The record-union., 1894-06-30
branches of the denomination refuse to
blend their work and interests"

blend their work and interests
Eight women in all, up to this date,
have been ordained to the ministry in the
Baptist denomination" remarks the Con-
q7'egutionaIlst of Boston. But the Erdm
i1aer (Baptist) refuses TO recognize them
as ministers, believing that there can be
no proper ordination without a duly
qualified candidate, and that the teach
ings of the New Testament excluded
women from the ministry. The Cum
berland Presbyterian General Assembly,
at its recent meeting. decided that
woman who had been ordained by Pres
bytery was not minister and that her
ordination was null and void. But the
Assembly indorsed her as lay evangel-
ist and commended her as consecrated
and efficient laborer. When woman
doing regularly the work of the ministry
is commended for it, while the title is
withheld from her, need not be disturbed.
The place she is filling will come in time
to be generally recognized by its proper
name. The C07agregatdOndttSt has not
advocated the ordination of women to
the ministry. A few women have been
ordained as Congregational ministers,
but we think the instances will continue
to be only exceptional. But the teach
ings of the New Testament which might
be cited as excluding woman from the
ministry would exclude her also from
the office of Christian teacher, position
which she is filling exceptably in so
many places and forms that she long
since silenced objections"
The Brotherhood of st. Andrew has
helped laymen to see that, as the organ of
that society says, all have priestly func-
tions to perform" says the Cllurchmdn
(P. E. of New York 1.-The old notion
that the business of the Clergyman was
to dispense the blessings of the Gospel
and that the people had nothing to do but
to receive them, was neither Catholic nor
Protestant, it was certainly not Chris
tian.' But there is danger now lest the
Brotherhood itself should cloud the con-
ception of their privileges and duties in
the minds OF laymen outside that body.
we do not IN any way hold the Brother
hood responsible for this; we believe that
its leaders are doing their best to prevent
the error. Yet, through the mistaken
zeal OF some of the clergy, and the un-
guardedness of some Of its members a
notion is gaining ground that the MEM
bers of the Brotherhood, together with
members Of lay readers associations
candidates for the ministry, etc., form a
sort of fourth order and have some
kind of faculty to read Morn&pg and
Evening Prayer and deliver exhorta-
1onS that does not belong TO any ordinary
layman. We desire, then, to remind our
readers that it is entirely competent for
any laymen to read the daily office of the
church lOmitting, of course, the absolu-
tom and to address words of Christian
encouragement to his fellow Christians. :"
"a hearing was given by the Constitu-
tiOnal Convention last week to those who
desire the adoption of the proposed
amendment relating to schools under
sectarian control. The hearing devel-
oped the fact that the amendments drawn
might not succeed in attaining the object
aimed at. What is known as the Fari-
bault plan might be worked under cover
OF such amendment says the New York
Examiner (Bapt.). "If the Roman Cath
olics generally should place their schools
nominally under the control Of the pub
lie school authorities, while still retain
ing the real ownership and management
of them, the letter of the amendment
would be complied with, while money
would still be appropriated from the
treasury for schools of sectarian charac-
ter. The only amendment that would be
lnlpregnable, as it seems TO US, would be
one In terms something like this No
money shall be appropriated from public
funds for the support of any school or
other institution not owned and controlled
by State or municipal government
There must be State ownership, not nom
inal State control, or the amendment is
likely to prove valueless."