton was
dominated by the General Assembly.
Union IN 1870 helped her out from under
that domination, and mistakenly sur
rendered some of her own autonomy for
Princeton's sake. But Princeton has no
genius for remembering those who be-
friended her in her extremity She
essays now to convert the assembly into
her chair OF state, and Union into her
tootstool. Union, by her action last Fri
day, indicated that she does not care to
hold Princeton's feet. The bad feature of
the Detroit Assembly was its politics.
Jersey politics are bad, and Princeton is
situated in Jersey.
Princeton captured the Moderatorship
by what means we will mention pres
emily. DR.. Green being in the chair, it
was OF course, incumbent upon him to
make up the committees. We do not
censure DR.. Green for having so much re-
gard for DIR. Patton as TO want to make
him chairman of the Committee on
Theological Seminaries, but we are sur
prised that DIR. Patton's self-respect
ShOEfd have allowed him so accept the
position when it was offered to him. If
the case had been that Princeton had
been under the suspicion of the Union,
ana DIR, William Adams had been MOder-
ator, will vouch for it that he would
never have made DR.. Hitchcock chairman
OF the Committee on Theological Semi
naries, and l viii vouch for il that. if he
had done so, DIR. Hitchcocll's delicate
sense OF fitness would never have permit
ted him to consider the proposition for an
instant. 4 delicate sense is a beautiful
thing, although somewhat in the way
sometimes, when ones only ambition is
TO win.
Not only that; not only was Princeton
influence put in control in the commit
tee, but the committee was packed by
saying what everybody knows. A trick
was thus resOrted TO that would have been
hOOted out of court if attempted in the
arena of civil politics. The Speaker of
the House Of Representatives would
never have dared 10 make up an investi-
eating committee on the principle that
Or. Green made up the Committee on
SeminarieS. The general adherence of
such partisanship, would have buried
such Speaker too deep to be reached by
the final resurrection.
i am not prophet, but l venture the
prognostication that Princeton has
strained the prOprieties just one notch too
far. The Presbyterian Church has too
much sense of fair play, and is too much
allow itself to become the fool and play
thing OF any man or any clique of men
who win their way by small tricks and
Iammany artitice. All | mean is that
princeton has made a bad mistake, and
that the good, honest Christian sense of
the Presbyterian Church at large will re-
mInd her one of these earnest days that
the kingdom of God is of more account
than Princeton or any other seminary,
ana that small expedients are no sure
highway to large and safe issues"
And the Evangelist says editorially:
some things have come out since the as
sembly that we did not dream of as we
looked on with unSuspecting admiration.
Even that spontaneous election of the
moderator, which moved Us to wonder,
love ana praise proves not to have been
quite unpremeditated, for DR.. Park
hurst tells Us in his letter that
DIR. DIckey, who nominated Dir. Green
and thus wheeled into line those who
would nave Voted for DR.. Dickey him
self, did so at the request of DIR. Patton
EuL MLN did the lattnr r,n+ ...ol-o a.