The record-union., 1892-04-30
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligious Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

oAe matters OF Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.
The Lining Church (P. E.) of Chicago
relolces that the Standard Prayer Book
VIII be published before the end of the
year, ana says: Considering the com
mon ~ uncertainties attending the action
vi tne committees, the present is an in
stance OF good faith worthy of all COM
hlendauon. 1t will; we are sure, be re-
celNed with thankfuIness throughout the
length and breadth of the church. 1t is
Ihe beginning Of the end of a long and
anxious time, and we trust for the good
OF the church it may be a long period be-
lore another epocn of revision is entered
upon. In the present aspect of the Chris
lian world, with its shifting phases and
growing laXity of belief, what is needed
most OF all is aspectacle ofconstancy and
uXlty IN faith and worship. Some OF the
evils which have been fostered by a long
period of uncertainty may take long to
cure, but the settlement of the Prayer
Book In fixed and permanent form, and
the conviction, which examination will
establish, that it is the same Prayer Book
still, will undoubtedly do much within a
lew years TO restore the old feeling Of Sc
curlty, the old love and veneration which
has always made this book, next to the
Anglican branch of the Catholic Church"
The New York EUdngeliSt (Pres.) thus
accounts for the recent anti-Briggs vote
IN the New York Presbytery: There
was one notable point of difference in tho
TWO meetings Of the presbytery. In that
IN November there was full discussion
OF the case; now there was no discussion
at all. But if there was no debate, there
had evidently been a great deal of outside
preparation. The friends of Professor
Briggs were in such large majority that
they had no apprehension of the result;
and as they came into the house they
asked of one another who would be good
men to vote for, thinking they had the
whole presbytery from which to pick out
the best scholars and the ablest debateTS;
while on the back seats Were a number OF
brethren who are worthy of all honor,
but whose faces had hardly become tamil-
lar, as it was but lately that they became
members of the presbytery of New \ Gork
by the extension Of the city so that il took
in a portion OF the county Of Westchester
These new members took little part in
the business Of the presbytery, though
they had their printed ballots in their
pockets, and were ready to vote for the
straight ticket That is the explanation
OF a result that takes us by surprise. 1t is
the unexpected that has happened-un-
expected to us, but not to others who
We're wide awake while we were fast
asleep. 1t is the old story, that while
men slept the enemy crept in unawares.
But now that this has come TO pass, it
would be but childishness to complain of
result for which we are responsible.
We have nobody TO blame but ourselves"
The Chicago Interior pres, drawing
parallel between the church troubles OF
1857 and those 1892, concludes by saying:
What then is the duty of our ministers,
elders, and people at the present time
1t seems to us that not soul OF the many
thousands of our readers would fail to
state it. for substance, as we viii state it,
First, to protest against the Vituperative
and Indlscrlminate censure which certain
men are now dealing abroad. Second, to
discountenance any attempt to PREJUDICE
or prejudice any case of discipline which
may arise Third, TO insist upon the adj
herence to the usageS and laws OF the
church in all cases OF prOceSS-eSpecially
where a departure from them would inn
ply suspicion of great body of ministers.
1t is plain path-nothing but the mutual
confidence which we are fully entitled
and justified in reposing in each other,
with business, fairness, charity and
loyalty to the spirit of Jesus Christ, as
well rs to the truth as it is in him."
eve do not worship the Bible," says
the New York Observer (Pres). 1.-The
charge of bibliology has been raised
against Christians who have an old
fashioned reverence for the Bible bv
minds wanting in candor and fairness,
and it has been used as an epithet of re-
proach. We confess that we share the
respect of the youthful King of old, who,
1t is said, declined to use a copy of the
bible as stepping stone, although we
can see no sin in so using it. We have
not that kind of faith i'll the virtues of the
Tf,I el,n Ia L.
II carried IN the yeSt-pocket it would
serve to stop bullet any quicker than
the most secular volume. Nevertheless.
the Bible has proved itself book worthy
of being treated with respect even bv the
most materialistic critic. The results pro-
duced by 1t place it as book entirely
above other So-callcd sacred books
When, therefore, critics lay it upon a dis
secting-table, and carve it to pieces as
surgeons would the corpse of a criminal.
we claim that they are not at all more
likely TO get at the anatomy OF it than are
some other scholars who approach the
task with a feeling of reverence fora book
that has made thousand deserts blossom
as the rose"
1.-The year past" observes the New
York ChgIStidn Enquirer (Baptl 'has
tended to show that in all the churches
which are federated on a national or ter
ritorial basis there is good deal of striy-
ing after the manner of those who in old
times asked: Who shall be greatest p
If men, who are proposed for important
office do not themselves stoop to un-
worthy means to accomplish desired re-
suits their friends Will, and their onDo-
nents viii not lack using means. not
always honorable, to thwart them. The
anonymous letter figured very largely i'm
the opposition to Phillips Brooks as a
bishop. One of the strongest philippics
of DIR. Parkhurst last year was directed
against Jersey politics. on the Presbyte-
rian General Assembly, which he claimed
elected a moderator and packed commit
tees inimical to Professor Briggs. Watch
ing the working of things in the various
denominations which have prelatical or
presbyterial government we are COM
PEELED TO see that with bishops and pre-
siding elders, conventions, assemblies.
conferences and presbyteries the old
Adam which loves TO have the pre-emi-