The record-union., 1895-04-12
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligious Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the Seetarlan Press
Some Matters OF Interest," to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

speaking of the present tendencies of
religion, the New York CturchD1a9e ,(P.
E.) says: That there is some cause for
alarm we do not question, but if we read
the history of Christianity Alright, we do
not lind the condition of things in the
present century in any sense more alarm
ing than it was in the last. When Bishop
Joseph Butler wrote the advertisement
pretixed to the first edition of The Anal
ogy of Religion, dated May, 1876, he
said Tits come, know not how, to be
taken for granted by many persons that
Christianity is not so much subject of
inquiry, but that it is now at length dis
covered to be fictitious. And accord
ingly they treat it as if, in the present
age, this were an agreed point among all
people Of discernment, and nothing re-
malned but to set it up as q principal
subject of mirth and ridicule, as it were
by way OF reprisals, for its having so long
interrupted the pleasures of the world
This was written at time when. on the
one hand, Wesley and his 'MethoQists'
We're creating religious revival and the
Moravlans starting their first foreign
mission, and when, on the other hand,
Noltaire was endeavoring to sap all re-
uglous thoughts and feelings with pol
y,
LEI were rampant. Even IN the United
States, where Puritanism was the chief
expression of religious thought, slaves
were bought and imported at the rate of
some three thousand year, and the his
toEans give us some painful details of
the 1rrelIglous condition of the City of
New Gork. Things are certainly better
now than they were a century ago.
w hatever may be said regarding the pre-
Valence OF unbeIIef, 1t Is very evident
that there Is more real honest belief in
the Holy Scriptures as divinely given
book and in the church as a God-sent
mission than there ever has been in the
history OF modern Christianity"
Speaking of the proposed new canon of
the Protestant Episcopal Church on min
lsterlal reciprocity the New York IRde-
pendent remarks: lit will be observed
that this does not modify in the least the
attitude OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church towards ministers of other de-
nominations. The barrier to church
unity is as strictly maintained by the
proposed new canon as by the old. There
IS no softenIng OF the terms in which the
prohlbltlon IS couched, and not the small
est concession to the ministry of other
denominations; on the contrary, the pro-
hibltiou Is made definite. Not only is it
forbidden to any church to allow min
lister OF another denomination to serve in
tie administration of any of the ordin-
ances or the performance of anv priestIy
clerical or ministerial act but the preach
ing junction is also distinctly included
III the prohibition. Many of the Bishops
and clergymen of the Episcopal Church
distinguish between the priestly func-
tiOnS OF a minister and the act of preach
ing. Some OF them have expressed their
Willingness to cOncede that Congrega-
uonai, Methodist or Presbyterian minis
teTs may lawfully preach the Word thus
TeGOpnlZlnp a - hT1t no
priests. 1t would have been a graceful
act Il this concession had been embodied
In the proposed new canon; or at least if
the prohibition had been expressed in
such terms as to allow an Episcopal min
lsIer 10 extend the cOurteSies of his pulpit
to brother ministers of other denomina-
tlons. But the commission has really
drawn the lines with greater strictness
and strengthened the barrier. This is
greatly to be regretted, as it will make
the subject of church unity between the
Episcopal and other denominations more
delicate and more difficult"
The statement of belief made by Pro-
lessor Woodwork TO the Berkeley Cal
Baptist Church is q rational one but NOT
the less ethical and religious" observes
the Christian Register (Unit.) of Boston.
The beliefs which he rejects are none of
them essential to Christianity, but are
rather obstacles to its progress. The doc
OF the miraculous birth of esus, the doc
trine that He died to propitiate God, or
the dogma that man fell from true holi-
ness IN the Garden OF Eden, have nothing
whatever TO do with the vitality and
power of Christianity as a spiritual relig-
ION. These doctrines are NEUROLOGICAL
and extraneous. Some of them are He
braic, and some medieval. They are
survivals, not of faith, but of supersti-
ton, and, instead of eXpelling Professor
Noodworth, the Berkeley Baptist Church
ought to have passed him vote of thanks
for doing what he could to save young
men from materialism by showing them
that Christianity and science are not in
conflict. But It was the fate OF Jesus to
be cast out because He taught better
doctrine than people could receive, and
this has been the fate of many who have
followed his example,
THE Mayor of New York is a friend of
temperance and an upholder of the Sab
BATH" says the New York EUundeL{St
(Pres.); but the tone and the temper of
some Jealous women imply that he ia in
league with the liquor interest to destroy
q both. And why? Simply because the
Magistrate, In his integrity of purpose
and honesty of speech, did point out the
. practical difficulty and legal obstacles in
Tie way of the radical reformers' pro-
gramme. So the whole weight of their
protest against liquor selling and Sab
bath dissertation falls on the Mayor
hIndering him and helping the offenders
against law and order. 1t is not too
strong way to put it that the men who
waste their moral force by pounding
each other are Just as bad as the man who
diverts these forces to his own base pur-
pose. The spendthrift Of sacred powers
Tor his own particular advantage brings
himself down to the practical level of the
political schooner. All men of single
purpose to deliver New ork from dis
credit and degradation resent the tricks
of the practical politicians TO rob reform
Tor the gain of party, to steal the silver
trumpet OF Parkhurst for bo's'n Platt to
pipe his puppets on deck or blow his
parasites into office. They see and they
will show the ignominy of such proceed
lngs. They penetrate the disguise and
probe the iniquity of these plOtters
against public welfare. these plunderers
OF the peoples reserves OF righteous in
olgnatlon. No man guilty of that mis-
use OF moral force shall finally escape
vengeance either human or divine"
This is the day of organization" says
the New York Observer (Pres.). "Great
financial interests com bine for purposes
that have little of the color of the Gospel
about them. Workingmen combine
often with i'll effect TO themselves and
with disastrous results 10 the community
al large. Ihe model organization would
be noiy federation of Christian denomi-
nations TO carry on in hearty co-opera-
ton just so much of the work that Chris
tians should be doing in the world as can
be more economically and more effect
lively carried on by a combined army
than by separate denominations or de-
nominational organizations. We saw
more economically, not intending that
the pocketbooks of Christian peonIe arc
to be more lightly taxed than heretofore