The record-union., 1891-11-21
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.

In speaking of the Andover decision,
the Christian Union observes that ito re-
VlVe the attack upon the seminary
would be regarded by the public at large
as an attack upon one of the valued lnstl-
tutlons of the Christian church and as an
act IN itself inimical to Christian faith
and life. Andover Seminary can now go
on doing its work in peace and quietness,
representing with fidelity and power that
phase of religious truth which it appre-
hends and which is given to it to empha-
SIZE. And the ethical question whether
the authors of Progressive Orthodoxy
can properly subscribe to the Andover
creed of 1908; whether, in other words,
snere is any other inconsistency between
the ancient and the modern Andover
theology than that which always exists
IN living system between that which
As and that out of which it has grown,
will probably be left in the future to the
consclences of the individual professors"
On the same topic the New York Inde-
pendent says: ''We do not, of course, dis
pute the law which the Supreme Court of
Massachusetts has laid down in this case
out 1t does seem a great pity that justice
should be defeated on mere technical
point which does not go to the merits of
the case. 8 Any claim that
the decision is vindication of Professor
Smyth would have no basis in fact. The
moral effect Of the finding of the Board of
visitors is not at all destroyed. The Su-
preme Court simply intervenes to pro-
tect him from the decree of the board, be-
cause the board failed in one point to fol-
low rule of proceedings which the court
holds to be necessary in order to avoid
the possibility of injustice being done.
If the accused Professor desires vindica-
ton, he has it yet to seek. All the facts
DTOuOht in no t,-ia of Cfo T,Gt
MN and In support of the conclusion
reached. If he chooses TO be satisfied
with the result, under these circum-
stances, 1t may be that the visitors will
not. The way is open to another trial, if
II is judged best to have one"
The New York Christian AdUocate
thinks that the Outcome of this famous
case only affords another illustration of
the difficulty of getting satisfaction in
ecclesiastical cases in secular courts. The
lntricacies of the law, the practice of the
courts, and the ingenuity OF counsel are
such that it is possible to delay decisions
until the interest in them and the occa-
sion for them have lapsed. Ecclesiastical
cases in ecclesiastical courts, though
sometimes unavoidable, are generally at
tended with influences which are un-
fortunate. But ecclesiastical cases in
secular courts, especially those involving
the Interpretation of confessions of faith,
are of decided hurtful character, Nine
times out of ten the decision reached is
satisfactory to nobody. While not pre-
Stunning to criticise the Supreme Court of
Massachusetts for falling to decide
whether there has been a breach of trust
IN the case of Professor Smyth in teaching
doctrines which are alleged to be con-
trary to the creed which he had sworn to
observe, 1t does not seem to US that the
general result of this famous case will
tend to encourage those who for any rea-
son desire to depart from the conditions
of any sacred trust which they may be
administering. It seems to US to be a
principle as fundamental in morals as
the law, Thou shalt not steal'; that the
use of funds devised for any particular
object for a purpose contrary to the ex-
pressed will and desire of the founder of
the trust is great wrong, amounting
really to misappropriation."
The New York Observer sees much
trouble ahead. 1t says: eff by this de-
cision the conservative Congregationalists
are so discouraged that they do not think
it worth while to renew long and uncer-
tain litigation, then the victory of the lib
eral professors is practically just as COM
plete as II the Supreme Court had decided
that the new theology was in harmony
with the old theology which these pro-
fessors VOW every five years to defend
and maintain. They can retain their pro-
fessorshipS with no actual danger OF los
ing their positions. Meanwhile every
year large body of young men will go
forth from their instructions to swell the
number of those in the Congregational
ministry who have no sympathy with the
theology of those who founded the SEM
mary for the very purpose of handing
down their faith to future generations
1t is impossible even for the
Congregational body, with its minimum
organization, to exist many years as
homogeneous working church, if it edu-
Gates part of its ministry under influences
that are openly hostile to its traditional
theology. The division of opinion and
feeling at the root must reveal itself in the
trunk and branches. In the Congrega-
tional Church the friction is first apparent
IN missionary work, for the obvious
reason that in that work the independent
churches are compelled to unite their eff
forts.''
President Andrews, in his address in
New Haven, said: we have not a
well-equipped theological seminary in
This country He might have gone
further and said: There is no we'll
equipped theological seminary in this
country" remarks the Christian Secre-
tory (Baptist), of Hartford, Conn ''The-
illogical Seminaries are as class too mar
row, and are not practical enough. They
do not meet the needs of the age, and the
student who expects to learn how to be a
pastor will often be sadly disappointed.
The theology taught is not as Biblical as
1t ought 10 be, and rests altogether too
much upon the traditions of the elders
We have some grand men in our theo-
logical seminaries, and we believe those
belonging to the Baptists are as able. and
the theology they teach is broader and
more Scrlptural than any other. But
there is great need for improvement, and
IT is high time we had an advance in
theological training. Some of our people
seem to be afraid of the word progress.
They think it is another name for
heresy; and so they are contented to re-
main in the old ruts. No other denomi-
nation has such an opportunity as we
have, and what is needed to-day is a
thorough awakening upon the subject of
education"
ut is a question if the use of the word
1nfalhble' is not importing into theologi-
cal discussion an idea that confuses the
issues" the Boston Wdtchmd7l says "It
SnackS too much of Rome. The certainty
granted us in revelation is not mathemaf-
jcal, but probable and moral. The realm
of faith embraces the probable, but not
the demonstrative. Rome endeayors to
give demonstrative certainty to faith, and
in so far as she does this she renders
faith impossible. Professionalism, trusting
to the self-witness of truth, is content to
leave the soul alone with the truth. And
upon that soul rests the responsibility for
its dealing with the light it has. The
response of the personal soul to such
spiritual truth as it has, be it much or
little, is faith"
when we speak of saints, in these
days. says the CNatrchMdR. ''we are apt
TO think only of some ideal characters
which have been commended to our hom-