The record-union., 1891-07-11
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 English Church quarterly Revie10
says: THE first controversialists who
oenled the doctrine of the historic episco-
pate, or permanent place of the apostle
late IN the church, were not the Protest
ant Reformers, but the Papists. A Bishop,
according to the Jesuit scholastic theory,
is merely an indirect and not direct
successor of the Apostles. He succeeds
the eleven III their character as the sub
Ject brothers and sons of ST. Peter-the
Holy Father, the Sovereign Pontitf. A
Bishop, according to the Papal theory,
docs not hold Immediately upon Christ,
but holds from Him Immediately through
the Bishop of Rome, his vicar. The
apostolic succession is thus made to be
really seated in a majority of the inter
nationalist College of Cardinals, which is
able TO precipitate the successorship to st.
Peter, and consequently the universal
eplscopate over all churches, upon what
soever person they may impose upon the
local church of Rome as her Bishop"
The L5Ui1,g Church (P. E.l says: "It is a
time when all orthodox churchmen,
whether they call themselves High or
'Evangelical,' ought to act together,
shoulder to shoulder, to stem the tide
which is carrying away many Of our
younger men, and showing itself in vari-
Gus forms within the church. The funda-
mental body of doctrine, which we hold
IN common, is far larger than the aggre-
gate of the points about which we differ.
A great theologian and large-hearted
man used to say to the Evangelicals of
his day: I believe all which you believe;
we only part where you deny We be-
Ieye with him that there are at least
some thing IL which we are nearer to-
gether than is commonly supposed. Some
of the conflicts between these schools in
iT,1N
than battles about words. At any rate,
we are certainly agreed that the Christian
religion has come to us Supernaturally
by a special and miraculous revelation
from above, that it is not mere evOlu-
ton of human thought, and that in this
1t stands in express contrast to other
great systems which have influenced
mankind. This is the point upon which
the radical wing Of the Broad Church
party is bringing all its forces to bear.
Without, in SO many words, rejecting the
the Christian documents or formularies,
II is bending all its energies to evacuate
them OF their ancient meaning, and in
fuse into them new significance, striv-
ing to pour the new wine of their modern
speculations into the old bottles OF the
Christian scriptures, creeds, sacraments,
and institutions"
On the Encychcal of Leo XIII. on the
social and industrial problems of the age
the Ch3trci5Bldil says: Nov that it is pub
ished, it does credit to the Pontift's heart;
but 1t proves, as might have been ex-
pected, that light and leading in matter
OF genuine perplexity are no more to be
looked for from a Pope in this century
than in any century of the past In the
present Encyclical the Pope simply re-
peats the role Of previous Popes, though
he does it with tatherly benignity
which IS all his own. lie seems to as
sumo the truth Of statements which
are not historically true; he ignores
facts which are conspicuous in the his
tory OF the world; he affirms principles
which have been settled without his aid:
and he contributes not one solitary idea
to the solution OF the problem to which
his very excellent Encyclical is adj
dressed. If this Encyclical had been
published a hundred years ago. it would
have well deserved to be regarded as a
prophecy; at this date it is nothing more
than record and recognition Of acts
and facts, most of which have been done
and settled by nations in which papal
authority has no existence, and not one
OF which has been either authorized or
promoted by papal sanction.
The principle of distributive Justice in
industrial affairs has yet to be discovered:
but the Pope has not discovered it, and it
IS not Popes who will discoveri it. Neither
viii it be discovered by doctrinaires or
Missionaries. 1t will be approached by
slow degrees, as experience shall dis
close its secret bit by bit in the gradual
process OF social evolution. But the in
dispenSable condition on which alone the
evolutionary process can avoid the de-
structlye turbulence of revolution is that
every growing wrong shall be put down
as soon as its iniquity is proved, and that
every right shall be protected and main
tanned as soon as its inherent Justice is
made manifest. The value of the Pope's
- Il.
clearly shows the impending danger of
revolution, and that it asserts the indis-
pensable necessity of the discovery of a
principle of social justice which the Pope
himself has not discovered"
The Cumberland PreSbgteriGn saws :
'The fact that the vote OF the Assembly
was seven to one in vetoing DIR. Briggs
appointment, and that of the director
to retain him in spite of the veto ten to
to one, indicates that each side will stick
to its decision. If we consider this mat
ter IN connection with the heresy trial
now pending in New York Presbytery
against DR.. Briggs, and the dissatisfaction
OF many OF the leading friends of revision
with the imperfect way DIR. Patton
and his committee propose to do
that work, we may easily see a prospect
loT protracted controversy, the result OF
which no man can foretell."
The Rev. DIR. Ludlow, long one of the
pastors of the Collegiate Dutch Church
IN New York, and now in Orange, New
Jersey, sends to the Evangelist pres.
''an extract from letter written by one
of our most devoted and influential min
listers in Western New York. 1t is not
designed for publication, but is the conf
Dental heart-opening of a pastor to one
Of his church members, anent the Briggs
matter. As such it is sample of very
much that is being talked among our
most thoughtful people" This is the
extract:
II want to tell you how dangerous
Professor Briggs has been to me. I was
brought up in the strictest sect of the ira
ditionalists, fed upon the New York OBJ
serper until / was ready TO be the cham
pion of the most extreme and iron-clad
orthodoxy. Then / went out into the
world. learned the history Of thought
and OF religion. l was launched upon a
whirlpool of doubt bordering on atheism.
The early foundations of belief were
swept away. The belief in God and the
verlties OF faith did not wholly go-God
still clung TO me when could not cling
70 him j went to the seminary
lUnionl hoping to have the foundations
restored. DIR. Shedd was the exponent
ofthe traditional school. No one questions
the power of his reasoning faculty. But
when l asked for fundamentals upon
which 10 rethrone my shaken 1aith was
answered with tradition, tradition, until
! loathed theology.
There were two men who taught me
how to hold on to God and faith: DR.. Hitch
cock with his prophetic vision, his intense
faith, his appeal To the certainty of divine
authority In Christ and the Word of God
only, and DIR. Briggs, with his clear in
sight into the core of divinity as a sci
enPe the essential Self-eyidpncincr dixipe