The record-union., 1894-03-31
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligiOus Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectariau Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

The New York Observer Pres }, refer
ring to DR.. Gladd ems views on the Bible,
says: Naturally enough, when told that
we have new Bible, we ask what it is to
be to us and do for US. The oracle speaks
and tells US that, turning now to what is
left to US, we have the Bible as the Book
OF Life, the Book Of Conduct, the Book of
Righteousness. We are no longer chiefly
concerned with miraculous accounts of
It's origin; we are free to study its con-
tents. What men have told US that we
ought to think about the Bible, Is not
now our main inquiry; we have time TO
attend to what the Bible has to say for
itself That is simply specimen of
sublime assertion. The Christian Church,
long before Drs. GLADDEN., Briggs, Driver,
Cheyne, Gore and Ladd, regarded the
book in this three-fold character. DR..
Gladden's method of putting what he
says Is equivalent to claim that it has
not been so regarded or so treated until
now, and owing to the discoveries OF the
critics. The claim is absurd, and gross
injustice to tens OF thousands of faithful
students of the Word OF God, who found
life in its pages and drew their ideals
from its word, long ago. 1t is very kind
Va LIZ OAdQO0n W dSSuI6 Us lllhb Ln0
Bible is in the world, and that it has en-
tered into the very lie and thought of
the foremost nations Of the world; that
IL can no more be put out OF the world
than gravitation can be put out of the
world, and that, being here and POSSESS
ing such powers, it cannot be prevented
by the arguments of critics from eXer-
clsIng them. There is a deal OF comfort
IN this truth, but we must call attention
to the fact that it is the old Bible and not
the edition of Driver, Cheyne, Gore
Briggs, Ladd and GLADDEN. which is so
scattered abroad in all the earth, and
which has proved and is proving such
fountain Of spiritual refreshing and heal
ing among all nations"
"Once more an effort is made to turn
the Constitution of the United States into
a religious creed," says the Christian
Register UNIT of Boston. From time
to time attempts have been made to in
troduce the name of God. They have
been wisely defeated on the ground that
the Constitution is a political, not re-
ligiOus, document, and 1t is not the work
OIL our Legislators to define their religious
opinions, or those of their constituents,
in that instrument. But now the attempt
is made not only to introduce declara-
ton OF faith in God, but also of faith in
Jesus Christ and the Bible. The propo-
sition is most extraordinary one. Not
only God, but the Bible and Jesus Christ,
are TO be introduced into the Constitution
OF a Government which is not founded
on a theocracy or upon Jesus Christ or
the Bible, but upon the equal political
rights Of men OF all races and all religi-
GUS faiths. 1t is bit of evangelical cant,
which is direct attack upon the Ameri-
can principle of the separation OF Church
and State. This pious attempt 10 adulter-
ate the Constitution with evangelical
theology will not strengthen but weaken
it. Let this precedent be accepted, and
there is no telling where it will stop.
Once introduce God, Christ and the
Bible, and then the next step, perhaps,
would be to introduce the Trinity, the
doctrine of the resurrection and everlast-
ing punishment. Then it would be nee
essary to include the miracles of Jesus. J