The record-union., 1894-06-30
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.

1T is very greatly to be regretted" the
New York Independent thinks, that the
movement, into which the Presbyterian
Church entered with some heartiness, for
cooperation with other churches, with
the idea Of avoiding rivalry, should have
received a setback in the last General AS
sembly. DR.. Charles l.. Thompson was
able to give a good report Of the work OF
the committee and of the operation of the
plan for the past year; but it seems that
the home missionaries are strongly op-
posed to it, and the Assembly would not
continue it. There ought certainly to be
some such plan of comfy between
friendly denominations. There is case
after case where money and labor are
wasted in the endeavor to maintain two
or three churches where only one strong,
self-supporting organization is possible.
1t is certainly not a necessity that IN
villages and towns Of small population
there should be always a Presbyterian
and Congregational Church. These
denominations are not far apart. They
preach the same Gospel, and differ only
in their method of church administra-
ton. Ministers and members pass easily
from one to the other. Why should it
be thought necessary that these denomi-
nations should crowd themselves into
the same places and hinder one another
and the establishment OF fself-government
churches? Not only ought there to be
such plan Of cooperation between the
Northern and Southern Presbyterian and
Congregational denominations as would
exclude rival pulpits, but it ought to be
extended to the Methodists and Baptists
and Lutherans."
sWe have all heard" says the New
Y York Evangelist (Pres. J, OF the village
politician in Maine who was in favor OF
the prohIbiIory law but against its en-
forcement.' We have in our own church,
as in every church, class who are in
favor of church union, but opposed to
every practical measure for securing 1t.
in almost no case is 1t the creed or cOnstl-
tuition of the church which opposes the
practical execution of the plan, but the
tradition which has grown up around the
law and gradually come to take its place
1t is, in fact, the oft-repeated story of the
past, that liberty seldom dies violent
death, but by a process of construction,
almost insensible. Just as in our Lord s
day the Interpretation of the scribe had
come to stand for the plain and simple
precept, and what was said by them OF
old' time became more potent than what
was said by the written commandment,
so in almost every case to-day 1t is not
the constitution of church but the doc
trine of the law that render the union
impracticable. 1t is one thing for a
church to have a catholic ambition, but
quite another thing to possess the catho-
lie spirit, and it seems hardly worth
while to be preaching general union
of all denominations while fomensing
the germ of disintegration within our
own. 1t not infrequently happens that
the most suave guest is at home with the
most tyrannical ruler. True church
union can never be the result of policy
but only the fruit Of charity"
1.-THE subject of organic union is q
prominent topic now in religious dis
cussion," observes the Christian Register
(Unit.) of Boston. Certain leaders in
the Congregational, Presbyterian and
Episcopalian bodies are bowing to each
other in a courteous and fraternal way,
but, when it comes to hitching up their
teams TO the same wagon, there is no
agreement, and not likely to be-. On the
! other hand, the liberal asteroids in the
ecclesiastical armament have succeeded
in forming system of their own, as was
seen at the meeting of the Liberal Con-
gress. In contrast to this is the attitude
| towards each other of the two great Pres
byterian bodies North and South in this
hcountry. A committee OF the Southern
Presbyterian Assembly rendered report
on the subject of organic union, and
twelve members out of thirteen were op-
posed to it. Among the reasons set forth
were the historic differences between the
two bodies concerning the relation OF
the church to civil government and the
essential difference between the two
bodies in relation to woman's sphere and
work, and, further, that such union
would involve the surrender of the plan
of an independent negro church. 1t will
thus appear that the Christian Church is
not yet ripe for organic union when two