The record-union., 1891-07-18
Expressions from the Various
Religious Newspapers.
Expressed in the Sectarian Press
some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

to ones denomination which we cannot
admire, but we have little respect for one
who remains in church whose work
and policy he seems to despise. To our
view DIR. Rainsford has spoken good
deal OF truth concerning his church, but
his words certainly will not help ON
unity either in it or out of it."
The Nashville Christian Advocate
(Meth.) says: "Wiu some one please to
tell us what is meant by the expression
two orders, three Offices? Like the in
quirer at the circumlocution Office we
want to know What is an order but
permanent office? The supposition that
il is anything more than this contradicts
all that is said in the New Testament con-
corning the Christian ministry, and lends
effective support to the hieratical notions
of the Roman Catholics. It is our fixed
belief, frequently expressed in the col
unlnS OF this paper, that the church in
every age IS left free TO create as many or
as few offices as it's needs may require,
and to arrange and determine their rela-
tive positions and functions, always, of
course, keeping in view the fundamental
principles Of the Gospel. Our own
church, in the full exercise of this free
dom, has from the beginning had Bish-
ops, elders and deacOns. These are all
orders IN the same sense in which they
are offices, and offices in the same sense
in which they are orders. The two or
ders, three Offices theory has never been
sanctioned among us by any competent
authority, and, as far as our church is
concerned, is not true"
The CongregationdhSt says: Sabbath
reformers in the West do not seem to dis
criminate wisely between the forces that
are undermining that institution. 4
committee Of women of the churches in
Minneapolis, appointed to circulate and
present petitions against the Sunday
theater, reported to their constituency as
follows litalic Oursl The action of the
board [of theatrical managers] was COM
nunicated to your Chairman, and pub
lished in the newspapers next day Sun
ddy. 1t is unnecessary to refer to the sub
stance or tone of this letter, as YOu hare
all Doubtless read it, Yet, it is safe 10
say that if there had been no Sunday
newspapers there would not be Sunday
theaters.''
The Sacred Heart ReUicaU (R. c. saws +:
~ prominent Congregational clergy
man, DR.. Newman Smyth, in an address
delivered last week in Connecticut, said ::
The problem OF religious education of
the children Is too great for any church
to-day. We have secularized the school
until there is no place for religion. The
Roman Catholic Church has our Protes-
.tant Church at disadvantage here. This
makes our American system go on one
wheel. There should be religious trust
"A Protestant combination of religious
forces to do this work.
"To this admission and to the proposed
change of policy, we invite the attention
OF those well-meaning Protestants who
are so aftrighted by the cry of Roman
Catholic aggression that they are willing
TO surrender the education of their chill
dren to purely secular and goddess hands
y moments thought should show them
the hight of the precipice to the brink of
whichtheir prejudices have led them, or
rather allowed them to be led."
The CIttrchnla3l says the whole pith and
marrow of this pew-rent question lies in
the answer to this: ''Does it provide foY.
the preaching OF the Gospel to the poor?u
There is no possible doubt about the an
swer. The pew system does nothing of
the sort. 1t does precisely the reverse.
1t has the effect of excluding the poor
from the ordinances Of the Gospel. And
for that reason it is indetensible as q sys-
tenn for the support of Christian Worship.
"A parish church is for the common
Christian nurture of all the people of the
parochial district in which it is situated
and there ought to be nothing in it or its
arrangements to exclude or repel any
man. a national church ought TO have
parishes established in every district of
the land. a national church made up of a
few thousands of congregations occupy
ing private chapels is "a contradiction in
terms. The pew-rent system may do as
an eXped1ent OF missionary period, but
only as temporary expedient. Proprie-
tary chapels have no right to exist to the
detriment OF true parochial churches, and
they have. still less right to be perma-
nently substituted for them. Their pres
ent position In the American church is
only one proof that the church has not
yet outgrown the period of missionary
exigency. 1t is to be hoped that she is
fast entering on period Of more mature
establishments"
The Evangelist (Pres.) says: at does
seem to US great mistake in what we
may call theological tactics, that is. in
arraying the evidences of our religion
against intidelity, to stake the whole fate
of Christianity on the ability to support
by historical proofs what is, after ali, of
very inferior importance. This has been
stumbling block in all ages. Old Saint
jerome wrestled over these preplexities.
and at last came to a conclusion which
may be lesson to some scholars in our
day. The following quotation we find in
the 4AHer1cd7l Ecclesiastical ReUielO
tRoman Catholic tor May, which we
translate from the Latin. He was dis
cusslng the difficulty caused by disagree
ments in the Bible chronology, and he
throws up the whole matter in despair,
and says:
'"For what is the use in bothering with
the letter and finding fault with the error
OF the writer or the chronology, when it
is very clearly written, "rhe letter
killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.n Go
carefully over all the books of the Old
and New Testament, and you will find
SO much disagreement in the years, and
the chronology of the two kingdoms of
judah and Israel so confused, that TO de-
vote ones self to questions of this sort
does not appear to be the business so
much of a student as it is of man who
has nothing important to do. (Ep. ad.
Nitaiem, Migne Patr. Lat, V. 22, Col.
67e.!"'
The Occident (Pres.) says: ''It has for
ten years or more been the lament, in
private, of sagacious Presbyterians that
a few hot bloods seemed bent on forcing
the church to face whole brood of new
theological issues before her scholarship
had been able to refine the crude material
for the ecclesiastical market, or the mass
of the people Schooled to appreciate any
values which might thus be disclosed.
Protests and warnings have not been
wanting, but they seem to have been in
vain. The pressure has been relentless
until we seem forced already to the verge
of settlement-while yet the church
does not know and could not be expected
to know just what it is she is to settle.
The scholars themselves are not yet out
Of the early morning fog of their new
science. The mist enshrouds us all. 1t
is the part of Christian fidelity 10 put re-
Straint on the rashness which would
force on us the new theological definition
under these trying conditions. The time
is not ripe. The church refuses to au-
thorize in her professors chairs the bel
ligerent advocacy of theological novelties
that seem to threaten cherished doginas.
She demands that these novelties be