The record-union., 1894-04-14

really and sincerely desire visible union
OF churches, may and should seek to di-
mlnIsh the divisions of Christendom,
cultivate the things that make for peace,
practice Christian fellowship, and pray
Tor the amounting from above which will
alone bring the desired oneness. Our
recent experiences with federation served
to show the difficulty ofeven such tenta-
tive union, and lead one to question the
sincerity OF much proteSsed zeal in the
cause. Yet we believe in union, hope
for it, and desire to help toward it, but
as far as we have light, it is much nearer
by way of federation than by the historic
episcopate."
''It is easier to build church out of
well-cemented powders than of Parian
marble in unmortared Fragments" says
the New York Evangelist (Pres.l. "a
few of Gods poor who are closely knit in
heart make more useful church than
multitude OF earth's mighty who touch
one another only by the finger tips.
When in the ancient creed it was writ
ten, i believe in the communion of
saints it showed that the writer of that
symbol was not a dogmatic or theorist,
but a practical builder. The thousand
Greeks with locked shields are always
victors over the million soldiers of Darius
who died or run at random. You can
never make a strong and successful
church of saints each standing upon his
own pillar. When the church becomes
only a nominal bond and the real fell
lowship is found in the CLUB, the 'set.' or
the lodge, it might be as well for the
church to disband."
sour recent editorials on Baptist Or
thodoxy' have led to the inquiry from
many quarters whether Baptists have no
external authority, outside of the local
church. of enforcing discipline or secur-
ing orthodoxy. To that question:" says
the Wdtcb8.0lt (Bapt.) of Boston, "there
can be only one answer. We have none.
The authority of associations and of coun-
ellis is purely advisory; and, historically,
both IN this country and in Europe, the
BaptiSts have always been jealous of at
tribuung to these bodies any authority
whatever except what would naturally
be conceded to them on account of the
numbers, wisdom or representative char
acter OF those who compose them. Among
us it is not even council which ordains
a man to the ministry, it is the church
acting on the advice OF the council, and
the church may or may not follow that
advice. Even when council is called
to consider a case of discipline, the same
principle applies. And church from
which an association withdraws its fell
lowship does not, therefore, cease to be
Baptist Church. We have always had
Baptist Churches in good standing which
have not been in associational relations"
Professor Brand of Oberlin has lately
started discussion which just now is
going the rounds of the press" says the
Interior (Pres.) of Chicago. 1.-THE Pro-
fessor's proposition is that young men
newly out OF the seminary shall take the
smaller charges, and thus the maturer
and more experienced men may secure
city pulpits. The Professor is evidently
6 natural matchmaker rather than
practical administrator. He has not con-
suited the lady in the case 1t was
Charles Spurgeon who said that his big
church was like big eamboat;' the
Captain could walk any where he chose
and it would still preserve its equilibrium
But little church, he said, was like a
little dug out; the rover had to sit in the
middle, and part his hair exactly, or it
would tip over. The truth is that there
are no more difficult charges in the world
to fill than the smallest churches where
everybody is cook aud chief mate. AS
boy we happened to be present at a con-
ference of elders when one of the most
noted Of our now living preachers was
refused even a hearing. Talking with
one of the best known contributors to
our columns, he told US that he was
forced to take city church for his first
labor after having been rejected by the
country parish TO which he applied,
whose salary was scarcely more than half
that of the urban parish that snapped him
up later on his first trial Sermon"
Religion does not disfranchise man
in this country" says the New York
Christian 4du0cate (Meth.); "but Bishop
McQuaid of Rochester has been deter