The record-union., 1894-12-15
IN RELIGIONS REALM
Expressions From the Various Re
ligiOus Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Fxoressed In the Sectariau Press
Some Matters OF Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

oussed whether the influence of the min
istry has declined in American life, and
q good many people take it for granted
that it has. Undoubtedly" remarks the
Christian Register tU nit.) of Boston. ''in
Professionalism it is true that the minister
cannot depend for his influence simply
upon the traditions of his confession.
His professional authority is, certainly,
much weaker than it used to be, when
the mere fact that he stood in the pulpit
as an interpreter of the word OF God in
vested him with authority which did not
lnhere in the force of the message itself.
To-day there are other and better stand
ards of ministerial influence than those
that are professional. 4 minister's inliu-
ence depends more upon the force of his
character and the inspiration of his mes
sage than upon the fact that he is me-
dunn or phonograpH through which the
message is communicated. When DR..
IarkhurSt began his work in New \ Ork
he was sneeringly referred 10 as Il minis
ter who did not know what he was talk
ing about. But we suspect that great
many people In that city, as elsewhere,
feel that the power OF the ministry is as
great as it ever WaS-When there Is a
powerful man TO exert it. The way Tor
minister to magnify his office to-day is
10 make proof OF his ministry by his
works. Power will always command re-
spect, and in these days it is personal
character and influence that tell more
than professional prerogative."
''The Retrospect ofan Octogenarian,' in
the October atlantic, by an eminent and
highly esteemed Unitarian minister of
Boston, affords some painful food for
thought" remarks the L1U8g Church (P.
II j nf 4 10 rafa
10 the Christian belief in the life to
come. The subject is touched upon very
delicately, with tacttul regard Tor those
who have a sure and certain hope and
Comfortable faith Still, by a passing
remark, he indicates that even these have
not all the assuring confirmation they
would like TO have. His own expert
ence, within the atmosphere of Boston
culture, be 1t remem Dered, has convinced
him that the desire for and belief in i'm
mortality are by no means so univer-
sally strong or clear as is the generally
affirmed opinion. He gives reminis-
cences of three dying persons, each of
exemplary character, ,and at the last serene
and patient. One declared that he had
had enough Of life, here or anywhere;
OF the others, one waits for what comes
next, evidently without special eX Xpecta-
ton; the third spoke IN an enigma SEEM
ing 10 regard To Quiescence and inactiv-
lty OF The SICK bed as indicates of the ma
ture of the future lite if any future lie
there be. Dr.. Ellis does not claim for
himself any strong conviction on the
subject, but owns to Il hearty desire for
another lie. In all this we are brought
10 further than the point attained by the
phiiosopers of antiquity. The Christian
revelation counts tor naught, as revela-
ton. No evidence or assurance is ad-
mltted here, except such as can be gath
cred from the sphere OF the natural, and
uan cor nf ha
human race are TO be disparaged because
they have grown dim under. the infu-
ence OF an atmosphere charged with EN-
ersonianism. There is something mex
pressibiy sad i'll the contemplation Of
body OF men OF high culture, generous
human sympathies, refined tastes and
disciplined characters, self-contained,
calm, serene, looking forth upon the
world OF struggling, suffering men, rom
lofty philosophic plane, and Offering
them nothing better, after nineteen
Christian centuries, than the speculations
OF PlatO:''
"Denominationalism is a growth-the
wisdom of men consciously aiming at the
result never made a sect or a constitu-
tion," observes the Christian Leudey
tUniv.) of Boston. Observation-Disclosures
has come as political governments have
come, out of needs innate to man. The
individual cannot live alone or work
alone lie must work in cooperation
with his fellows. The two who put twenty
to flight work with one will to a common
end, while the twenty work with twenty
wills TO twenty ends, and these often
conflicting, Persons who have in certain
essentials a common purpose, come to-
gether as naturally as fiber and bark
gather round to conserve and apply the
sap or lite-principle of plant or tree. Ex-
perimenting comes after, it never ante
dates, denominationaliSm. But it does
come. We discover by much expert
menting what does not work effectively,
ana then we lop Oft and substitute; and
the organization that does not in its fun
damental law make provision for evils
ceration, amendment, or substitution is
suicidal to the core"
Allegheny, Auburn and Mccormick
by unanimous votes refused the over
lures in regard to changes of their char
teTs. Princeton was even more opposed
TO the new departure than the Semlnaries
which have spoken. AS for Auburn and
Lane there has been no doubt from the
beginning IN regard to their wishes.
We do not here wish to set forth at large
the reasons for this action of the semina-
ries," says the Interior PreS.) OF Chicago.
"it is sufficient to say that these large
bodies OF the very best class OF men.
loyal and true, act upon conscience and
conviction. Tor the best interests of their
several institutions and of the church
The Southern Presbyterian Church,
without adissenting voice that we have
ever heard, but with all published ex-
pressions that have been made, agree
with the directors of our seminares. The
same question was raised by the Assem-
bly, of the United Presbyterian Church
few years ago, and at was unanimously
negatived by their brethren in control of
their theological institutions. These ex-
pfeSsly sound and conservative bodies of
GreSbyterlanS are IN accord with our
directors, and certainly for sound and
conclusive reasons. The brethren who
pushed this measure through our Gen
eral Assembly have made some mistakes.
which they would do we'll To avoid here
after. 1t will not do to approach thesa
directors with imputations of sympathy
with recent examples Of doctrinaI un-
soundness, or with suggestions of dis
loyalty. That is only to impress upon
them more deeply the danger of placing
themselves in position VIII re men who
would resort to such weapons could em-
pioy them more effectively. There is no
disloyalty, but the broadest and deepest
loyalty, and there Is the profoundest and
wisest conservatism, actuating their ad-
herence 10 the traditional policy and
principles of Presbyterlanism In this re-
gard.n
In defending itself against the charge
oi having attacked the Protestant Episco-
pal Church, the New York Outlook says:
1--WE honor the Episcopal Church alike
Tor Its past history and its present serv-
ice. for the witness which its historic
creeds bear TO essential catholic Chris
flan truth, for the expression which its
sublime liturgy affords 10 essential Chris