The record-union., 1892-01-30
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions from the Various
Religious Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the Sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

Our objection to all imposition of
creeds," observes the New York Christ
adn Union, lis that it tends to produce
spirit of discrimination. One objection to
heresy trials is that they lead to conceal
ments and disingenuous confessions of
faith. Excuses are current-plausible ex-
cuSeS-for external conformity; but the
moment man begins to excuse de-
parture, by SO much as hairs breadth,
from the truth, he begins process of de-
moralIZatlon. He who permits himself
TO enter on course of plausible conceal
ments or plausible conformities, for pru-
Dental reasons, blurs his moral percep-
tlons. The spiritual eye is very delicate
eye; 1t is dangerous to tamper with it.
The church which teaches its ministry,
that, II one wishes to get along comfort
ably with his congregation he must make
DeheVe, must conform, must repeat the
creed which he does not really believe,
or subscribe to it with mental reserva-
tions, Is robbing its ministry of its pow
er; Tor the power of the ministry lies alb
soiutely and wholly in the confidence of
the people in its absolute truthfulneSS.
The mother who teaches her boy to con-
ceal from her his doubts, because his
mother thinks them wicked and will be
panied by them, is inflicting on him an
incalculable injury. Skepticism is like
the measles very dangerous if it is
driven in; comparatively harmless if it is
encouraged to come out"
The Chicago Interior Pres.) said the
other day: The Episcopalians with one
voice are warming off Presbyterian
adullamites. fortunately they have
mono Of their own. A man who has not
sea-room in that pale for exploiting his
new views must be higher tiier than the
race has yet developed" To this the
Chicago Licing Church (P. E.) replies as
ihrD DFS
contemporary has too much truth in it to
be resented. We must bear with as good
grace as we can the taunts of Protestants
on the one hand and Romanists on the
other, waiting for public opinion and a
proper judicial system to come to our
rescue to restore discipline and defend the
faith. : We are compelled
to admit that there are men in our minis
try who do not accept even the creeds,
except with the most preposterous inter-
pretatlon; and worse yet, when such men
are brought to trial they are i'll danger of
being acquitted by our diocesan courts.
Their number may be few, but by them
the whole body is judged. They preach
and teach and publish what the world
likes to hear and read. They get into the
papers, make sensation, and perhaps
that is what they want; while the faithful
preaching of the great body Of the clergy
attracts little attention from the outside
WOrlu. w nile Lner6 Is no occasion for
serious alarm, those who call attention to
the signs of the times should not be re-
buked as troublesome by bishops whose
hands they are trying to uphold. 1t is
upon the historic episcopate that the
weight and woe of law-breaking and
faith breaking will first fall, and these
divinely commissioned guardians of the
faith and order of the church would do
well to commend and encourage the tenn
perate zeal Of the clergy and laity in op-
posing erroneous and strange doctrine"
The Boston Wdtchman (Bapt.) thinks
that 1t has made clear that the recent
course Of theological discussion has been
rapidly approaching thorough review of
the central question of the existence of
the supernatural and its manifestation in
history. Nearly seventeen years ago that
prince of American theologians, the late
DR.. Henry B. Smith, whose works to-day
are appealed to by men of all schools.
said in the hearing Of the present writer:
The theological discussion of the future
will be in reference to the supernatural
Events are justifying his forecast. And
the sooner that discussion commences in
dead earnest the better. Every other
question is secondary to this. 1t may be
an instance of another AthGnGsius contra
munduDa, but GOD will provide the Atha-
nasius, and the victory of Christian
thought on this field will clear the air for
u century,"