The record-union., 1893-12-15

SACRAMENTO DA1
from this. When a man says that he
does not accept dogma, 1t appears that he
means he does not accept any supernat-
ural revelation. To him, therefore, re-
ligion is merely a matter Of feeling and
conduct. 1t would simplify matters very
much if such teachers would only state
frankly that they do not believe In Su-
pernatural revelation. People would
then understand to what their teachings
were tending"
The following is from the New York
Observer (Pres.) According TO the Rev.
DR.. Alfred Momerie of England, as laid
down in his address at the opening of the
Worlds Parliament of Religions III Chi
cago, it cannot be that the new CON-
mandment of brotherly love was in
spired when uttered by Christ, and was
not inspired when uttered by Confucius.
The fact is, all religions are fundament-
ally more or less true, and all religions
are supercially more or less false AT
that rate there is nothing to be done but
to clear away all that is superficial and
get at the fundamentals. Then we shall
all stand pretty much on the same ground
and find ourselves building on the same
foundation. Ii we believed as DR.. Nome
RE does we should endeavor to discover
the religion acceptable to the largest
number of human beings and do away
with the offense of the cross entirely. If
Christ is not alone entitled to call himself
the truth, why should we not fasten our
faith to some prophet or high priest who
attacks mems sins less and makes the
walk to life broader and more in accord
with human ideas? AS to truths uttered
by Confucius it should be remembered
that the errors OF Confucianism so pre-
ponderate that any modicum of truth is
weakened in force and made OF little
effect
"The study of Christianity in Ameri-
ca" observes the Interior (Pres.) of Chi
cago, sis of interest as showing that there
is a difference between Protestant
churches themselves in their adaptability
TO the spiritual wants OF mankind. 1t
Will hardly be disputed by any one that
the sympathies OF the n-church-going
populations are with the non-eyangelical
denominations, while the prejudices of
the non-religious are also very strongly
against such churches as, for example,
the Methodist and the Presbyterian. And
yet the evangelical churches which be-
leve in the Deity of Jesus Christ, the in
spiratiOn of Holy Scriptures, and the re-
demption of the disciple by the vicarious
sacrifice of the cross, have increased dur
ing the past decade by over $500, 900 COM
municants, while the membership of the
four principal nOn-evangelical bodies at
the time Of the present census amounts to
but l32, ,992 in its entirety. The entire
mem berShip of the non-ChriStian, non
orthodox and nou-evangelical bodies, In
Guiding thirteen divisions and the larger
part of the population of Utah, amounts
to less than 100000, while the mere growth
OF the Bible churches in one decade
amounts to more than S,S00,000. A pOpu-
latiOn of over 100000 gives a pretty
broad field from which to derive our
data, and they seem to establish this as a
fact, that the poorest way to recommend
religion is to minimize it,"
''There are striking parallels the Con-
gTeg0ttORdtiSt Of Boston thinks, between
the treatment of the Stundists in Russia
and that of the early Separatists in Eng
land, who became the Pilgrim Fathers OF
New England. Both represent mainly
the humble classes. Both sought the
revival of spiritual Christianity as against
the Journalism of the established church.
Both learned to read in order that they
might know the Bible, which revealed TO
them the will of God and which they
sought affectionately to obey. Many of
both have been deprived of their property,
driven into Punishment or imprisoned.
The ofenses Of both were leaving the es-
tablished church, persuading others to do
SO. and spreading their views. For these
things men like Coppin, Thacker, Bar
rows, Greenwood and Penny were hanged
in England 800 years ago. and hundreds
of their fellOw-C Christians suffered i'm
prisonment and many indignities. For
these things the Stundists of Russia are
so suffering now as to call forth the SYM
pathy of Christian England and America.
If Congregationalists were more familiar
with the history of their own denomina-
ton, their Indignation at these wrongs
would be deeper and their sympathies
strOD GER -