The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-14
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From Various Religious
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.


Church P Ed of Chicago, that the
as a complete statement of all the re-
quisites to Christian unity. The very
terms of the declaration in which it is
embodied exclude that superstition. The
four terms are there distinctly stated
to be parts, not the whole, of the sacred
deposit, which the church has no power
to surrender These four points are
singled out as those which must be
measurably agreed TO before the ques-
ton of formal unity can even be dis
cussed. The Living Church has fire.
Quently endeavored to make this clear.
But in some quarters there is rooted
determination to regard the four prop
ositions in their naked literalness as
ali that the Bishops in 1886 wished to
propose as necessary to complete unity.
Proceeding upon this view, the indie
pendent now declares that the action
of the recent General Convention in re-
jecting a proposal to provide in the con-
stitution for a class of congregations
which may be willing to accept Episco-
pal oversight without becoming fully
connected with the Episcopal Church,
was a glazing piece of Inconsistency,
and is equivalent to declaring that the
Lambeth platform was all SublImated
nonsense, and was not intended 10 De
put into force OF course this is to
mistake entirely the real intention OF
the 'Chicago-Lambeth Declaration.
There must be some provision to secure
the orthodox faith, beyond Willingness
TO recite the words of the creed some
safeguards for the Interpretation OF
Holy Scripture, and some guarantee Tor
a true doctrine of the sacraments ana
for their valid and fitting observance,
further than the recital or reading OF
the appointed words and the use OF the
proper elements"
when devout Protestant attends
Roman Catholic service, ii does not fol-
low. when he bows and kneels during
the service, that he accepts the 1nfall-
bility of the Pope or believes in tran
substantiation, observes the Christian
Register Unitarian of Boston, amy
more than it follows that Methodist
believes in CaIvinism when he stands
In Presbyterian Church during
prayer, or that a Presbyterian Is an
Armenian when he kneels in Methe-
dist Church The Protestant who en-
tiers a Turkish mosque is none the less
Christian, but perhaps a little more so
when he takes off his shoes; and the
Turk is no less a Mohammedan When
he takes off his hat in a Christian tenn
pIe We are coming to time when,
without sacrificing our own CONVICTIONS,
we NAV hold in due respect not only
the convictions of others, but the forms
which represent them. We may wish,
indeed to beware of encouraging sup
erstitiOn by accepting SuperStltlouS
practices But, even under idolatry, we
may recognize the primal sentiments OF
religion, and seek to avoid giving I'M
A fraT7Q TTr q
the Indians may not wish TO give MS
sanction to the orgies of the sun-dance,
but the sympathetic study OF their my
thology and traditions would show him
much that was worthy of respect There
are symbols and practices when are
obstacles to progress and ennghten-
1nent. and we must sometimes get rid
of the practice before we can kill the
superstition concealed in 1t. But the
way for doing this is sometimes mace
easier when we recognize that Whlch is
esthetic and poetic in rituals Whlch we
are not accustomed to use, or when we
pay courteous respect to forms whlch
are not a part of our heritage.
expert testimony is all right in its
way the Interior Pres) of Chicago
admits, but it must be confessed, a
feeble and uncertain way. was T1lden
elected President Of the United States,
or was Hayes2 That was StralghtIof-
ward issue pertaining TO things nap
Dening under our own eyes and TO be
decided by our present Constitution,
scarcely 100 years old. The jury to
mass upon these facts was not secured
from the gutter-snipes that scurry
around a country county courthouse.
but were all members of that highest
tribunal known TO our legislation, all
selected with reference to their IN
dcra nf
Aorv. And the vote of our experts was
eight 10 seVeni Was the late income
law constitutional or unconstitutional!
"A plain and simple issue relating to
our everyday affairs. The bench OF our
Supreme Court sits upon the question,
and our experts decide it by a majority
of one and then within six months re-
consider and reverse their previous
opinion. OF course, our critical experts
may know all about who wrote the
Rentateuch, and when it was written,
and why it was revised, and how
many times it has been edited, but
occurrences of late years have taught
as to doubt the infallibility of experts
dealing with contemporary issues, and
we must be pardoned for some unwilll-
angness to follow men who are so
scocksure' of what happened some
thousands of years before they were
born On the whole, we prefer the tes-
whole bench of judges who are guided
chiefly by their inner consciousness.
Another factor in the decadence OF
F7ogma. remarks the New York Observer
Rres) lis the place given to so-called
practical preaching in the pulpits of the
time. There seems to be an avoidance of
great truths and a seeking after the
little truths bound up in the lessons of
current events and philosophizinga about
the Gospel in all its simplicity and full
ness. The unpardonables in a SER
mon in our day is dullness, and a desire
TO be interesting is a will-of-the-wisp
which leads many minister into the
marshes of theological decadence. I'm
der the influence of a morbid dread of
being commonplace and of a Juvenile
z,assion for originality, men avoid the
great highways Of Christian thought
and wander off into bypaths which,
however pleasant, do not lead into the
secret place of the Most High. Fuller ex-
4erieuce of life and keener realization OF
the sacred urgency of the message in
trusted to their care must teach such
ministers that they are deliberately eX-
Guiding themselves from the subjects
which in all ages have eXerted the pro-
foundest influence on the moral and
spiritual life of mankind. If any per-
manent effect is to be produced by
preaching. there must be the vigorous
and frequent attempts TO put before the
people the great truths Of the Christian
faith in their native dignity and power
"a studyof the methods of the most infiu-
entail and useful ministers of our gen.
Grafton makes this apparent.
~ II