The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-08-19
II RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligiOus Newspapers
Tire Religions Thought of the DAY as
Expressed IN the Sectarian Press-
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laynen.

1.-THE perversion of the Rev. Henry A.
Adams to the Roman obedience has fur
nlshed midsummer sensation for the
newspapers and has attracted much at
tention," says the LjVtag Church (P. E
OF Chicago. The rarity Of such changes
from our Communion makes every such
occurrence of the kind notable. In a let
ter to his friends Mr.. Adams gives the
reasons, or at least suggests the provoca-
ton, that led him to renounce the min
lstry, and to flee from the babel of I'M
certainty as he characterizes the condI-
ton of things in the Episcopal Church
This condition, he says, from his re
motest bOyhood' was a shame to him. 1t
IS a thousand times pity that one hav-
ing such convictions should take the aw-
full VOWS Of ordination, only to renounce
them after some bitter experience OF
our parish system, that 'stupendous and
ridiculous mOnstrOSity,' as MIR. Adams
calls II. The system may be wrong, but
that has nothing to do with the merits Of
the question. The Anglican Church is to
be judged by her record and standard,
not by the doiugs of officious vestrymen,
nor by the diversity Of individual Opin-
ions and practices, We sympathize with
Mr.. Adams and with all honest souls
afflicted with doubt, and would not speed
the parting guest with a harsh word. It
is possible that he will find, as some
others have found. that uncertainties and
abuses and tyrannies exist inside the
charmed circle where 'intallibilitv' is en-
throned. If SO, he may well say, the
bitterness Of all has come "
There exist in the world to-day three
professedly Christian churches, only one
OF which," says the IUtertOr (Pres.) Of
Chicago, ''haS the courage of the gospel.
The Church of Rome has ever believed in
the ecclesiastic and uiStrusted the people.
Whatever the minor truth ii holds, ana it
holds much, its primal theory OF mans
relation to God differs toto coetO from that
Of the gospel. The revelation of the
divine Will is intrusued by 1t to the priest
but the common people may not read a
page without priestly Interpretation OF its
contents. The people may build cathe-
drals, but the bishop only may control
them. In the creed of The Vatican the
safety Of the church lies with the ecciesi-
astlc; i'll the theory OF the Bible it rests
with the people. Even at this time we
see certain OF the State churches OF the
old world trembling with apprehension
lest the observation-disclosures Oftheir ministry
imperil the ark Of God. Ike great Head
petuity of his church Christ did not build
upon the power Of the magistrate, but
upon the love OF mankind. And, God be
thanked, there exist in our free repub bile
Bible churches i'll which the faith OF the
gospel is a living force; churches which
find no need OF priestly iufallibility or of
civil power to stand as guardian or sup
porter of the truth. TO the dream Of
Moses Christ gives objective reality, and
the world Of to-day knows the happy re
suit OF gospel preaching in a church
without bishop and State without
king"
Every one rejoices, of COURSE" says
the New FORK k.EaHtlHcr (BaDt), "tha
religious liberation has made so great
progress during the current century. We
do not mean the intolerable liberation ac-
corded to 'sects' by Governments sup
porting a state church-a toleratiOu
only a degree less irksOme TO its victims
than persecution-bu the cordial sympa-
thy and good will shown by members Of
equal religious denominations toward
one another. There exists little to-day,
in this country, of the sectariau raucor
which largely prevailed within the mem
Org of men not yet Old. % . # But is
it not just possible that this kindly and
most commendable spirit Of good will
may be warped and twisted into some
lDl0g quite UlH6fenL ana altogether OBJ
jectionable? Is there not danger that, in
our strenuous endeavOr to conquer our
preludicos' We may go too far the other
way? When liberation degenerates into
indifIerentism it is no longer q virtue. 1t
becomes a serious fault. The man to
whom it makes no difference, whether he
is a Baptist. u Presby or Roman
Catholic, has plainly lost his grip on the
subject of things. These names stand for
principles, some of which go to the very
root of Christian doctrine and church
order, and the man VINO takes up with
the one or the other as it happens 10 suit
his fancy, as he might select brown or
black coat from his wardrobe, is either
wotully ignorant or wOfully lax IN
principle. And yet the tendency OF much
of the current talk Of the day, even in our
pulpits, is toward the fostering OF Just
such sickly indiderentism. We would
not for the world throw cold water on
the enlightened Christian iberality
which sees good in every form of re-
ligious faith, and can have fellowship
with good men of every name. But that
is a very different thing from making
light OF distinctive denominational
tenets, and regarding them as all alike
worthy OF acceptance. That is the spirit
which ultimately leads TO regarding them
as all equally worthy OF rejection"
Commenting upon Professor Huxley's
recent Romanes lecture at Oxford, the