The record-union., 1892-12-10
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligiOns Newspapers.
The Religious Thoughts of the Day as
Expressed in the SectarIan Press
Ministers and Laymen.

ardent advocates of Christian unity who
in their eagerness to 'lengthen the Cords
forget altogether to strengthen the stakes
about the simplicity of the baptismal
faith, that some words upon that subject
may not be amiss," says the Lining
Church (P. E. of Chicago. 'The matter
is put in this way: The candidate for
baptism is pledged to nothing further
in the way of belief than the articles of
the Christian faith as contained in the
Apostles Creed This alone, then, is
necessary-tO accept the letter of the
Apostles Greed. In the convention of
1889 this was put forth as a ground of OBJ
lection to making the Nicene Greed
obligatory in the public service of the
church. And an eminent person OBJ
jected TO the insertion of the Nicene Greed
IN the Communion office on this ground,
that 1t touched doctrine 1t added some
Ihlng, as he conceived, to the apostles
Creed, but the latter alone was necessary;
1t alone was required of man in order
to be made a Christian. On the face of
things all seems plausible, and much use
has been made of it, and doubtless more
use will be made of it before the last is
heard OF the plan OF unity by subtraction
OF everything which anybody does not
wish TO believe. But difficulties meet US
the moment we go beyond the surface of
things. If the letter of the shortest creed
is sufficient why are the sponsors di-
rected to see that the child has a consid-
cradle training beyond this, so soon as
he shall be able to learn? Why is the
catechlsm required to be learned by those
who come to Confirmation? Why is there
mention of other things besides the
creed which a Christian ought to know
and believe to his SOULS health?'"
1--WE wonder" says the New York Oh
SerUer (Pres.l, ''that our Congregational
brethren are not led to inquire whittier
they are drifting, and what the end of
present counselS must be. The ecclesi-
astical body called to receive and install
Rev. G. III. Beard, Phi. D., at South Nor
walk. Conn.,, was impressed by his can
dor and evident effort to state his ideas
fully and correctly 1t is one thing to be
candid and another thing to be correct.
When the candidate for ordination states
that he grounds the unity of Christ with
God in unity of ethical will he may be
clear, but he is by no means logical.
Most reasoners would prefer TO put the
cause before the effect and ground the
unity Of his will in the unity Of his life.
on the same day at the council which
met to install Rev. A. II. Hall in the
Center Church, Meriden, the candidate
'avOwed himself a Christian pantheist.'
II this brother also made an effort to
state his position fully and correctly, he
at least did not succeed, for nobody
seemed to understand what a Christian
pantheist is. He does not think of the sec
ond person of the Trinity as crudely
and self-consciously distinct individual
eternally apart from the Father in which
he appears to differ radically from Mr.
Beard. But both young men agreed in
accepting that view Of the Scripture
which approves of higher criticism and
both were unanimously sustained. One
does not need to be either a prophet. or
the son of prophet, but only student
OF church history, to know whittier this
current flows"
Sentiment. to-day, is undoubtedly
much more truly the life of the church
than all the cfeeds of Christendom put
together" observes the CHRISTIAN Regis
ter (Unit.) of Boston. at is safe to say
that the masses of men do not under
stand these creeds, and there is small
reason to think that they care much for
the Intellectual contents of such formu-
las. What they do care for is the stream
of sacred tradition and sentiment flowing
in channels which these creeds serve,
roughly, to define. Therefore, when one
has seen the absurdities of the old the0l-
:.
tenn OF religious thought, that, by itself.
does not accomplish much for the worlds
improvement. The old absurdities do
not greatly affect the common mind and
heart. The fish in the river are not
troubled about crooked and unsightly
tree growing on the rivers bank. 1t is
the sawdust or filth in the water itself
that drives them from their accustomed
haunts. Doubtless a reasonable faith is
much better than superstitious belief.
But, to come to anything, the new faith
must either tap the old stream Of religi-
Gus sentiment or must find new springs
OF its own, whence it can draw abundant
supplies of sacred hope and love and
trust"
The New York Independent, speaking
OF the recent Conference of Roman Cath
olic Archbishops, says: '1t was resolved
to promote the erection and support of
parochial schools, so as to provide for as
many of the Catholic children as possi-
bic, IN accordance with the provision Of
the Third Council of Baltimore. 1t was
then also resolved, after this necessary
prelude, to direct that provision be made
Tor the religious instruction of children
in the public school, by Sunday-schools.
and also by instruction on some other
day or days of the week. these Sunday
or week day schools to be under the di-
I6CG SuBSI lSIOu VI the clergy, alQe0 DV
intelligent lay teachers, and when possi-
BILE by members of Notwithstanding or
ders. Now, this Is good sound sense. 1t
seems that the Catholic Church will not
waste its time in merely fighting the
public schools, but will adapt its policy
to their existence and continuance. Of
course, if the public school does not and
cannot supply religious instruction the
church must supply it in some other
way. Protestants have learned that this
can be done by the Sunday schools, sup
plemented by parental instruction. Cath
olics are not only learning the same. hut
are confessing that it can be done. The
Sunday-schoOl is a blessed gift which
Protestants have made to Catholics. with
some other good things. 1t is pleasant
thing for Protestant to hear, as he can
hear, the chimes of Catholic Church on
a Sunday ringing out the notes of Sweet
Hour of Prayer and to find that some
of the best-organized Sunday-schools in
the country are taught in the Catholic
churches. Education in secular learning
only is goddess and dangerous. 1t must
be supplemented by instruction in one's
duties TO his God, and this is what the
Sunday-schoo does"
"History repeats ITSELF" cries the New
York Christian Enquirer (Bap.). Before
our war Stonewall Jackson came to the
Northern States and went home to tell his
people that the North would not fight.
that the Democrats would keep the Re
publicans in check. But when that gun
was fired on Sumter all parties. all sects
fused into patriotic unity to save the flag
In 1892 Satoli is sent over here to feel the
pulse of the American people, to see if
America is ripe to graft Rome upon her
nationality. To reporter he said. in
reference to the fraternal spirit of the
opening exercises at Chicago: From ex-
amples of this kind and the want of
prejudice have remarked in America. it
looks as if many were Protestants more