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

The Religious Thought of the Day as
Some Matters OF Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymeu.
On the subject of the Council of Bish-
ops the Living Church (P. E.) of Chicago
remarks: "The Bishops have acted en-
tirely within their rights. Outside the
constitution there still remains a sphere,
nor large perhaps, but real, in which
they have not limited themselves by any
thing further than their conservation
VOWS. 1t is the sphere of the Catholic
Episcopate. and nothing is more vitality
involved in its inherent character than
the right and duty to take heed unto the
doctrine Assuredly this pastoral has
done much to settle the prevailing anX-
iety which has been SO long on the in
crease among US. 1t is q great thing TO
know that those to whom we naturally
look for guidance will in no degree admit
the right of new and strange teachings
and twistings of words, to the undermin-
Ing OF the ancient faith, to have any place
in the church. To those without, the
spectacle of such a body as the Bishops
OF the American Church taking an un-
Hinching stand, uninf1uenced by the in
novations Of the period in the religious
world, is worth many volumes OF con-
troversy over the Historic Episcopate.' -"
"With the pastoral letter of the Episco-
palian Bishops freshly in their minds, q
great many people would find Mr.. Bal
four's Fountain of Belief very inter-
esting book. To the Bishops themselves. !"
says the Christian Register (Unit.) of Bos-
ton, lit might be particularly commend
ed. They insist with cumulative empha-
sis that the creeds and formularies of
the church have one meaning, and only
one, and that is the meaning which they
had when they were first composed. 1t
might possibly be objected that this time
would be difficult if not impossible, to
Tx IN the case OF two out OF three or their
great creeds-the Apostles and the Atha-
nasian; but no matter for that now. This
original historical meaning, insist the
Bishops, is the only meaning which the
ministers and adherents of their churches
can be allowed to put upon the creeds
and formularies. Now, in Mr.. Balfour's S
book there is no more interesting chap
ter than the one which criticises this po-
sitiOn of the pastoral letter. 1t was not.
OF course, written as criticism upon
that. 1t was written, probably, long in
advance of it; but, if 1t had been written
as a conscious and deliberate review of
1t, it could not have been more pertinent.
MIR. Balfour contends with much force of
argument and illustration that creeds
and fOrmularieS cannot have the same
meaning TO different persons, even In the
time OF their original appearance. Their
meaning would be affected by the per-
sonality of the believer. by the degree of
of his Intelligence, by the belief already
in his mind. This seems very reasona-
BILE; and equally. if not more so, Mr.. Bal
four's further contention that, with the
lapse of time, the possibility of mems
believing creeds and formularies exactly
in their original sense grows ever less
and less"
Speaking ofthe Assent bly, and the Third
Church of Pitts burg, the New York EU0n-
getiSt (Pres.) remarks: "There is a sense
in which the place sanctifies the Assem-
bly,. The old shrineS of a people were
made to conform and to enforce their
vows. Loyalty, love and coEsecration
were kindled on those affairs and con-
served in those holy places. If there is
one place more suggestive of all that is
best and noblest in brotherhood than
any other place can be, 1t is the house in
which they were born. In a peculiarly
true and inspiring sense the Third
Church of Pitlsburg is the birthplace of
the Reunited Church. Much as many
of US regret the things that have been
done in other places, any reminder of
them in that place would grieve US still
more, and would seem to be need iessly
brought in to break the holy integrity of
our life. Let 1t not be deemed unreaSOn-
able to demand that all these grievous
things be kept out of the way, that no
man be made moderator who represents
the distinctive spirit Of late assem- bles,
that no measure be introduced in the fur
therance of narrow and factiOnal views
or purposes; that no speaker be encour-
aged in uncharitable expressions and un-
happy illusions; that no determinations
be made against seminarieS, or Sights
put upon professors In them; In line, that
harmonies of history and association be
most scrupulously observed from the
opening to the close. Let him who vio-
lates them be marked for silent censure
and reprobated by forgetfuiness severe"
s'What is the difference" asks the
New York Independent, ''in the moral
quality of the act by which man of busi-
ness by shrewd devices secures, in way
that is not contrary to law, but contrary
to morals, the rightful property of an
other, and the act OF one who forcibly
seiZes it, or steals it outright? There is a
difference in the eyes of the law, but not
in the eyes of righteous censor of con-
duct. There are men not ashamed to call
themselves Christians who thus add to
their gains, bringing reproach upon the
Church of Christ, causing the weak to
stumble, and producing terrible lean
ness to their own souls. Often with con-
sciences which are tender on many other
points of human conduct, they seem to
have no questionings on this. Having
been tempted by an unholy ambition
they give way to it, and resolutely refuse
to consider the promptings of conscience.
but in their heart of hearts they know
that they are wrong, and none can be
more sensible than they of the fallacious
ground of their reasoning. When man
bears false witness be knows what he is
doing, and these persons know that they
are false witnesses of God, for by profess
ing to be followers of the meek and lowly
Christ and to have become new creatures
in Him they present a false attitude TO the
world. They say one thing with their
lips and another thing with their lives.
and thus lead men to believe that the
standard of the Gospel is impossible OF
attainment
1--WE need frst-class denominational
schools, academies, institutes, colleges"
remarks the Examiner (Bapt.) OF New