The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-05-23
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.

Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.
The CongregationGtiSt says: ''Mr.
Spurgeon once spied railway porter
wheeling a truck towards him. He
thought, 'I'll try and say a word to this
man about his SOUL They met, and Mr..
Spurgeon said, We'll, friend, it's a warm
day, and you have a big truck there to
carry very small parcel on The inn
mediate rejoinder of the truckman was.
1t is hot, sir, very hot; and you are the
hrst gentleman / have met likely to give
fellow drop of BEER Mr.. Sturgeon
says he received a lesson from the man.
The man was intent on his beer, and
went right to the point at once. Mr..
Spurgeon dallied and was baffled."
''Farmton" says, in the AdUdnce: 81
am often reminded of the absolute fool
lshness of a group of men. God made
each individual person somewhat wise.
The Creator so adjusts the intellect to the
heart, and both intellect and heart to the
will, and all to the conscience, that an
individuals usually fitted for his place
in life. But when several men try to adj
just themselves to each other for some
purpose or course of action, they too
often become, one great incarnate fool.
Men separated are wise; men combined
are foolish. A dozen men in a company
frequently behave like a dozen school
girls. Let a dozen girls of II years of
age go to church; let each one sit by
herself, or let each one sit by her
parents in their pew and she be-
HAYES perfectly. Let the dozen sit
together, and such grinning and
such snickering! 1t is one part of the
work of us ministers to keep groups of
men from acting like fools. / know of
III NOV Of
from group of men than through the
power of one or two strong and wise
personalities. In every set of men one
or two men control. If these controlling
men are wise and their will is strong,
the result is right and good; if these con-
trolling men are unwise, the result is dis
astrous."
The CharctnedR says: "There is loss,
and large loss, to the church in the retire
ment of DIR. Brooks from the constant
ministry of preaching TO that of admins
tration, but even in that loss there may
prove to be some consolation. AS q
preacher to his own particular congre-
cation, he has naturally and properly adj
dressed the individual life and conscience.
Therein has lain his peculiar charm and
the secret Of his power; but it is no harsh
criticism to add that he has not thus far
addressed himself to the exposition of
other and weighty matters which con-
Germ the Church of Christ in its corporate
capacity. In his new position as a
Bishop of the Catholic Church, he will be
called as never before to consider that
domain of Christian truth, and the large
increase ofthe numerical strength of his
diocese WHICH is universally expected to
follow his election, while il will only in
crease his devotion TO the cause of Chris
tan unity, will probably draw his
thoughts more and more powerfully to
hn in VIII nj tf,a
hope of unity can be realized.'
The English Church ReOieaO fears dan
ger from new methods adopted to draw
people to church There is growing
demand for fresh excitements- attrac-
lions, they are euphemiStically called-as
the older methods are beginning to be-
come familiar. Instead of dumb organ
and sober singing we find concerts with
full orchestral accompaniment, even on
Good Friday itself, and peoples ears
must be tickled if their exacting owners
are to be drawn to church. 1t cannot be
that the Story of the Cross has lost its
power to attract or that our Lord when
lifted up has ceased to be able to draw all
men unto Him-the preaching of the
Three Hours and of the outdoor Way of
the Cross proves this. What we fear has
happened in the past few years is that
too much attention has been paid to the
class of persons upon whom religion sits
very lightly, and who require to
be bribed TO come to church. The
question arises: Are they worth
2 daving when they have been in
5 1uced to be present at one of these
services; and is the service itself of such
p nature as to be of permanent value to
/ heir souls? a day or two ago we heard
= Of church-not SO very Low Church
either-where the stalls, etc, were cleared
: out, and the chancel converted into
platform for chorus and orchestra, where
ladies came forward 10 sing the solos lin
bonnets, we believe), and the audi-con-
gregation, we mean, We're only just re-
strained from clapping their hands-and
all this as service in honor of our Lords
passion! 1t cannot be to clearly recog-
nized that if the church completes with
the world, it viii be contaminated in the
process; the world will not be the better,
but the church Will be the worse; and
that while we do not refuse to adopt any
new plan Of drawing sinners TO the
Savior, if it be good as well as new, we
must cling to the old methods also, lest
the novelties obscure the figure which
should be seen Of all men-the Savior of
the world redeeming US on the cross"
The Rev. J. II. Hopkins says in the
Independent: "The Church of Rome in
this country is slowly but steadily being
modified by its environment, and the en-
for the present, and encouraging tor the
future.
This is seen in doctrine, in discipline,
and IN worship.
perhaps the most powerful influence
of although it is really only the sum of
all-is in the position which their leading
Cardinals. prelates and priests are COM
PEELED to take in regard to the funda-
mental principles of American liberty.
When Cardinal Gibbons proclaims from
the housetops that the Roman Church
has always been the jealous promoter of
religious liberty we should like to see
his eminence study up the history of the
1nquisition! And when he boasts of
Magma Charta as the work of his church
he seems TO forget that the Archbishop
Langton, who led in that noble work,
was communicated by the Pope for
doing it! And that the same Pope de-
clared Magma Charta null and void. but
nobody minded his brutum fulmen then,
any more than they do now. To be sure
in order to talk like American citizens,
the Cardinal and all the rest of them are
compelled TO go dead against the ency-
clical and syllabus, and ever so much
more, but they do it; they do it unani-
mously, and all their people go with
them most heartily"
The Rev. Francis A. Henry, writing
on THE Reconstruction of Old Testament
History in the C9t1'istida Union, says:
- 1t is common saying that Israel was
born with a genius for religion, as the
Greek was gifted with the sense of
beauty and the Roman with reverence
for law and justice. Yet, whatever the
relative superiority of Israel to their con-
temporaries, their ideas seem placed at
an equal disadvantage in comparison
with the exalted truths of the Christian
revelation. Thoughtful readers Of the