The record-union., 1895-10-05
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
liglous Newspapers.

Expressed in the Secrarlan Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymeu.
I'm the United States is there not great
danger of the ministry of the church be-
ing constituted of men who have but
little of scriptural knowledge?" asks the
New York Cturchmdn (P. E.). 1.-The
Bible is not taught in public schools.
The boys of this country are not well
drilled in Scripture in their homes, or
even in private schools. In the way of
imparting thorough and exact knowl-
edge of the contents of the Bible. the
Sunday-school is but feeble instrument
tality. Consequently, young men enter
theological seminaries with scarcely any
acquaintance with the contents of that
volume, which should be, after ALL the
basis of instruction in their mission to
the souls of men. Questions regarding
the genuineness and the authenticity of
the Bible receive the scholarly attention
OF theological lecturers; the higher crltl-
clsm' is discussed learnedly in the chair
form the classes in these schools Of learn
Ing seldom sit down to master the con-
tents OF the sacred volume with close at
tention. There seems to be misconcep-
ton among the young students of the
present day regarding the Importance of
Biblical study. The people OF Berea
searched the Scriptures daily whether
those things were so.' The students OF
to-day are too often content with acquir
ing such knowledge of the Bible as the
daily reading OF the liturgy imparts TO
them."
''The simple fact is" says the New
York independent, that mission life,
especially in such countries as China,
Turkey and Africa, is at all times sub
Ject TO many forms of danger. Some can
De guarded against, some must simply
be faced, with full recognition OF the
peril involved, but with full trust in God
that lie will protect as He sees fit. 1t
Will be far easier for the mission
aries to face them wisely and sue
cessfully if they knew that the atti-
tude Of the churches at home, while one
OF intense sympathy, is also one of i'm
pllcit confidence in them and OF earnest
prayer 10 God. They know, what Chris
tians at home seem to be sometimes III
danger of forgetting. that Gods arm is a
goou deal longer and good deal stronger
than that OF any Government; and that
while lie holds Governments response
BILE for the full performance OF their duty,
He is abundantly able to care for those
whom Governments will not protect. If
that care seems 10 us at any time 10 1ail
in its protection, il at any time after the
exercise of the best human judgment dis
aster seems 10 come, we may 1eel that
God has some plan which we do not un-
derstand, but which we must accept. In
a n If Il: III ~ II To hfrf
to support those in peril with sympathy
and prayer"
1.-The church that is to do the best work
must be well organized" says the Boston
Christian Register { / nit.). "lt must not
be fitted up a pleasure yacht for luxu-
rlous indulgence; 1t must not forget that
it belongs to the fishing fleet, and that
every man who comes aboard is expected
TO belong to the crew. In too many of
our churches the crew is small and the
passenger list too large. There are many
people who do not object TO making a
voyage to heaven in a modern hrst-class
ecclesiastical liner, on which they are
we'll fed with regular courses of gospel,
and are willing to pay a stipulated price
for sleeping berth and seat at the
cabin table. They will, OF course, buy a
programme for the charitable concert.
But they will never go on vessel on
which they have TO work their passage.
Some of our fleet are splendid vessels;
but there is 10 crew to man them, and so
they float like phantoms on the deep,
with aimless vascillation. Then there
are other churches that are fairly manned
but badly organized. They have within
them the capacity for ten times as much
power if the Captain or the engineer
could only command and apply ii. 1t is
not enough that the Captain must tell his
tt,1,
what TO do and where. There are few of
our churches in which there is not room
Tor improvement in method"
1--WE are not declaiming against every
imaginable theory of evolution. A law
of progress from within and by natural
selection, under certain, and perhaps
few limitations, may be consistent" says
the Lining Church. (P. Ed of Chicago,
with theism and with the truths and
facts revealed to us in the Word OF God.
But we do protest against The all too easy
acqulescence OF Christian teachers and
preachers in every plausible theory
which scientists evolve from the profound
depths of their inner consciousness. Im-
aglnatlon has always played a part, and
necessary part, In the progress of SCI
ence. Er pede HercHtem seems to be the
principle upon which science has ad-
yanced to It's great discoveries. out OF
the few and incomplete data at his dis
posal the Investigator proceeds to con-
struct the whole, to formulate the law.
lie may be wrong nine times while once
he IS right. And so the scientist and
those who welcome his message and en-
courage his work should be extremely
cautious about accepting conjectures,
however plausible, tor demonstrated
truth. Those who pride themselves upon
working in field OF absolute certainties.
and dlsparage the pursuit of truth re-
lated TO the realm OF spirit, concerning
which they aver that nothing but agnos-
ticism is possible, should not stultify
themselves and bring discredit upon
their noble calling by jumping TO conclu-
sions and demanding the acceptance of
theories in which there are many miss
ing links and chasms which have not
been bridged, and which there are good
reasons for believing never can be
bridged. Unqualified evolution, as the
law OF the cosmos, we believe to be such
a theory"
The London Spectator is of the opin-
ion that the striking increase OF suicide of
late years is due not only 10 diminished
religious faith, but to a diminished pow er
OF endurance. 1t thinks that men have
less energy OF hope and less ability to re-
sist than they formerly possessed; and it
Is by no means Impossible that the de-
velopment OF the feeling Of humanity,
which carries with it an added sensitive
ness to all the finer feelings. has made
men more sensitive TO pain at the very
moment when the comforts and convent
ences of modern Lille have increased their
physical sensitiveness and diminished
their physical hardness. In any event."
observes the New York Outlook, ''it is
certainly true that real power depends
on the possession of the old time funda-
mental virtues OF endurance, courage and
faith. No advance of civilization, no de-
ValOpment of art no incraasa of rasDact