The record-union., 1895-11-09

But to question any of these affirma-
tons made by ecclesiastical tradition
was condemned as a crime. No Biblical
writer claims, for himself or for any
other Biblical writer, infallibility; that
claim is a philosophical deduction from
| the claim of divine inspiration. But to
question the reasonableness of this de-
| dGction was also condemned as a
crime. Scholarship was put upon it's
defense and was almost compelled, in
pleading to the accusation brought
against it, to show that ecclesiastical
tradition concerning the Bible was not
infallible; that it had been built up by
deductions which were illogical, or that
new discoveries and further study had
changed the data from which these de-
auctions had been drawn; to show, also,
that the Bible itself was not inerrant
and did not claim to be; that its writers
sometimes contradicted each other and
sometimes contradicted conclusions
we'll established by scientific inveStiga-
! ton; that its prophecies were not al
ways fulfilled, and even its moral ideals
varied from century to century. Thus,
in defending itself, the new scholarship
was put into position which was easily
construed into an attack upon the Bible
and sometimes was so in fact. Mr.
HuXley'S Biblical essays are almost
wholly devoted to pointing out real or
imaginary errors in the Bible. He does,
indeed, in one eloquent passage let US
know that he regards the Bible as
valuable vehicle of truth. But he no.
where expounds that truth, nor even,
so far as we recollect, intimateS that he
knows what it isl
I'm spite of all the fiery darts that
have been hurled against Union Semi
nary, the warnings and threatenings Of
students to keep away from it, the num-
Der in attendance has actually in
creased" says the New York Evange-
list (Pres.). There are fourteen more
than there were last year; to which the
President informs us he could have
added half dozen more if he had had
the money to aid them as they are
aided at other seminaries This is a
surprise that will set many people to
thinking. The years of famine are
more than the years of plenty. What
does it mean? That the churches are
going backward, or that they are going
forward? That they are falling from
grace or that they are having a
healthy return of reason and common
sense? Further still, and more alarm
ing, the PreSbyteries who were enjoined
by the Assembly not to receive any
students for the ministry who were
pursuing their studies in seminaries
not approved ny the Assembly, seem
to have come to the conclusion that
in issuing such a papal bull the General
Assembly has exceeded it's authority;
that Presbyteries have some rights Of
| their own which even the General AS
sembly is bound to respect. And what
right has it to do anything if it be not
TO judge of the learning and piety OF a
young man who is studying for the
gospel ministry"
by the action of the synods of New
York and New Jersey the recent cen
traliZing tendencies of the Presbyterian
Church have received a decided set
back" says the Congregationalist of
Boston. I'm both cases the action of a
PreSbytery in taking a student who was
studying at the Union Seminary under
its care was complained of, and in each
case the Synod approved of the action
Of the Presbytery. Whether the cases
will be appealed in any form to the next
Assembly is too soon to say. A direct
appeal is out of the question without
strained Interpretation of the provision
which restricts such appeals to ques-
tiOns of doctrine and polity. The two
SynOdS in question are, however, among
the most liberal in their character, and
would have little influence against the
great conservative majority of the
CiluICIl, ~ lIldl tic QuGSllOu IllSAI ne
brought up in a new and more stringent
form. Every step in such a process
would bring out more clearly the true
nature of the centrdliZing pro-
cess, which proposes to make the chance
majority of each Assembly a dictator
for the business of every part OF the
church with it's varieties of local Gus
tom and feeling, and at every step there
will be more sober-minded men con-
WINGED that the cost and perils Of such q
unifying process are too great for the
advantages proposed
THE fact has been noticed" says
the Interior Pres.) of Chicago. that
the Roman Church is cultivating
credulty in modern miracles The al
legged healing at Lourdes now has the
Endorsement Of the church authorities,