The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-16
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 Iaymen.

demanding LnlS nDal decision lHe pIOse-
cutors think they are carrying out the
wishes and serving the best interests OF
the Presbyterian body. They know that
already two prominent Presbyterian
clergymen in New York have given en-
phatic notice that the kind of judgment
they are working for will produce
schlsm. But still they evidently believe
that they are in harmony with the great
bulk of their co-religionists, and that the
decision of the General Assembly will
Justify them. Very likely they are right
Presbyterianism, with the Confessions
and Standards, is the stronghold of de-
nominationalism; and denominational-
tsIn dies hard. To swear by Standards
is UNNECESSARILY easier than a careful
study of the Bible: that is the reason why
Standards were constructed. And though
the Standards reserve for Holy Scripture
'primacy of honor the primacy of jul
rlsdlctlon, so to speak, is exercised solely
by the Westminster Confession, Book of
Discipline and such like. And as the
worst parts of the Standards-that is, the
parts least bellevable or verifiable, most
opposed to moral aXioms, or to the can
ons OF criticism, or the discoveries of sci
ence-are sure to be first and most vio-
Iently assalled, 1t is for these that the
protection of courts, ending with the Gem
eral Assembly, will be most ardently in
Voked. Not only the peculiar polity of
the Presbyterians, but the central truths
OF Christianity and of all religion, are
made to depend upon the deliberate as
sertlon of a confident belief of obSolescent
dogmas which have ceased to be realized
and which retain their place in a body of
doctrine only as atrophied organs which
fail to do harm only because they are be-
ing quietly obliterated."
1.-THE doctrinal conflicts now going on
In the Presbyterian Church are very sig
nificant," says the Lining Church GP. e.
OF Chicago. Yet their real bearing is
not uncommonly obscured. In the news
papers the struggle Is treated as one be-
tween two parties, each determined to
force its views upon the other. The prirna-
ny fact is lost sight of that the Presbyterian
body is society based upon certain for
mularies to which all its Office bearers
are solemnly pledged. The real point at
issue just now is simply this-whether or
not these formuiaries are in future to be
taken seriously, or whether the pledge of
conformity is to be regarded as a mere
formality, survival of the past, and
soon destined to fall into disuse and
oblivion. 1t is for this reason that the
revision movement and the recent trials
at Cincinnati and New York have been
regarded by thoughtful people, who have
the good of religion at heart, with very
keen interest and with much misgiving.
There are still many Christian people lett
with old-tashioned views of truth and
honor, who cannot help feeling that men
are bound by their promises, that they
are not at liberty to take solemn pledges
upon their lips with the settled intention
OF explaining them away or making them
mean the opposite of what they were in
tended to mean, by some process of in
terpretation,' and that there is something
very wrong the matter when an eminent
man admits that he has twice in his life
formally assented to propositions which
ne did not believe. We ourselves have to
deal with men who cannot be brought to
see the inconsistency of their position
with their VOWS of adherence to the doc
trines of the church, and cannot under
stand the harm they do to the cause of
morality, to say nothing of faith. And
undoubtedly we are sufficiently infiu-
enced by the compromising tendencies
of the times to make it extremely Diff
cult to deal with such cases. But a mer-
ciful Providence has so far preserved us
from any official action involving a tend
ency to play fast and loose with our au-
thoritative documents"
The Interior Pres.) of Chicago thinks
that the only way to avoid the impending
schism in the church is by giving the
passions which has been excited time to
subside: why not let time" it says,
avert it? And what is necessary to Sc
cure this precious time? Nothing what
ever but the following of the wise GUS
toms and laws of the church, nothing but
the following of the old, wisely devised
modes of procedure, which were ex-
pressly provided for the very purpose of
preventing precipItant and inconsider-
ate action. The way of peace and har-
mony is in the path of the laws and GUS
toms of the church-not leaving out the
supreme law OF charity, which is the
chief of all the laws in her constitution
And to these laws and customs all par
ties and all persons in the church should
this day and this hour be ready 10 submit
There are not dozen men in our minis
try or eldership who do not heartily
adopt, and who are not willing to abide
by, the Confessional doctrine OF the HOLY
Scriptures. There are not another dozen
who would not be satisfied with the liberty
exercised by Calvin, Baxter, Doddridge,
Henry b. Smith, the great Union Pro-
lessor of the past, and Shields and Patton
OF Princeton. We name the latter on the
statement recently published in our col
umns. This is our opinion of the status
OF the parties in our church. If we are in
error brethren Will rise up to correct u.s.
Therefore we name as the basis of harmo-
ny, the historic position of the church
from the reformation onward"
The following significant paragraph ap-
pears in the New York Evangelist Pres
I'VE wish to acknowledge the extreme
courtesy of our conservative friends who.
seeing that we find ourselves somewhat
Straitened in the narrow confines of an
lron-bound confession, suggest TO us an
easy way to escape, by stepping down
and out of the Presbyterian Church! We
hope they will not be offended if we send
back the message OF Paul from the Jail of
Phillippi to those who cast him into
prison: Nay, verify, but let them come
themselves and fetch US OUT Let them
by proper confession and apology make
amends for the humiliation which they
have put upon us, when we have been
mentally thrust into prison and had
our feet made fast in the stocks Then
we will take it into consideration whether
we will depart or not. We like the old
Presbyterian Church we'll enough. ONLY
we want it as it was in the beginning. is
now, and ever will be- not as il has been
tinkered by those who pirate of the orig
inal autographs when they have not
studied even the plain but ever dear old
English Bible enough to drink in its
spirit. Even then, If we take a sad fare
well of the old church that we have loved
SO long and so well, we will not be
thrust OUT but we will depart with all
the honors of war;"
"a generation ago." says the Conore-
1dtiondHSt of Boston, most Christians
believed that the world was created and
completed by God out of nothing in six
days of twenty-four hours each, and
many affirmed that the denial of this be-