The record-union., 1894-05-19

committees of eight Presbyterian denom-
nations in this country at their late meet
ing in Philadelphia, and which we pre-
sumo will be approved by the general
assemblies and synods of the respective
bodies at their meeting next May. is an
other very important step in Christian
unity" says the New York Independent.
ut does not make one denomination out
of eight, but it makes one Christian body
out of eight, bound together in such a
way that their unity is as real though not
as organically close as that of the church
which makes most of its catholicity. AL
though the several denominations may
meet in different synods or assemblies,
they will have even more vital union
than there is in the Roman Catholic
Church between those who practice the
Latin and those who hold to the Chal-
dean or Armenian rites. This
is very nearly such union as was pro-
posed by the Congregationalists of New
Jersey. 1t has substantially the same
purposes, except that it is limited to
these eight Presbyterian branches. But
we see no reason why its scope should
not be enlarged so as to take in the en-
tire body of our evangelical donomina-
tions. Christian unity is the most prom
inent subject now before our Christian
churches. 1t demands the careful thought
of every wise Christian. We should
unite to break down the walls of division
| and to accomplish corporate union wher-
ever we can, and to secure federate union
where corporate union is impossible"
1.-The practical and devotional parts of
the Bible-the chapters and sections
which bear directly on conduct and life
are, of course, intelligible to the people,"
remarks the ChriStia4a Leader Qniv.) of
Boston. 'sThey always have been.
They give no special occasion for pain
Sto l. oh
science and the soul take them as hunger
takes food and thirst water. But the
Bible in the many regards in which 1t
demands the exercise of the critical fac
ulty and the erudite understanding, if
taken by the people at all, will be taken
from experts, from the clergy, and upon
authority. Hence the popular conceit
the people have taken the Bible into their
own hands and are doing in regard to it
their own thinking is simply popular
nonsense. The people cannot do any
such thing-no more than they can de-
scribe the glacial formation, give the par
ticulars of the evolutionary process, or
put atoms in the balances. They may
sneer at the clergy if they will, may boast
of their having cut loose from the clergy
if it amuses them to do so: but if they in
tereSt themselves to have any opinions at
all in regard to the Bible, to the clergy
they must go, and their opinions, after
they have got them, will be found to rest
upon authority"
''Of course, it is admitted" says the
New York Examiner (Pres.), that fur
ther study may result in altered views of
the teachings OF Scripture, and thus the
church as a whole should ever be ready
to receive with gladness whatever new
light may break forth from Gods Holy
Word OF course, the individual con-
sciousness of the believer is not to be ty-
rannized by creeds OR councils but left
free, under the guidance of the Spirit, to
determine for himself what the Word
does actually teach. But this does not
touch the question as to where the au-
thority rests to determine what is the
faith of the church as a whole, aud as
such binding upon its ministers who
have subscribed to it's standards. That
authority can only rest with its constitu-
tional representatives duly elected. The
voice of their majority Is not an express
sion of mere personal opinion. 1t is an
expression of the mind of the church.
and as such should be regarded by all as
of great weight and Importance. In
church councils, however, as truly as in
affairs of State, it should always be re-
membered that the human capacity for
apprebending divine truth is necessarily
limited, that the finite cannot grasp the
infinite. and that the great truths of rev.
elaton are so many-sided that those who
differ in their way of looking at them
may not be so far apart in their religious
thinking as is sometimes Supposed
"What is heresy and what is q schism?"
asks the Christian Register (Unit.) of Bos-
ton. "Who will define them? There are
as many heresies as there are churches.