The record-union., 1895-05-25
IN RELIGIONS REALM
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligious Newspapers
The Religious Thought OF the Day as
Expressed In the Sectarian Press
Some Matters OF Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymsn,

AiulsCSrS anu Iaym9n.
"Ths more we examine the 'Declara
ton prefxed to the proposed constitu-
tion the less we like it," says the LfUl1lg
Church (P. E. of Chicago. "It is an at
tempt to turn the famous unity Quad
rilaterap to account as definition of the
points upon which this church bases
her claim to be part of the Holy Catholic
and Apostolic Church. Thus certain
things originally described as parts OF
q sacred deposit are made to wear the ap-
pearance of the whole Of that deposit. 1t
would seem as if il must be apparent that
an enumeration OF the fewest possible
points which the Protestant denomina-
tions could be asked to accept as the
basis of an understanding could not
properly be made to serve as a positive
definition of the marks of the church.
3 $ That no definition Of this kind
IS needed at this time any more than In
the past is evident. During the century
which has elapsed since the constitution
was framed there has been no call for
such statement. No one, so far as we
know, has ever proposed anything OF the
kind. Finally it does not properly come
commission. On the other hand if there
were need of any declaration to vindi-
cate the catholic relations OF this church
the formula proposed would be fatally
inadequate. But there ls no need. The
history of the church and its traditional
institutions are its vindication. We hope
TO see this superhuous prefix relegated TO
the realm of the 'inexpedient,' where lie
so many brave schemes and proposals of
past years."
SIT is of course natural that, to the eye
of the Supreme Pontiff. the Reformation
should appear to be a storm that 'devas-
tated Catholicity throughout Europe in
the sixteenth century," remarks the
New York ChurchDaGn (P. E.. "It will
not, however, be SO easily admitted that
England was at that time 'wrenched
from communion with the Holy See.' 1t
would be more in accordance with his
tory to say that the Roman See wrenched
itself from England. 1t was Rome that
accommodated England; it was Rome
that attempted first to browbeat, then to
cajole England into continuing q prov
ince of Roman papal dominion. We may
add that Eng land has never sought read
mitLance on the terms of former depend
ency, and never will. Rome at present
looks over the hedge and sees the goodly
heritage she has lost, but can never re-
gain until she ranks herself among re-
formed churches. The first step that Leo
XIII. must take, if he wishes for re-
union Of Rome with the rest of Christen-
dom, is to purge the Roman creed and
the Roman hierarchicaI theory of gross
and monstrous errors. 1tl futile for any
Roman Pontiff to write letters TO England
about reunion, and to urge English peo-
pie of all denominations to pray for the
unity of Christendom, while at the same
time pointing out that the people with
kOmQnlSta
look to Gregory, George and the blessed
Virgin Mary as the persons TO whom
prayers on the same topic are to be ad-
dressed"
THE real difficulty in the way of union
is one which the Pope does not see at
all" says the New York independent.
He cannot see it, and it has not been
brought TO his attention by Lord Halifax
and the other representatives. of the ac-
tive ritualistic organization in the Angli-
can Church, which is trying so hard to
secure fellowship with Rome, and whose
leading representatives have held inter-
views at Rome with the Pope and his ad-
Visers. That difficulty is in the utterly
different spirit in which Catholics and
Protestants have learned to look at relig
ious questions. The orthodox Catholic
looks at them wholly from the side of
authority, the Protestant from the side
of reason. If the Catholic questions and
asks for reasons he is SO far ProtestantiZed.
We care nothing for what The church
says; we accept no human authority; we
always ask for the faith that is offered TO
us. 1t is nothing to us that a council of
Nlcea, or Ephesus, or ChalcedOn, or
Trent, or Rome has declared anything.
We do not bow to any dictum of Antha
nasius, or Augustine, or AqulnaS, or Lu-
ther, or Calvin, or Wesley or Leo. We
go simply TO the God who is in our own
conscience and reason and in the Holy
Scriptures. We have learned this liberty
of questioning and deciding every religi-
Gus or social question for ourselves
through long generations. The result, it
seems to US, has been admirable. 1t has
produced the difference between Protest
antism and Catholicism in the realm of
thought and civilization and power"
mo thinking man objects to systematic
theology" observes the Interior (Pres.)
of Chicago. 1T is only in accord with
the maxim, Order is heavens first law
Truth is unusable when it is in tumble.
We cannot employ any truth taken
singly, but must know its relations to
other truths. and the knowledge of those
relations must extend sufficiently far 10
make any one of them practical. What
are now regarded as the old theologfes,
and which are in disrepute, were formu-
lated when logical speculations were
and absolute truths. There was no SCI
entitic spirit abroad In those times, so
that the unverihed and impractical were
increased until the essential truths be-
came overlaid and unproductive. What
systematic theology now needs. and all
that it needs, to restore it to general in
terest and productivity is to clear away
speculations and exhibit the system in
clear, BRIEF simple and understandable
form."
"When a minister finds an important
problem confronting him it is his duty to
give 1t his best study and thought" re-
marks the New York Chr'iStlGn AdU0cdte
(Meth.. "If after careful investigation
he does not know which side he is on, let
him hold his peace until ne does know.
TO tell his hearers that he does not
know where he stands and what he
thinks with reference to question touch
ing the Sabbath and the moral and rellgl-
Gus welfare of the community Is to deal
heavy blow against the cause OF God.
and 10 damage his influence with the
people. Nothing perplexes men more
than doubts. 1t is one great object OF the
Gospel to remove doubt. The minister
who breaches the Gospel will be the
means of dispelling doubts and leading
his hearers into the light. but that man
who takes pains TO let the people know
what his own views are, and travels out
side OF the Word Of God TO present prob
lens, will create more doubts than he
Will cure. And when he reveals the fact
that he is In doubt concerning some OF
the vital questions he has raised, he Will
confirm his hearers in their doubts.
There are no doubts in the Gospel"
sit is not uncommon to hear specula-
tions on the permanence of religion"
says the Christian Register unit. of Bos-