The record-union., 1895-11-23
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
liglous Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day an
Expressed In the ecearian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

One Of the most striking phenomena
of the general convention" according
to the Living Church (P. Ed of Chicago
was the progressiveness of the House
OF Bishops. The Bishops of to-day are
very unlike those of a generation ago
The old-fashioned Bishops seemed &c
think that they had a divine mission tl
smother all enthusiasm as promptly
and effectively as possible. Modern
Bishops, with few exceptions, are lead
ers in enthusiasm and prophets OF
hopefulness. They are inclined to lead
more rapidly than the church can al
ways follow. They are frankly impa-
tient of the hampering control of a
Iock-rooted and moss-backed conServ-
atism. How can we account for the
change? 1t may be said that younger
men are now chosen to wear the inter
than formerly. Very true, and the fact
has it's influence to some extent. But
We believe that the true explanation Is
to be found in the vastly deeper real
iZation of the responsibility of the epiS-
copate for the government and adj
ADMINISTRATION of the church, which pre-
walls among the Bishops of our time
ISlT u1llQS are OCCupleQ HOl 81 uluCI
with the great dignity of their sacred
office as with its overwhelming re-
sponsibility of the growth and develop
ment of the church. They must perforce
be the leaders. They must be the hard
est workers in the church, as indeed
1hey are. And SO they are most in con-
tact with the people, and know that
Bishops are called of God to rule the
church, not to be overruled by it; tC
J1-+ Il, CHI,
back; to make ventures of faith, not tC
waste time in dubious elaboration; in
short, to be men of foresight as well
as of oversight"
THE attitude Of the Episcopal
CHURCH, as indicated in the convention
in Minneapolis, gives little encourage
ment to hope for any advance toward
church unity" says the Boston Con-
gregationalist 1T practically de-
clares that not only the Lambeth plat
fCrm-the Bible, the Apostles and
Nicene Creeds, the two sacraments and
the historic episcopate-must be ac-
cepted, but also the Prayer Book from
cover to cover. The mild expression of
fraternal recognition of the Methodist
Church was welcomed by many as a
sign of more liberal sentiments, but the
silence of the convention in reply to
the long pending overture of the Pres
byterian General Assembly is one of
many evidences that the Lambeth
platform would be no more acceptable
to the Episcopal Church in this country
than it would be to other denomina-
tons. It is no more likely that the
Episcopal Church will recognize Pres
byterian orders than Congregational
Bishops. Its only episcopate is that OF
the Roman Catholic and Anglican
Churches, and we predict that, till
these two bodies unite, there will be
IT, organic union of Episcopal and other
Protestant Churches
The chief value Of the basis of unity
proposed by Congregationalists above
those offered by other denominations,
says the Congregationalist elsewhere,
is that 1t offers common ground on
which the great majority Of Christians
can stand, without trespaSsing on the
liberties of any. Union on such a basis
viii not obliterate important denom-
national lines, but will prevent them
from being used as barriers and will
Keep divisions Of Christ's army from
striving against one another. It may
bring together bodies already closely