The record-union., 1893-04-29

substitute for religion. A form used be-
cause 1t is useful to one who is encourag-
ing some new and better form of spiritual
experience may be invaluable. The
church, as an institution, with forms of
admission and membership, is nothing
put IA relic OF dead past if il is set up as
fold into which are gathered the re
deemed. But the church regarded as the
union OF those who like and need certain
kinds of spiritual discipline and culture
which many others do not need or do not
care for, may be powerful aid to the
living CT the religious life. The young
often seek it just at the time when the
tender blades of the religious life begin TO
appear. The world does not always en-
courage the natural growth of good
things. The young know by instinct
that new measure of strength must go
to the support OF a new life. They seek
help TO brace their own courage. An
avowal of their intention often makes
the difference between taking one side or
the other, in the cases where some cour-
age is required to stand for the best
things. The communion of saints is not
fiction. Accordant minds create an at
mosphere in which the world that takes
virtue lightly seems not quite so near
and not quite so important"
On the subject of the Religious Con-
BAC9o al lllC W OllO IdlI INC NNTiSLttlH
Leuder ltnlv.) of Boston says: The ia
miliar Illustration, Place your candle
here side by side with mine, and no ar
gument Will be needed to show which
gives the brighter flame holds in its APP
pHcation to all comparisons of The many
religions. Several of the so-called other
religions, with nearly all of the many in
terpretations of the Christian religion,
will each have its candle at the 'Parlia-
ment of the great Exposition. Anything
IKE tlmldity in hesitating TO unite is con-
teSSlon Of dlStruSt. n special eagerness
to test the competition-for i'll kindly
terms competition it really is-will be
the sign OF confidence in the outcome Of
the ordeal. If we had no higher aim
lhan that OF winning the victory, if we
were to put our religion into the arena as
a sportsman puts his racer upon the turf
we would ask nothing better than the
opportunity to let our religious candle
send forth its rays in company with the
long array of tapers. We cannot imag-
inc more welcome opportunity for the
Christian 'apologist' than that of placing
side of CONTIGUOUS, Zoroaster, Gautama
and Mohammed. But the comparison
should have a nobler and diviner end
than chat OF seeing which will win. While
10 this important incident we cannot be
indifferent, still common courtesy re-
iNlIbS LldJ Ill ll0 L dElIdulbns II De re-
garded as but an incident. The principal
aim should be to note what is good in
each, for he has proved a dull reader of
human annals who awaits proof that
either OF the great names enumerated
represents a stage of human progress
each III his way has been a benefactor."
"The cable announces that the Pope is
about to issue an encyclical letter urging
upon all the faithful more thorough
study OF the Scriptures, and especially
upon the priesthood such a study of the
Scriptures as will enable the church in
its instructions to keep abreast OF schol-
arly research and criticism. The cable is
not always authentic in its information,
and this report must as vet be character
lied simply as important if true, yet it is
so much in accord with the general course
and policy of the present Pontitf that it
cannot be regarded, by any one familiar
with the course OF events, as at all incred-
ible," says the New York Christian
GiuOH. Nor would it be difficult to
frame an argument for the purpose of
showing that such an encvclical is not in
consistent with the attitude OF the Roman
Catholic Church towards the Scriptures
i'll the time of Luther. On the one hand
the Roman Catholic would argue that the
reading of the Scriptures in that age of
the world might be dangerous, and in
Wis sh5 . VI ZIG NOllu SdLGi anu ne
also contend that recommending the
studying of the Scripture does not in
volve recommending it as the only and
all-suflicient rule of faith and practice
III other words he might accept so much
of DIR. Briggs position as affirms that the
Reason, the Church and the Scriptures
are all authorities in matters of faith and
practice, while affirming against DR..
Briggs that the Church, not the Bible, is
the supreme and final arbiter We vent
ure to predict that if the encyclical proph-
esied by the cable is issued, il will not be
found to put the authority of the Scrip
ture before that of the church; if it does
not, then the fundamental issue between
Professionalism and Romanism raised by
Martin Luther will remain essentially
unchanged"