The record-union., 1892-07-23
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.
''Soarcely any form Of speculation seems I
just now more attractive" observes the
New York C2s7trci@tun lP. - than
vague guesses or quasi-scieptific demon
strations Of the future Of Christianity,
founded upon congratulations derived
rom the history OF the past. Christian
jty, it is said, has passed through num-
Der Of well-marked stages Of develop
ment, and some new form may be con-
1idently expected, and indeed is mani
testify approaching. Nor need one be
surprised if that new form should differ
very widely from anything yet seen in
history. The Christianity Of the Nicene
and Chalcedonian period differs, it is
said, almost TO the extent OF extreme
contrast from the simplicity OF the belief
or Impressions OF the first disciples. The
church of the great Popes differed almost
as widely from the orthodoxy of Athana-
sius and the general councils. By di-
yergence as fully marked, appears later
on the experimental pIety OF the Reform
ers or the Evangelicals. Nextit seems as
II there were already merging a Christian
lty OF mere conduct, consisting of kind
feelings toward mankind, with benevo-
lent institutions Of all sorts for the relief,
or social legislation for the prevention, of
all manner of distress. But this whole
theory seems open to the objection that
Il is not really demanded, nor perhaps
counteuanced, by the history Of the past.
The development of Christianity has not
been series Of transformation scenes or
metamorphoses, like egg, caterpillar,
chrysalis and butterfly On this theory
the disciples who had least Christianity
were the apostles. They lived before the
dogmatism, ecclesiasticism and expert
mentalism' Of the past, as well as the
conduct of the future"
The New York Chatrchuldn (P. Ed
thinks that ''In any case, the Parliament
OF Religions, which is to be a conspicu-
GUS part Of the great Colum bian Exhibit
ton IN Chicago next year, may be con-
hdently expected to yield very unique
and instructive results. A clear state
ment of the dOgmaS, laws, Institutions
morals, and actual workings of any of
the great religions of the world, by one of
its own professors and believers, would
be sure to differ very widely from the re-
ports of missionaries or the speculations
of outside Observers. When a man tries
to estimate the probable future of Chris
tianity as the religion for all mankind, he
assumes that all human beings are alike
IN those particulars with which such
religion as Christianity is most concerned.
Thus, for instance, he assumes that all
men love or desire truth, foundation of
yerihable fact; that they have a deep
sense Of sin and longing for redemption;
and so on. Whereas truth, fact, seemed
even to PLATE and to the Roman rulers
afterwards wholly irrelevant. 1t seemed
to them simply absurd to make a fuss
about formal recognition of the divinity
OF the Caesar on the ground that he was
not, as matter of fact, divine; because
his divinity was mere political or social
hypothesis, and would answer its pur-
pose equally well whether true or false.
Similarly, to its adherentS the Christian
religion is precious because it "opens the
Kingdom of heaven to all believers and
assures them of life beyond the grave.
But TO millions of mankind that would
be an lntoIerable and crushing burden.
The only heaven they care for is the ex-
tinction of personality"
''There is one more evidence of the
secularization of life in these days that
must not be overlooked, )" says the Watch-
man (Bapt.) Of Boston, ''and that is the
adoption by so many churches of the
methods of the world. There are churches
IN almost every community of any size
that are hardly more than religious clubs,
as III almost every such community there
are pulplts that have been converted into
platforms for the discussion of about
every conceivable subject that can
catch" the popular ear. Success is eSti-
mated by the state of the church treasury
and the members that fill the pews. De-
vices of various kinds, and sometimes of
very questionable character, are re-
sorted to to attract the outside myriads.
The reasons given for so doing are that if
the world viii not come to the church,
the church must go to the world; but none
the less does such policy mean the sec
ularization of religion and the abandon
ment, partially at least, of it's proper
sphere and work. And, what is more.
1T means, soon or late, failure to
achieve the end in view. The more that
the church resembles the world. the less
viii the world care for it. The early
Christian church grew and prevailed, be-
cause, though an the world it was not of
the world; and if the church of to-
day is to truly prosper, it must keep that
TACT clearly before it, and be what its Di-
vine Founder intended it should be-a
constant witness to the fact that God has
supernaturaliy revealed Himself to men
and made known the way of salvation"
On the subject of 'Church Inhospi-
tality' the Christian Register OnitA of
Boston, remarks: What is most needed
IS not solhe apology for church inhospi-
tahty, but a cure. Sometimes the cure
must be applied to the stranger some
times TO the church. The pastor is occa-
slonaily al fault, though we do not think
that ministers sin so much in this direc-
ton as their people. The hospitality of
The whole parish does not rest in the pas
tors hands. He cannot be expected to
dispense il. The pews must recognize
ana accept their responsibility. A COM
mittee OF hospitality is good device; but
not even committee of hospitality can
make a cold church warm any more than
the sexton could do it by hugging the
furnace-pipes. The pews must furnish
some fuel OF courtesy, urbanity and genial
welcome. In fashionable churches social
cilques and antipathies may prevail; but
IN the average church coldness is not due
so much to selishness as to negligence
and forgetfulness. In the interest of pro-
pagandism, in the interest of filling the
church pews, and increasing subscrip-
tions, this subject of church hospitality is
sometimes urged as a measure of bust
ness sagacity. But it ought to be placed
on higher plane. The spirit of human
brotherhood, which joined together the
first Christian disciples with strength
and warmth that excited the wonder of
the pagan world, is the real solution"
''To defend moral supervision by the
pulpit of public concerns says the New
York Enquirer (Baptist) sis not unlikely
TO evoke the old cry against ecclesiasti-
cism. AS Baptists, it need not be said. we
would resist to the utmost the slightest
attempt at clerical domination or control.