The record-union., 1893-01-19

heresy did not accept his opinions, but
desired to make the Presbyterian Church
broad enough to include him within the
fold But. as we have already said, this
IS only the beginning of the irresistible
conhlct. Even so staid and conservative
a body as this cannot escape the influence
OF the time spirit, and must either move on
or tail out of the real current of religious
thought"
The following is from the Congregation
dtaSt OF Boston: 1.-THE Christian Mirror
OF Portland. Me-, has been discussing at
length the doctfinal statements of one of
tho hve young men ordained at Farm
lngton, Septembe 9th, and printing
communications from DR.. j. G. Merrill,
Moderator OF the Ordaining Council, and
others. The creed referred to was printed
IN the Christian Union and has been
widely discussed. At the time we re-
trained from any extended comment on
the matter in Difference TO the unanimous
vote OF the council, on which were breth-
ren widely known, who have the conf
dent OF the churches. 1t is often neither
wise nor just TO judge of the fitness of
candidates for ordination by their writ
ten statements only, or to pronounce
judgment on councils ordaining them. 1t
Is to be supposed, when a creed is unsat-
isiactory and the council unanimously
proceeds to ordain, that it is influenced by
reasons satisfactory in themselves which
have not been made public. We sup
pose this to nave been the case at Farm
lngton. But we frankly say that if the
creed referred to is all that was presented,
in our opinion it does not embody the
faith of the Congregational churches, and
we cannot sustain the action of the coun-
Gil in accepting it as sufficient evidence
OF the fitness of candidate for the Con-
gregational ministry. If something more
satisfactory than this creed was present.
ed to the council an injustice has been
done to the candidates, the council and
the churches in emitting its publica-
tion"
1.-THE so-called gift for funeral dis
course, which usually means simply that
preacher can be relied upon to eulogize
the deceased and flatter the family pride
of the mourners, is no gift at all, says
the New York ChTlstian AdUocGte Meth
odist). "rhe minister who does it con-
tradicts the words of Jesus and the doc
trines which he himself breaches. He
who, standing in the pulpit on the Sab
bath, declares that those who live in sin
cannot be saved, and when brought face
to face with mourners who bewail the
death of friend, and deplore still more
the life he lived, speaks as though the de-
ceased had certainly assembled to glory,
IS betrayer of the truth. Those who,
to avoid this, are blunt and severe, or
make any remark of the deceased which
they would not dare to make to him if
he were living, are not of the spirit Of the
Gospel. In such cases, by wise selection
of the Scripture, as well as by unusual
solemnity of manner, by omission, and
by the administration of consolation
without respect to the deceased's religi-
ous life, especially by showing that no
spiritual consolation can be obtained by
any one who is not himself in the favor
OF God, or seeking His face, the truth may
be honored without Wounding hearts al
ready breaking"
The San Francisco Western Witness
Or. c. says: 1.-The disclosures concerning
Archbishop Ireland and Archbishop Cor
rigan are very painful and humiliating,
as well as a terrible shock to the children
of the Holy Church. AT moment when
our. separated children in the United
States are striving to unity the sects, we
who are one in faith are confronted by
the gravest charge of disunion among the
highest ecclesiastical dignItaries on mat
ters OF discipline.
ITO the most casual observer a serious
rent in the archiepiscopal body has been
plainly visible since the arrival of Mon
signor Satolli. Those among US watch
struck by the fact that if one of the Arch
bishops mentioned above was announced
to be Cardinal, in a few days the other
was, by the press, nominated in like
manner. These familiar with current
news in Rome knew that Miss Fades mot
Ides as in the dispatch) as a faithful
Matriarch, wrote and cabled opportune
matter for Archbishop Corrigan. This
was well balanced by equally interesting
cablegrams sent by Archbishop Ireland,
when in Rome, regardless of expense
story puts the figures in several thou
sands"
1--WE would fain hope against hope that
there must be gross exaggeration in the
dispatches. We should belle our intor-
nation to say there was no truth. The
so-called conspiracy must of necessity
unearth another, to which a hint was
given in our last weeks number If so.
it will be seen the conspirator'S work is
not limited to opposing or supporting the
Papal delegate.
"All this will throw back the work of
the church at least fifty years in our be-
loved country. We of the laity can only
wait and earnestly pray. The Witness
has taken for its motto: The truth will
make you free,' and its norma of action
is and shall be, 'Locuta est Roma, causa
finita est We have been prosecuted be-
cause we have followed the DEGREES of
baltimore ana the Orders OF the Holy
See to use Catholic books in the Catholic
schools of San Francisco, but it has not
altered our determination to be always
on the side of the Pope. We and our
readers will await in prayer and silence
for the issue OF this shocking crisis.
Were it but the matter of Cardinals
hat, as suggested by the secular press, it
would matter little in our glorious dem
ocratic republic; not so where the practi-
cal daily life of the church is in ques-
tion."