The record-union., 1892-10-01
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.


church's candlesticks and crown, in The
future of this nation, is the Italian mis-
SION of the Church Of Rome" says the
New York Ch1trchmdn (P. E.). ''It is an
antagonist not to be despised or under
rated. Its machinery is tremendous; the
zeal and devotion of the centuries are its
coal-pit, by which to raise the super
heated steam to drive it on. Hitherto its
methods and working have been largely
mechanical and its progress has been on
its own track, which, however long, is
exceedingly narrow. Americans build
machines themselves, as if by instinct,
and have not been much concerned about
'Rome's advances But of late new de-
parture and new activity has been de-
veloped, with the university at Wash
lngton as its exponent, calling itself
American Romanism,' and affecting en-
tire sympathy with all that is charac-
terlStic OF American civilization, thought
and methods. Without questioning the
sincerity either Of the 'liberality' or the
patriotism of individual leaders in this
movement, and admitting in charity the
honesty of Pope Leo's alleged approba-
ton of it, the fact remains that neither
the Pope nor the University holds the
permitted TO go exactly as far as the So
clety OF the Propaganda may. see fit and
no farther. 1T is a convenient bait TO
catch the unwary, and will be tolerated
as long as 1t is serviceable to the main
end, and then be consigned to the tomb
of the Capulets. Macaulay's famous
tribute to Rome, as the greatest embodi-
ment of human wisdom, statecraft, and
policy that the world ever saw, is not OBJ
solete vet. But until that policy is de-
cIared in this movement, the spectacle of
Roman dignitaries, doctors, and essay
lists proclaiming an Amercan-Roman
church, and wearing the stars and stripes
over their copes, however attractive Tor
its novelty and however deceptive
through its assaults upon Roman-Ameri-
canism, is simply dramatic fiction. Its
danger lies in its immediate effect upon
an impossible and generous people,
which may set the Italian mission long
step forward in its attempted usurpation
OF this land"
without entering upon the contro-
yersy touching lay, baptism," says the
Lining Church (P. E. of Chicago, 1--WE
may say that its validity seems to US too
well established by the long and general
consent of the church to be open to seri-
GUS question. The question, however,
Is raised whether such a concession does
not come into conflict with the doctrine
Of Apostolic Succession; whether to admit
that there are vast number OF persons
who are members of the church Of bap-
tism without the Intervention of the
apostolic ministry does not imply that
such ministry is useless. 1t is thought
that the two positions are mutually de-
structlve, that to admit the validity of
lay baptism IS equivalent to an acknoWl-
edgment of the claims Of any and every
sect composed of baptized persons to be a
Il9 ri he f9f hOlic Ehnrph A littla 10
Election will, we think, resolve this diff
Guilty. If such baptlSms are valid, it is
because they make the recipients mem
bers Of the one body, the Catholic Church.
But II such persons connect themselves
with other bodies, or if they form organi-
cations Of their own, this does not make
such bodies integral parts of the Catholic
Church. number OF persons who are
members Of the Masonic order may ioin
another order, that ofthe Odd Fellows, for
instance. We suppose it is possible that
a lodge of odd Fellows in particular
place may be entirely composed OF Ma
sons. No one, however, would think of
asserting that it was, on that account,
Masonic lodge. The Masons themselves
would be the last to admit such propo-
sition."
''Why are some of the religious week
lies constantly maintaining that there
are errors in the Bible as we have it,
asks the New York Christian I1eteLti-
genceT (Ref.). What is to be accom-
plished by the repeated assertions? Do
they mean that there are serious errors,
affecting doctrinal statements and moral
precepts? If so, what are those errors?
Besides, why is the assertion reiterated
that there may have been errors in the
original documents? What end is to be
attained? What is intended by the fire.
quent endeavors to magnify the effect of
the human element in communicating
revelation? Do the writer's who persist
in these representations intend to prepare
the way for notifications, corrections
they may call them, of Scriptual state
ments in doctrine and morals? Do they
mean to attempt a tampering in due time
with vital, essential truths, which dis
tinguish the Scriptual system from all
others? If such is the purpose, it ought
to be made known. Perhaps the world
is ready for man-made Bible, Bible
modified by critics, and perhaps it is not
1t is not improbable that such a Bible
would be rejected with disgust. The
world has been afflicted by hierarchical
popes, and may resent an attempt to en-
throne critical pope"
'Just here, it seems to u.s." remarks the
New York Examiner (Bapt.), Lies the
one complete, overwhelming proof that
the four Gospels were the work of in
and deeds OF the Son OF Man, mad inf
nitely more than their own imperfect
human recollection to guide them in their
work. Their own personality was not, it
is true, set aside; it is apparent in every
turn of thought, and in the method of
grouping the details of the narrative. But
when the work was done, it was at once
their own and not their own. They
could not have known or imagined-if
they had tried, they could not have ac-
complished the miracle-that out of their
four naive records OF life they but i'm
perfectly understood should emerge a
character which the world, with every
disposition to find fault, has been forced
to acknowledge AS that of the perfect
man. The portrait of J esuS of Nazareth
is indeed the miracle of literature And
when the 'mouSing critic assails the ac-
curacy of this or that word or passage
we can calmly accept so much as he can
prove without a shade of fear, for there
stands for ever the taultless Christ to con-
firm the truth Of the Gospels and the in
SEPARATION of their authors. There is no
getting away from this conclusion. It
belongs to the region OF the highest criti-
cism."
Commenting upon the dismissal of the
complaint against Professor Smyth bv
the Board of Visitors of Andover. the
Boston C0Rgregdt3oRdtist says: 1T seems
evident that the Visitors in making this
decision in no way concede that any eS-
sential departure from the creed of the
seminary is permissible. Its founders
gave their money for the purpose of
maintaining the doctrines which they held
and therein expressed, and the seminary
knows no other standard of instruction
1t will be seen from the text of the decis-
ion that the Visitors. in dismissing a case
which had become isolated and obnoxious
and involved in legal technicalities do