The record-union., 1891-12-26

upon TO assert their rights under the
Constitution. No specific case was made
out, but it does not require great penetra-
non to take this as an announcement that
the assault upon the public-school sys-
tenn which has been carried on with in
creaSIng vigilance will be made in the
higher courts. if the demands of the
priests are not granted. We are not sur
prlsed at this, for the one thing which the
Roman Church never lacked has been the
assertion of its claims against all others.
Romanism is undergoing important
notifications in this country, but it has
not yet adopted the principles on which
free government is built"
On the subject of the observance of
the Sabbath, the New York Je1CiSh Mes
Senger says: The Sabbath is after all
only one of the commandments, however
vital and salutary. There are other COM
mandments no less essential. Perhaps
IN an era like our own, when the practi
cal difficulties in the way Of Sabbath OBJ
servance are admittedly so many, would
IL not be wiser to lay stress on something
else for time? Is not business integ-
rlty as much duty? Are not modest
nYlng and gentle manners TO be incul-
Gated as we'll? Suppose our brother or
our sister believes sincerely that one can
| revere the Sabbath without being q Sab
OotellAaIl, S1dI1 we GILL tnSul traitors anu
lnhdels II their daily life be pure, their
ideals be high, their character be un-
stained, and they sympathiZe with sor-
row IN every form? When David asks,
W no shall ascend Gods holy hill? the
answer is not he who is q Sabbatarian,
but he who Is of clear hands and pure
heart. That Is the gist of the matter any
way. 1t is pathetic to note that when the
whole trend of Judaism is towards light,
breadth, spirituality-dar narrow
ness and materialism shall be taught as
the highest orthodoxy. Who is to blame
for 1t? Not Judaism, but the Jew.'
''If it is to be regretted that civic pride
has not yet succeeded in formulating a
worthy method of celebrating Independ
ence Day, and using its potent possibili
ties for intoxicating the lessons involved
III its creation, it is equally to be de-
plored," thinks the New ork He6rel0
Journal, that the religious spirit of the
people has not been sufficiently aroused
to sense of the serious National inn
portance of Thanksgiving Day, which is,
as is the other festival, an essentially
American institution, invoked by and
dedicated to the genius of its people.
FESTIVE feaSting in its season is good
thing, and family reunions are even bet
ter. But neither of these excellent and
proper incidents of the day of thanks
giving is necessarily antagonistic to the
fulhllment of the primary object of the
celebration, viz: the public assemblage
OF the people in their various houses of
worship to give thanks unto the Lord for
the mercy and kindness He hath shown
unto the Nation; to participate as a
united people in the public profession of
allegiance to the Governor of all ma
tionS.'
The Chrastfan Leader of Boston Univ.),
| IN commenting upon the secession of the
Rev. ID. L. Spalding from the Protestant
Episcopal to the Roman Catholic Church,
has this to say: I'VE have been careful
to read DR.. Spalding's full statement, to
make sure that by rationalism he means
something more and other than the APP
pllcation of reason to the terms of belief.
On the contrary, he approves of this, and
in very explicit terms. And he defines
| the word rationalism: 1T is utter free
dom; it is thinking and believing without
restraint; it is individualism that will not
be guided, and we all have seen it in this
church, spreading and growing and
branching out into the worst forms of
latitudinarianism,e even to the denial of
the very foundation truths of Christian
ity.' Twenty-Five years of observation
within the pale of the church ought to
enable DIR. Spalding to know whereof he
atirmS. Our own observation outside of
the pale-and of course less reliable-long
years ago led us to similar conclusion.
In fact, EpiScopacy insists on the accept
ance OF at least the words in which the
Trinity and the notion of a physical re-
surrection are affirmed. and on fidelity to
| the formularies. Apart from so much, it
easily accommodates itself to almost any
and every form of belief. Canon Farrar
enumerates no less than five diverse
theories of inspiration, dwelling side by
| side under the protection or the indiffer-
| of tho a Ch11roh
| The Christian AdUocdte of Nashville
! (Meth.) in deploring the decay of disci-
pline in the church, says: This is not a
disciplinary age, and the church, not
withstan ding the Apostles injunction to
| he transformed to the age will catch the
color of the passing times. Looseness,
| irreverence criticism of authority, are in
| the times-in its scholarship, in its levity,
| in its materiality. Other ages were rigid
ages discipline was their native air. The
| home was disciplined the school was
disciplined; the church was strict. Rules
were established; rules were enforced.
The novice was held in; depravity was
recognized; authority and law were in
| voked. But the times have changed ::
| other views prevail the essential good
| ness of human nature is declared; the
| rod is banished; rules are ignored or de-
clared barbaric; the reign of psuedo-
| love is established. Spiritual maturity
its symmetry and perfection-are not
sought with self-denying zeal. The de-
velopment of spiritual nerve and muscle
| is deemed unnecessary. The knife and
the severe husbandry which increase
| spiritual fruitfulness are rejected. The
church patterns alter the times, and re-
verses her methods, and substitutes in
substantial and barren force for soldier
hood religion. We must have church
that rises above or changes the times and
! the age"