The record-union., 1892-08-27
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.

Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.
"We see no reason" says the Watch
man (Bapt.) of Boston, ''why public
prayer should not be carefully premedi-
tated, as to its thought, if not its phrase
ology. There is vast deal OF profanity
IN public prayers when, as contem-
porary remarks, the name of the Deity
Is uttered to keep up the flow ofspeech
while the one praying is thinking OF
something else TO say. In our revolt
from the Hturgical prayer we have gone
to the extreme of praying extemporized
thoughts with extemporized feelings"
''When," demands the New York Oh
sea-Ver (Pres.) did the orthodox ever
stGGP to the method of the liberal
theologian? When did Calvinists ever
attempt to sap and destroy progressive
theology by the plan recommended by
some progressive theologians in the
Presbyterian Church for sapping and de-
stroying the Calvinistic faith, the plan of
remaining in a denomination after
changing ones belief and trying to sub
vert the creed of the denomination? I?
What Calvinist ever advised Calvinists
publicly to subscribe an Calvinistic
creed, and then teach and defend Calvin
ton? What Calvinist ever advised Cal
vinists to hold office and take emolu-
ments on anti-Calvinistic foundations
What orthodox body has ever put to
ITS own use endowmentS that were
given for the spread OF progress
i've theology? The history of religious
endoWmentS shows without an exception,
if we are not mistaken, that it is the
looser creed that flches from the stricter,
not the stricter from the looser. What
ever else may be laid to the charge of the
advocates OF orthodoxy, covert move
ments, concealed opinions, and double
dealing cannot be. They have never bur-
rowed under ground, and they have
never pretended to be what they are not.
And they have insisted that all who join
them shall do SO in good faith, and hold a
common creed. For this they are charged
with narrowness and bigotry 1t is high
time for the Northern Presbyterian
Church, without taking advice from any
body, to interpret its own standards, and
declare what is orthodox and what is
heretlcal according to these standards,
and then to insist in an etfectual way that
all Office bearers within it shall conform
To this denominational understanding
and Interpretation"
Perhaps" says the New York Chris
tan AdUOcdte (Meth.), sit will be claimed
that, being convinced of the truth of their
theories, our destructive (BiblicaD critics
feeI bound TO propagate them. To such q
claim 1t IS pertinent to reply by asking:
Can they be really convinced that their
criticisms are sound? Most certainly
their theories are not demonstrations.
They do not repoSe on conclusive reason
ing, since men quite as learned and logi-
cal as they do not accept, but vigorously
oppose them. And even the critics them
selves are divided. for there is no such
consensus of opinion among them as
amounts to unity. Then the church of
the past is against them. Moreover, the
moral and spiritual results of this criti-
elsm, especially in Germany. have been so
bad as to convince candid observers that
rationalism is an irreconcilable enemy
TO all Christian doctrine and character
Bishop Hurst, in his learned History of
Rationalism,' says: We challenge deism,
and even atheism itself, to furnish proof
OF more malignant antipathy to some
OF the cardinal doctrines of the common
faith of Christendom than rationalism
has produced in certain ones of its expo-
nentS. Nowhere can we find
a more deplorable example of the disas-
trouS effects of a false creed on human
character And our latest teachers of
destructive criticism. being learned men
know all this, and more, concerning the
hostility OF most Biblical critics, both
now and in the past, to their views, con-
corning the diversity of opinion among
themselves, the evil effects of their views
upon the character of their recipients
and on the minds of Christian people
generally; How, then, can they be so
convinced that they are right as to feel
obligated to teach their opinions ?"
''As to the old theology" remarks the
Interior pres of Chicago, sit should be
said in its favor that when treating of the
Bible 1t did not make more OF its dis
crepancles than of its harmonies The
old theology was not ignorant of diff
cuIties connected with the study and ex-
position of the Bible. 1t confronted every
one of the problems presented to the
schools of to-day. There was not a mis-
placed 'sh'va' in Hebrew text over which
1t had not dwelt in reverent study. From
the construction of Noah's ark to the in
terpretaion of messianic prophecies it
dealt with every possible objection. But
when sent for by the Master to feed the
hungry and expectant multitudes
with barley loaveS and such fishes
as were at hand, it did not call chief
attention to the 1sh-bones. Its duty
was to feed, not TO choke the people.
The old theology, moreover, did not
assume omnlScence. When cities were
buried it took it for granted that
only the spade of the excavator could
even approximately reconstruct the de-
sbIOySu Capital. IL Ulu not ATTEMPT TO
build new Rome in the clouds. The
old theology believed perhaps too much
in logic, but ii believed very little in the
Imagination. IL was not without its
great scholars, men to whom the Hebrew
and Greek of the sacred text were as
familiar as the tongue which they heard
IN their cradles; but it never occurred to
such scholars that they could, out of their
inner consciousness, evolve the solution
OF all mysteries and the clue to all enip-
mas. Its motto was not to know all
things, but to believe all things 1t held
that difficulties of record could only be
settled by discovery of fact; and it incul-
Gated a patient faith instead of presenting
iancitul solution. Ii it erred in this, its
error was that of child-like faith rather
than childish arrogance"
The Central Christian Advocate Meth.
Of st. Louis says that ''The subject of
political economy should receive the
close and increasing attention of the
ministry, particularly in industrial
centers. The times call for wise teaching
on this question. But it is not enough
for one to thoroughly inform himself of
the sound principles that must lie at the
basis of a permanent adjustment of labor
difficulties, although this is the first and
most important step to be taken. The
great mass OF the common people, whose