The record-union., 1891-11-14
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 New York Independent says: 1.-THE
eyes of the Christian public are upon the
Evangelical Association, and there is
great disappointment that recent events
give so little promise of reconciliation.
While there Is much in the controversy
which is not fully understood by out
sders, they see clearly enough that there
is no difference in doctrine at the bottom
of the trouble, and that no principle is
really at stake. If division shall be finally
accomplished, and Christian brethren are
thrust asunder, and two fragments take
the place of the one united whole, it will
be a reproach to the church of Christ.
Schlsm IS q more terrible sin in the light
o. this age than in that of past ages, when
such things were suffered because of the
hardness of mems hearts. Men under
stand now as they never understood be-
fore that they who divide the church di-
vide the body of Christ. We beg the
leaders in the controversy of the Evan
gelical Association to open their eyes to
the fact that if they want the sympathy
of the great Christian public they must
cease to pursue divisive courses"
The Rev. H. NJ. Field, writing in the
New York Evangelist upon the subject of
the trial OF Professor Briggs, says: This
whole prosecution is aimed, not against
Professor Briggs alone, but against the
Christian scholarship of our day; against
| the light which may be thrown upon the
Bible by the study of ancient languages
and ancient history. Such an attempt,
though 1t may be successful in a single
case, or IN dozen cases, in the end Will
fail, because it is opposed to the natural
independence OF the human mind, and to
progress in all departments of knowl
edge. In spite of all that we can do, men
OF learning will carry on their investiga
tions, and will think for themselves, and
draw their own conclusions from their
discoveries. Woe to the blind conserv-
atism that allies itself with ignorance,
and protests against any change, even
| though it be in the way of progress Its
! protests will be in vain. 1t might as well
| try to dam up the Nile with bulrushes
as to Withstand the great currents of
! thought that comes sweeping down from
! generation to generation. 1t cannot stop
the flow Of the Niagara"
Concerning the recall of Father Hall
| from Boston by his religious superior in
England the C3riStiaa U91ion says ::
When, last spring, Dr.. Phillips Brooks
was nominated to the episcopacy,
| Father Hall officially approved the nom
ination, recognizing his spiritual fitness
for the office, and refusing to regard DR..
| Brooks broad church views as any OBJ
stacle. For this offense he has been re-
called TO England by the Superior of his
| order, to whom he has given vow of
| perpetual obedience; and in obedience to
this VOW he leaves a field of work in
which he had accomplished a great
! service for humanity and the Master, and
won for himself and his order a great re-
spect even among those who disapproved
| the un- American principle of obedience
on which that order is founded, and
| leaves it, not for a larger work elsewhere.
hllt If qnDarnntlu yypll han
port can be trusted, for retirement as a
| penance for his catholicity. The Ameri-
can people have short memories, but the
memories must needs be very short
which fails to treasure up the lesson of
this incident against future attempts to
regulate Protestant church movements
| by authoritative orders from superior
authorities resident in other countries"
! The Christian Examiner says: "In the
! face of lessons from the past there are
those who tell us now that there is only
one way of meeting the present attacks
on the Old Testament. We must give up
the policy of uncompromising resistance,
that has been successful hitherto, and
grant substantially all that the new
critics assert. We must admit that the
Old Testament Scriptures are complex
documents, composed by various writer's
| other than those whose names they bear.
haphazard way, containing many false
statements as to history and geography,
and in not a few cases making false
claims deliberately for the advantage of a
religious party and so on. But, though
composed in part of forged documents of
unknown origin. though containing erro-
! neOuS statements OF fact and low moral
ity, we are still to accept the Old Testa-
| ment as the inspired Word of God, au-
! thoritative as to faith and practice 1t
may be true that the best way to defend a
| city is to surrender the citadel to the
| enemy, but writers on the art of war
| have not as yet taken that view of the
matter"
| The Christian AdU0cote says that 1888
is the year in which the Worlds Fair is
to be held in the center of this nation,
and no arguments can be needed to sup
! port the proposition that though from a
national point of view it is appropriate
and important to have, it will have ma
terIal effect in breaking up the home-life
! OF the people, and produce a condition
which will require persistent efforts of
! Christian ministers and churches to pre-
vent moral and religious deterioration" ;"
The UaiUerSdLjst says: eve can pre-
dict the future of nebula, and be sure
| that, in some of the far distant ages.
where now the fiery mist of forming
world is diffused in the vastness of space
worlds will be condensed and move in
| harmony with mathematical laws which
we can state. New life will come and
struggle will begin, new cities will be
! founded, new arts Will flourish pain and
sorrow will be known, strength will
grow, and knowledge will be increased.
| intelligent creatures will plan and Won
der and hope and question whether there
| be any good and any God. Who can
| don bf that oil tha do IL