The record-union., 1893-07-01

vagaries and stick to demonstrations.
But now men of science are doing that
work for themselves. Tyndal was de-
spised by theology few years ago for his
prepostorosities in the theological field,
but theology now honors him for his
ndality TO truth in his own field, and be
reciprocates the good will. Each party
IS coming to recognize the other as an
honest searcher after truth, and both are
! percelYlug that neither has explored the
whole field. 1t is perceived that there is
truth, possibly accessible, 10 some extent
at least, both through the Scriptures and
through reasoning and research, in the
held OF theology pure and simple-that
there may possibly be a better under
standing arrived at of the revealed truths
concerning the existence of God and of
the nature and modes of His attributes,
and OF the nature of spiritual existence
and of whatever in that realm is compre-
hensible to the human mind. The day
Tor coarse, VItuperatlve lnhqeIlty IS
past, except among the coarse and ignor-
ant. The day is also past for tlerce
polemlc spirit in defense OF religious truth.
We are beginning to see more clearly the
significance of ChriSt's words, And l if
be lifted up. l will draw all men unto
me- And even doubling Agnosticism
has the words on its lips ready TO be
| spoken, Lord. to whom shall we go but
to thee? for thou hast the words OF eter-
nal truth"
"In theology" says the Christian Reg
1StcT tUnit.) of Boston, amazing harm
has been done by the notion that the life
to come must take precedence in thought,
plan, purpose and action. They who
provide for themselves happiness to-day
are preparing for happier to-morroWS.
Half Of the pleasant to-day is the mem
/ ory of the pleasant yesterdays. Half of
the virtue that fills us with the calmness
of its strength in the present time is the
| habit OF virtue formed III the effort to
make 1t real in the past. There is no fu-
ture heaven for us that does not begin
| in the earthly paradise which we now in
habit. When all the churches and all
good men and women agree to make a
heaven here, at whatever cost, anxiety
| about the heaven OF the future will fade
away in cOntentment with the happy pres
ent time. The happy, wise old men and
women who have made literature lumi-
nous, and have relieved the strain of
modern life with their cheerful conf
dence, have been such as we were trying
| to describe. When the eye falls upon
such groups as Brooks, Clarke, Pea
I body and Martineau, or Whittier, Holmes,
Emerson, LOngfellOw and Lowell, we see
men who did not postpone the fruition Of
women whose beautiful old age is coming
on with the glow Of sunset skies need
no happier sign of future welfare than
| the serenity and peace OF the happy pres
enU."
1T is commonly said that our time is
marked by profound and widespread
religious unrest" says the WuLchHtdR
(Bapt) of Boston. ''Such a statement
should not be accepted without question.
II would be much nearer the truth to say
that the unrest of our day is phiIosophi-
cal rather than religious, and that the cur
| rent scepticism touches the schemes by
which theologianS seek to harmonize and
unity the facts of religion rather than the
facts themselves. For instance, the
movement i'll the Presbyterian Church
for the revision OF the w estminster Con-
tesslon has been treated by the secular
press as an indication that there was an
extensive revolt in that communion from
the evangelical position of that confess
sion. The inference is wholly uniustitia-
bic. That creed is not only a statement
of religious belief, it is an attempt to con-
strue that belief in the terms of the pre-
valIlng philosophy Of the first half of the
seventeenth century. That philosophy
has been largely superseded. Men to-day
do not look at all questions from the same
point Of view as that taken by the men OF
two centuries ago. They may believe in
the facts of revelation as strongly as their
fathers did, but they have discarded their
formulas. To confuse the facts OF revela-
ton with human philosophy of them is
natural enough, BUTT is objectionable in
a trained thinker"
Speaking of Edwin Booth the New
\ Ork CbitrchD1Gn says: "Some years ago
minister of religion in this city de-
clined to Oificiate at the funeral of an
actor and suggested to the friends of the
deceased that they might find less scru-
pulous conscience among the clergy of
the little church around the corner
The suggestion proved correct, and the
name so informally given is almost as
well-known as the conservation name of
| the Church of the TRANSPORTATION. The
| theatrical profession adopted the building
as their parish church, and its rector as
their tather-confessor and pastor over
many deceased actor since then have
the words of Christian hope and consoia-
ton been said. and last week, at the fu-
neral of him who, few days ago, was.
perhaps, the greatest of all living actors,
the Bishop of New York and the Rector of
the Church Of the TRANSPORTATION off,
ciated in that solemn function. i IS
In this sphere of service Edwin Booth
ranks among the benefactors of his gen
Grafton. Nor is it the least of his claims
to an honored remembrance that his per-
sOnal character and influence have been
potent factors in raising the tone of the
dramatic profession. 1t was well that
Bishop and Rector should unite in say
ing over his earthly remains the words
of peace and consolation which the church
appoints for all alike, in the Office for the
Burial of the Dead: Looking for the
General Resurrection OF the Last Day.
and the lite of the world to Gomez"