The record-union., 1892-05-07
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.

is 1t really necessary asks the New
3oTk Chltrchnld7J Up. e., ito read the
bIpIe as II there were some kind OF
1cGiesIaSllcal merit IN making it generally
unlhteIllglble? 1t is easy to exaggerate
the defects Of the clergy in this matter,
puI we nave very frequently heard the
LESSONS so read that, apart from q familiar
MoFd mere and there, we should have
peeh unable to affirm in what language
they were written. Moreover, it is worth
considering how far our abbreviated or
shortened' services are in this respect an
unmlXed benefit. Two lessons, with four
or nVe psalms and two canticles, may be
an unreasonable strain on the attention
OF an ordinary congregation. 1t has often,
ana very justly, been urged against the
use OF those religious bodies which have
no Hturgical service or compulsory lee
uonary, that their Scripture reading is
very one-sided-for instance, in some
cases, giving to peculiar doctrines, such
as the Calvanistic, very disproportion-
ate prominence. 1t is presumptuous to
urge the incalculable importance of per-
tectly well-balanced selections from the
Bible, adequate III amount, and read with
perfect dlstinctness, clear articulation,
ana conscientious endeayOr TO make
Doth the words and the meaning thor
oughly understood? Reading the Bible
We'll is no small part of the duty Of
clergyman"
Speaking Of the election of anti-Briggs
delegates by the New York Presbytery,
the New York Christian Union remarks:
What may be the effect on the Presby-
terian Church Of this determined purpose
OF the Machine TO rule it in the interest
of a faction, we shall not attempt to fore
cast. 1t will probably depend upon the
question how far they carry their rule.
If they are content with simple attempt
to a Iafa fa rot he fV,inF
nary, the result in the Church win be nil.
The seminary will simply become indie
pendent of the bly-a change which
viii be greatly to its advantage. 1t is
quite time that we had in this country
live theological university. Such an in
stltutiOn must be on an evangelical foun-
dation-if for no other reason, because
evangelicals viii not GO for theological
training to any institution not distinctly
evangelical-that is, founded on a con-
ception of Jesus Christ as q divine Lord
and Master, and on the Four Gospels as
an adequate basis for historical Christian
lty. But it must also be undenomina-
tIonal; both because the Machine will
not allow any theological seminary under
It's control TO be administered except i'll
the interest of the denomination, and be-
cause, with rare exceptions, men of one
denomination will not attend seminary
avOwedly under the control and pre-
sumptlveiy IN the interest, of another de-
nomination. Union Theological Semi
nary has heretofore been conducted, as
ats name indicates, on basis broad
enough to include representatives Of all
schools IN the Presbyterian Church, from
Dr. Shedd, radical Old School, to DR..
Briggs, radical New School. The present
attempt to exclude the New School men
from the seminary will simply result in
making it Independent and still broader.
The way is quite open for it to become an
4
Presbyterian Seminary; the time is quite
ripe for such an institution, and New
York City is the place for it.
The New York Evangelist Pres.) doubts
whether the Committee Of Prosecution
in the Briggs case has any right, after the
original decision of the Presbytery in Dr.
Briggs favor to carry the matter over the
heads of the Synod of the General AS
sembly, and continues as follows: "The
only hope of escape from further diff
Guilty is that the assembly will promptly
overrule it. The first thing is to interpret
the new provision of the Book of Dis
clpIine which Is supposed to authorize
such proceedings. The highest authority
on ecclesiastical law in the Presbyterian
church is the Rev. DR.. Moore of Column
bus, o., who is the official editor of the
Digest Of the Acts and Proceedings of
the Assembly, which is the Book of the
Law for all Presbyterian legislation and
discipline. If we have any man among
us who sits in the seat of Moses, it is he,
and he declares, without the least reserve,
that the claim of this Committee of Prose-
cution to be AN original party in the case
has no foundation whatever. If his opin-
ion be accepted by the assembly, as soon
as the committee undertake to present
their case, they will be politely informed
that they have no standing in court,
and they will have taken their Journey
Pacific Rl1t - do
cldes otherwise, then we shall earnestly
advocate change in the law. To out
siders the claim OF any committee to be
irremovable and irresponsible is strange
commentary on our American ideas Of
official responsibility. Suppose they
prove wholly incompetent or willully
malignant? Suppose they pursue a
course Of such tlagrant Injustice as to
arouse universal indignation, is there no
way TO get rid of them? Or are they to
have the power to yeX Israel forever?
These are grave questions, which ought
to be determined. If we are living under
such rule as this, it is time for rus to
know it."
'How can we prevent scandals from
arising out OF clerical politics ?r asks the
New York independent. First. by dis
eliminating between proper and inn
proper methods, and not by condemninp
all efforts TO secure a particular object,
Second, by opposing and denounciug all
meJhads which compromise the honor OF
individuals or the body OF the ministry.
Third, by diminishing the 'spoils,' if we
may SO call them, which any eccIesiasti-
cal body may have to distribute The
Methodist General Conference ought to
be relieved of the responsibility OF elect
ing any officers for the church except
Bishops; the other offices should be filed
by the various boards of management.
If this were done the delegates wol1Id
have more time to devote TO the legis-
latfve interests of the church, and would
be in better frame of mind to consider
those interests. Clerical politics need
every possible safeguard against the
manifest tendency downward into cor
rupt practices and open scandals"
s'There is a curious thing under the
sun" says the New York Observer
(Pres.l, ''the practical unanimity with
which considerable portion of the press
and Of the people refuse TO permit
clergyman to speak his mind on certain
subjects as freely as other men do. He
may speak of sobriety and purity as
principles OF conduct prescribed by a
higher law and affecting the spiritual life;
but II he treats of them as also rules of
behavior laid down by the civil law and
affecting the material life, and goes on to
show how, in his opinion, these rules can
best be enforced, he is told at once to
keep TO his own duties and not dictate in
matters lying outside of his province 1t
does not seem to occur to his critic that a
clergyman does not cease to be a citizen
because he is q religious teacher, and that
while his profession binds him To IISe his
civil rights with moderation, it equally
binds him upon occasion to use them To
their utmost limit. There are times. for
example, when politics and morality
seem TO be in collision, and there are