The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-16
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.
''The Bible is Gods book" says the
| San Francisco OccideRt (PreS.). ut is
SupTeD9d Ter. Those who asSail or under
mine this position are hereticS, not en-
titled to standing as teachers in the
church. But also the Bible is rich in its
human acknowledgement and histor-
| lcal, experimental and literary. To eX-
plore this is to make the Scriptures more
luminous and potent. There is much
gold In this mine, needed for the COM
merce of the kingdom and the adornment
OF Gods house. A part of this subterra-
mean task is undertaken by what is
known as the higher criticism. Thus far
the function of the rev science is legiti-
mate and llte-giving. Some higher crit
les become SO absorbed in their under
ground work as to forget what lies on the
surface; they minimize or ignore the SUI
pernatural element in Scripture. These
are heretics. The dangerous trend in the
direction OF this heresy is to be jealously
| guarded against with like care. Those
higher critics who uphold Scripture as
the inspired and unique work of God.
and as the infallible rule of faith and
! practice, should not be swiftly adjudged
heretlcs, on the ground of mere INFER
enceS, even in presence of assertions that
seem rash, revolutionary and dangerous.
Some consideration is due'their exposed
position, even when they foolishly court
premature or excessive condemnation.
Their folly may merit censure, and their
propaganda may be discountenanced,
| ! hn 1nfh co n md
unfair to charge them with heresy."
1--WE are assured" says the Watchmdn
| (Bapt.) of Boston, 'by some of the mega
tive biblical critics that the Bible is more
to them, not less, in consequence of the
new views they are led to take of it. 1t
has parted with none Of it's titles to honor
and reverence, or its spiritual power, but
Is cherished as reverently and sacredly
as before. We have no disposition to
| question the sincerity of these profess
sions, but are ready to concede that they
are unconscious of any diminished rev.
erence for the Scriptures as the Word of
God. We wish 1T could be as evident
| that their treatment of the sacred books
is adapted to promote reverence for
| them"
''The religious life of to-day" thinks
the New York Observer Pres, needs
a revival of Puritan doctrine and Puritan
morality. The best forward movement
IN our churches would be backward
| movement to the strong simplicity of
faith, out of which sprang the rich har-
vest OF Purltanlsm garnered for English
literature and morality, and which laid
/ deep and firm the foundations of our
great republic. 1t is well to look for
| ward, but 1t is true wisdom to look back
ward also, carrying to the endeavors of
| the present the inspiration and abiding
ylCrth of hn Suf, i,.t J.,
accomplished wonderful things for God
and for humanity. The history of the
| church has been written in vain if the
| lessons OF the past are neglected in favor
OF the theories of to-day. Doctrines may
need translation into current phrase
ology, and a certain amount of adjust
ment to the modes OF thought peculiar to
our generation, but in their essence they
must be proclaimed with the holy bold
ness and unfaltering fidelity of our Puri-
tan forefathers. Their simplicity was the
simplicity that is in Jesus Christ AS
one of the foremost thinkers of our time
has well said: The very genius of Chris
| tianity vanishes when we cease to affirm
that Jesus Christ is the Precipitation for
! the sins of the world; that our first need
is the remission of sins; that life is the
day of grace, and that grace and truth
! have come to US. -
| The Chicago Standard (Bapt.), speaking
of the various evidences of prevailing
! skepticisn, says: sit may even be that
these signs of apparent disruption are
really signs of the oncoming of a state of
things as regards faith in the revealed
| Word and in Christian truth as a whole
far more settled and sure than has ever
before, in any age, existed. Much of the
critical study now in progress is, in truth,
feeling for the foundations. 1t is more
in that character, taken as a whole, than
| have been the spirit and process of re-
! ligious inquiry in any former time. Some
| may be thus feeling for the foundations in
the hope to destroy them; yet surely there
must be those who thus feel for them that
| they may know the more surely what
they are, and may build on them with
fresh assurance of faith. Many things
have heretofore been generally accepted
which are now brought in debate, and
upon these the faith of former times ha-
stood and built. Of these chief one has
| been the divine authority and absolute ms
| fallibility of the Bible. These are now in
certain quarters called in question. In
deed, much of the critical study of the
present time. as of the last fifty years,
more or less, has borne steadily in that
| direction. If the Gospel by John
could by any possibility be discredited-
thing which, by the way, is not even
imaginable-the loss in the interests
of truth would be immense. The debate
COhCSlulHS lLdo DOoh. HOW Iledrly closed
in the utter defeat of those who have
sought to discredit it's apostolical origin
| and authority, is sample of the way in
| which what might seem mere wrangle
among critics touches the very funda-
| mentals Of faith.
IF the pulpit is not reformer or re-
| forming influence, it had better be abol-
| ished," says the New York Churchraau
! (P. E.) "As a matter of fact, the pulpit
is very powerful, yes, and the most
| powerful reformer in all modern
countries. not excepting Russia. The
ten commandments and the sermon on
! the mount are the protested code of NOR
ais in our day, and the pulpit, whatever
else besides finds utterance there, dare
not shrink from admitting and often ex-
| pounding this code. The pulpit prepares
the way for legislation by appealing to
individual consciences. Legislation is
never of any avail if it 60 beyond the
conscience of the community it processes
to control. 1t must have moral war
rant in the minds of the people to be in
any sense effective. People. especially in
America, will not keep law unless they
| think 1T good and just. Many laws are
broken, not because they fail in goodness
and justice, but because their goodness
and justice make no appeal to the con-
sciences of the law-breakerS Now. here
comes in the work of the pulpit. The
Christian preacher has to waken the pop
ular conscience whenever it happens to
slumber. 1t is the work of those who
succeed st. Peter and st. Paul to speak
until the people are pricked in their
| hearts, or until Felix trembles. 1t does
not, however, follow that a preacher is
to be Judge or divider,' much less po-