The record-union., 1894-12-01
Tn 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.
''Nations do not always, any more than
men, make stepping stones of their dead
selves to better things But we think"
says the New York ChurchDaan Up. E.,
''that the results of the recent election
indicate that New York has attempted to
do so. With the fiscal policy of either of
the two great parties which contested
these elections we have nothing to do;
but the moral questions at issue had be-
come so obtrusive that they actually
seemed to absorb the attention of the peo-
pie. The choice lay between civic corrup-
ton and purity Of administration; be-
tween countenancing social order and
crime and preserving public safety and
decency. 1t was the plainest of choice be-
tween vice which had been so long en-
oouraged, so long made a means of gain
by those hired to repress it, and virtue
which had been banished sometimes
even from the justiciary. 1t was literally
a choice between right and wrong. New
ork has conscience, and has the con-
science OF a strong and noble humanity.
1he city had become suddenly conscious
OF denying ali that it was pledged TO sup
port; 1t had fallen like Peter, and the
shame, the shock and self-love had been
so great to the city as it was to the apos-
tie. We are inclined to look upon this re-
pentance as the beginning OF new lie,
in w hlDh NnxK nrL- cha1 for
the reputation of being the richest and at
the same time the worst governed and
most UNANIMOUSLY policed city i'll the
world"
There are two courses open to the
Protestant Episcopal Church in the
United States," says the New York out
took. The TWO parties, united under
one episcopate and by the use of one lit
urgy, may recognize the fact that both
their ecclesiastical organization and their
forms of service are in the nature of a
compromise, and were Intentionally
made so, and that the church is, and is
intended TO be, large enough for both the
anglican and the Protestant parties to
live in together peaceably. If the unity
OF the church is TO be preserved at all, it
must be by such spirit of mutual re-
spect. Both parties must recognize that
the church is a compromise and both
must loyalty maintain it. The Protest
ant must be willing that the Anglican
brother practice auricular confession,
bow to the altar, use candles and delight
himself in the faith that he has received
= special supernatural grace which has
not lost anything of its peculiar energy
by descending through more than fifty
generations. The Anglican must be
equally willing that his Protestant broth
er should discourage auricular confess
sion, regard the altar as a Communion
s,k1 IL, a l.
memoratIVe rite, not as sacrifice, prefer
ihe light OF day to the light of candles.
regard himself as minister, not as a
priest and agree with Dean Afford that
apostolic succession is a fiction of which
the New Testament contains no trace"
"One of the questions of the hour in
sisting on consideration is whether the
present relations between the church of
Christ and the masses demands the insti-
tutional church." remarks the New York
ChftSttdn I9ltetugencer (Kef.). "The in
stltutional church, as We understand it,
Is to feed the masses when they are hun
cry, nurse them when they are sick, be-
friend them in their troubles, teach them
py lectures, evening schools or any
proper device, instruct the women in
housekeeping and the care of children,
PROVIDE wholesome amusements or en-
tertalnments to counteract the allure
Inents of the saloon or worst places. In
short, the institutional church is to go
down among the masses and supply in a
large measure their temporal wants in
wise and Christian way, in order to pro-
cure hearing for the uplifting and saw
ing truths Of the Word OF God. There Is
great deal to be said in favor of churches
who do such work, and there is also
something to be feared in connection
with making such work prominent. The
matter is one, however, that ought to be
seriously considered. The gulf between
the church and the masses is evident. 1t
ought To be closed up. The ministry of
the church is in great need of enlarge
lnent SO as TO cover all classes and con-
QItlonS OF men. Our teacher, Jesus
Christ, attracted the multitude by mira
cles OF mercy. The apostles won atten-
lion often by the same means. Ought
the church OF to-day to commend itself
10 the multitude by making itself an or
ganization TO relieve its wants and woes?
The question is becoming more imperi-
Gus and urgent day by day."
Commenting upon the death of the late
Professor David Swing, the LiUing Church
(P. h. OF Chicago remarks: "And now it
Is proposed to build q chapel to his MEM
ory at university which is chiefly un-
der Baptist control. The Baptists have
generally been known as one OF the most
conservative of evangelical sects. and
=
nlte and clear cut. 1t is somewhat puz-
ziing, therefore, TO understand what they
would nave TINS chapel represent to the
minds OF the young men under their
charge. Are such young men likely to
take their own creed very seriously,
when they honor III this way one who
probably did not hold a single one OF its
articles? 1t seems TO us one of the many
indications Of the failure of Professionalism
10 MAINTAIN nrm grasp upon funda-
mental principles. There is a constant
tendency TO run into liberalism. A col
lege hall named after Professor Swing. or
statue OF him within the university pre-
cincts, might be suitable enough. There
could be no impropriety in so honoring
the memory of a distinguished citizen OF
Chicago and an apostle of sweetness and
light but to indorse him as teacher OF
the Christian religion by connecting his
name with Baptist chapel can only be
taken as curious anomaly"
'sTbe Outlook has been printing series
Of articles on The Bible as Literature ,
1t is this aspect of the Bible which needs
now to receive fresh attention" exclaifns
the Chr5Stfd5t Register (Unit.) of Boston.
'The Bible has been treated in such a
way as TO make the reader most uncon-
scious of its essential and power. 1t has
been invested with dogmatic and infalIi-
ble authority-a claim which is not made
in the collection of books which comprise
it, In reading the Bible, Christians have
thus been more influenced bv a theory
about the book than by the book itself:
and so they have appealed to the Bible as
IF it were made up OF leaves OF the oak of
Dodona They have appealed to it as an
infaIlible guide concerning matters of
faith and conduct, and very often with
out the slightest reference to the fact that
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