The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-10

y IIIIIIEo
than the professional, slovenly reading
OF the Bible from the pulpit. But if the
Bible lesson be carefully selected and
Well prepared, and the soul of the
preacher be in deep sympathy with the
lesson, and judicious and edifying COM
ments be interspersed, this is the highest
form for the Bible lesson preceding the
sermon to take. IF this be well done, the
use Of the Bible by the nearer is of no
benefit, but positive disadvantage. To
receive full benefit of this spiritual serv-
| Ice the preacher who reads and COM
ments must have the eyes as well as the
ears OF the hearers"
On the subject of the church discussing
questions of the day that affect public
and political morals, the Interior pres. }
says: Perhaps there is just now too
much nervous apprehension lest the min
lister compromise the dignity of his holy
office by preaching secular or sensational
sermons; but it seems to us that, after
all, II is the professional politician
who has most TO fear, and who
Is, therefore, most opposed to the
pulpit in politics. Is there not a
little danger that in the preachers
zeal to render unto God the things that
are Gods he omits to give Caesar his due?
Caesar stands for civil government, and it
Is as great an obligation to pay taxes as it
is to pray. 1t is therefore the preachers
duty to instruct the conscience in civil as
well as religious duties. But how lit may
be asked is the pulpit to escape antagon-
ism and sensationalism and divisions in
the church? Suppose a few subjects for
political sermons be suggested. Preach
arbitration instead of war as method of
settling disputes between capital and Ia
Dor, and between nations. Preach the
Christianizgtion Of wealth, the sanctifica-
ton Of money as well as of muscle.
Preach patriotism until our country
! flag is unfuHeG from every schCoIhOuse,
| parochial and public. Preach an equal
! standard of morals for men and for
women. Call vice by right names. Preach
against official malteasance and private
misteasance. When sure of facts, name
the offenders, as did Parkhurst. All
such discussion should have religious
or moral and not a political flavor. 1t
should be entrenched in Scripture. \
Thus saith the Lord should supper.
every statement. Ii such preaching car
ries the pulpit into politics, so much the
worse for politicians; but the better will
1t be for politics, the better for the people,
| and the better for the pulpit"
what is the use of the Thirty-nine
Articles of the Protestant Episcopal
Church 20 asks the Independent Evan. }.
! "One Of the bishops has lately proposed
that they be thrown overboard,' and is
decidedly in favor Of doing so. He says
he believes them, but believes they are
unnecessary. The fact is that they have
already been practically thrown over
board. The Protestant Episcopal Church
does not accept Article XVII, which is
severely CalNinistic on predestination
and election. The church is predOmi-
nently ATminian, as every one knows,
and no one ventures to deny, and yet its
articles are Calvanistic. AS the editor of
the Church Standard says, it is no use to
try to secure uniformity on the platform
ofthe four Articles of the Lambeth Con-
namely, Holy Scriptures, the
Apostles Creed, the two sacraments and
the historical Episcopate, so long as the
Ihlrty-nlne Articles seem to remain as a
barrier in the way. For fifteen years
after the American Episcopal Church
was organized, the articles had no place
in its standards, and they were not form
ally adopted till 1901, when they were
established with some changes and omis-
sions. But there has never been any re-
quIrement resting upon American clergy
to confess any assent to them or to su b.
scribe to them in any way. They are
simply bound in the Prayer Book, and
that by no authority or vote of any Gen
eral Conference. Ii they were dropped
they would lose no authority which they
now possess; but where they are they
seem TO have some sort of binding obli-
CATION"
The Llgjag Church (P. E. insists that
creed after all remains the foundation
stone of the churches in spite of the as
saults OF unbelievers. THAT the churches
of the Catholic foundation" it SAYS, ''are
III any transition period as regards the
fundamentals OF the faith is abundantly
rafuted by the signal defeat of the attack
upon the Athanasian Greed in England
some years back, and again by the action
Of the American church in removing the
optional position of the Nicene Greed and
making its recitation compulsory on the
greater festivals of our holy religion. The
very fact that one Of the most insidious
attacks upon the faith of the church which
have appeared of late years takes the
shape OF 'huxing' the creed with new in
terpr6tations, rather than its abolition or
alteration, shows clearly enough the hope
lessness Of the latter undertaking. The
Calvinistic heresy of an invisible church
of the elect known only to God, as the
only true church, is not very frankly
preached in these days. The pendulum
has swung to the other extreme and the
doctrine which is now finding favor is
that which Identifies Christianity with
humanitarianism. 1t declares that so far
from being invisible and consisting only
of the elect, the church is really cock
tensive with the world, and there is not
man living who is not a member of the
Christian Church,"