The record-union., 1894-08-25
Tn RELIGIONS REALM
expressions From the Various Re-
IigiOus Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the sectarian Press
some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

Some Matters or interest TO both
Ministers and Laymen.
''The appeal of the Protestant Episeo-
pal Church, which includes only one in
twenty-six Of the Protestant commune
cants of this country, 10 the other twenty
five-twenty-sixths for union is an imper-
tinence, though not SO intended, and will
so remain until it shall have convinced
them that it possesses something which
God ordained to be essential to the exist
ence of the church" says the New York
Christian -Ad0ocate (Meth.). 'sTill then
1t would be sinful for US even to contem-
plate branding our fathers, whose 1iv-
ing epistles' we are. eligible only to the
uncovenanted mercies of God.' In the
meantime we extend to them the assur-
ances OF our Christian esteem and love,
but in view of the publicity of their ap-
peals to US must express TO them also
our sorrow that they hold what many OF
the most learned and pious of their faith
ers never held, to wit, view of the epis-
cepacy which compels them TO exclude
from participation in the services of their
cathedrals IN England, built by the
money of the realm. such clergymen as
Thomas Chalmers, Thomas Guthrie,
Robert Hall, Charles FL. Spurgeon, James
Hamilton and William Arthur, and
which viii require the Protestant Epis-
copal Church Of New York, if consistent,
to pass by and reprobate' John Hall,
Richard III. Storrs and Thomas Armi-
tage las they did Bishop James,, and all
of other churches, from participation IN
any service in their new cathedral which
& laymHn could not perform. we pity
them the more, since their opinion re-
ouires them to do this Notwithstanding
the soundness OF the teachings OF those
eminent Christians upon every point of
morals and every principle OF spiritual
religion, the extent OF their theological
and other learning, and the unmistakable
blessing of God upon their labors."
s'The ancient symbols of the Christian
Church are attempts, half philosophical
and half theological, to define the great
objects OF thought, faith and llfes" says
the Christian Register Unlt.) OF Boston.
''As one reads them over he may be im-
pressed with the subtlety of the distinc-
tions they draw without being convinced
of their truth. One difficulty in accept
ing them is that they are founded on
false premises, and no chain of logic,
however strong, can hold when it is
linked TO q weak or false assumption to
start with. We DO not go back 10 the old
polytheism to get our premises for mod
eEn Theology. Yet it is true that good
deal Of this old poly ytheism,, its doctrinal
ideas and ceremonial usages, was trans
planted TO Christian theology. AS state
ments OF God and man and their relation
to each other, they are as flat and soulless
as were some Of the ancient attempts, of
which the old monasteries are full, TO put
God and man on canvas. These pictures
may be curiositles, but they are not ideals
in art. So the Nicene Greed and the
Athanasian are more interesting as curl
oslties of speculation than as being Of any
authority in these days In expressing
or defining religious faith"
I'VE have come-or we are surely fast
coming-to the point,p says the New
\ ork Evangelist tPres.l, where we shall
be forced 10 stop and ask ourselves.
w hat is the meaning OF the enormous
wealth IN possession OF successful men?
What is It's functions? What its power?
And rightly TO answer we must be able 10
answer the converse question, W hat are
the meaning, the functions, the power OF
poverty? Our Lord, we know, chose to
enter life as a poor man. that He might
understand the sorrows OF the poor, we
say. No doubt, but was that the only
reason? st. Francis OF Assist thought
not. he initiated Him in voluntary pow
erty, for the sake, not of its limitations,
but OF its freedom; he choose to be poor
in order that, being utterly without the
cares and precautions of wealth, or of
earning and spending, he might be free,
not only to serve, but also to enjoy; free
to give his labor. his thoughts and his
love to those in need, but also free to de-
light in this world of Gods and ours;
the splendor of the grass and glory of
the flower, the companionship of birds
and beasts, the peace OF summer nights,
and the Joyous elixir of wintry days;
free also to live within his own heart and
meet God there. With all the boasted
freedom of our country and our time,
there are few, indeed, who have this lib
erty to-day"
Speaking of the pulpit and social theo-
ries, the WGtclBloa (Bapt.) of Boston re-
marks: In this state OF affairs there are
some considerations which are worth
considering. One is that in q strictly
economical matter a minister, as a min
lister, has no right speak er cGthedra.
His opinion is worth no more than the
opinion OF any other equally well-in-
formed man. For him to assume that an
employer is unjust. tyrannical and false
to Christ because he is not paying wages
upon which a man and wife and four
children can live with certain comfort
is for him 10 beg the whole question.
lie must possess wide and exact 1nfor-
nation as to both sides OF the question
before he can say that. There are large
number OF facts to be taken into consid-
Grafton before he is entitled to any opin-
ion whatever about the matter; and for
him to pose as 8 prophet and mete out con-
demnation upon the strength OF partisan
newspaper reports, and identity his re-
Dukes with those of Christ, is a gross
lmpertinence. Again, it is for ministers
and those who represent the relation of
Christianity TO social problems to be ex-
ceedlngIy careful that they do not con-
fuse the interests Of a class with the
claims of Christ. The Dean of Ely made
fatal blunder when, in a recent address,
he said, Christianity arose out OF the
common people and was Intended IN their
interest," 1t would be difficult 20 imag-
Inc grosser peryersion. Christianity
did not arise from the common people; it
came down out Of heaven with God.' 1t
was not in the interest Of the common
people;' II was IN the interest OF man.
ssEYe saw it recently claimed by a fash
ionabie journal, published in New York,
that the smart churches of the city had
eyen-song Sunday afternoon SO as not to
interfere with the sunday evening par
rites. The odious vulgarity of the above
epithet, as applied TO the house of God, -
says the New ! ork C3tatrch8ld7a fP. Ell,
must not blind our readers to the fact
that not only the worldly and irreligious
but people of serious and conscientious
views of life. who ought to know better,
are lending themselves to the frittering
away of the most sacred evening in the
week. We protest against such use of
the hours of the Lords day. At the same
time we are very sure that not a single
church in New York is ever closed to
make way for dinner party or social
reunion. The calumny is too obviously
false TO need refutation. \ ct the exam