The record-union., 1893-10-26
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.

Ministers and Laymen.
''The Parliament of Religions calls
forth as diverse opinions from pulpit and
press as were the views expressed in the
Parliament ITSELF" remarks the Boston
CoaqreqatioaaIjst. "Some declare it to
be the greatest event of the century, and
one Unitarian minister was so enrapt-
ured that ne avowed it to be the most inn
portant occurrence since the beginning Of
creation, others declare that it is insig-
nifcant, grotesque and contemplate.
The larger number see in it much that
is sublime and some things that are ridic-
ulous. 1t will be admitted. perhaps,
when it is looked back upon with cooler
judgment, that some eulogists of their
own religions drew more on their imag-
ination than on facts, and stirred the sus-
ceptible audiences to enthusiasm by
statements that will amaze some of the
hearers when they read them in cold
type. The Interior quotes some remark
able afirmations made by one speaker
who reused more uproarlous applause
than any other, and says: "A more shame
less beggar, q bigger braggart, or a more
than this same "honest Hindu" who
came all the way to America to teach a
worlds congress Oriental notions con-
cern1ng religion"
"a flood of light" the New York
C,tuTctrRdn tP. E. thinks, has been
thrown by the Parliament both on the
difficulty and facility Of Christian union.
1t is perfectly plain-in fact, S0tU{tUr am
69tlandO-that Christian people can come
together and work together with perfect
ease whenever they think 1t worth while.
The Americans viii neither forthwith
recognize nor construct a catholic church
and enter it by millions day. But they
now know, and they will never forget.
that Greek Archbishop, Bishop Of the
Protestant Episcopal Church Of America,
and Roman Archbishops, and leading
ministers OF nearly every Christian or
ganiZation, found it perfectly easy TO
meet on the same platform, and to give
and receive eXpositiOns and arguments
dealing with the fundamental truths of
religion. Nor did this involve any kind
of dislOYalty TO, or suppression OF, the
personal convictions of any speaker
The Bishop of kentucky and the Roman
Bishops both possessed, and freely used,
the liberty to assert to the full the Gospel
liz which they believe. 1t will therefore
be believed more widely than ever-aud
q widespread belief has TO be reckoned
with, whether we'll or i'll founded-that ii
the cause OF Christian unity makes slow
progress, It is because Christian people
don't really care about it. Moreover, it
has been made more than ever apparent
that Christian unity must not be an
amalgamation of Anglican and merely
Protestant bodies, but must include both
the Eastern and the Roman Churches"
Surely" says the Cumberland Presbg-
tef'iuR Of Nashville, Tenn, mo reasOna-
bic person will argue that the heathen
will be made worse or less accessible to
the Gospel by this contact and confer
ence of some Of their leaders with Chris
tians. We believe that there is good rea-
son to hope that missionary work and
progress will be quckened rather than
retarded by this conference. 1t is an es-
tablished truth that information quick
ems interest: and il is true also that thou
sands Of people in Christian lands viii,
through reports Of this Parliament, get
information which they never had before
about nOn-Christlan peoples and their
beliefs. And will not the knowledge
thus disseminated of what heathen relig-
ions actually teacn help US to reach and
save those who believe in these religions?
We cannot we'll lead a man into the truth
until we learn the nature of the error by
which he is misled, and we can learn this
best from his own lips. \ Parliament
of religions therefore seems to be good
thing for Christianity and good thing
for the heathen and for missions"
"Another mistake, as we regard it, OF
this Parliament has been the timid,
apologize course which evangelical
speakers have taken in reference to the
charges of imperlection and failure made
by the prophets Of false religions against
Christianity" says the Lining Church (P.
E. of Chicago. Indeed, represen tative
men of Christian denominations seemed
to vie with each other in pointing out
faults and errors in the propagation of
the Gospel at home and abroad. Need
less, impolitic, untruthful, treacherous to
our Lord, was the acquiescence of an au-
dience presumably Christian in the as
sumption that Christianity is chargeable
with all the inhumanity Of the civil Gov
ernments under which Christians live.
1t was high treason to their King, on the
part of representatives of the faith, who
made or failed to refute such charges as
that Christianity is responsible for opium
III India, for slavery, Tor The Geary law.
for the treatment Of the Indians, for kill
ing people at grade-erossings in Chicago" "
1--WE never read statements in defense
of the action OF the American Board in
the typical case of Mr. Noyes," observes
the CbIIStidH Leader UNIV of Boston,
without a consciousness of conflict be-
tween our sympathy and our logic. Con-
sidered as a departure from the creed OF
his denomination ii comes as near sew