The record-union., 1895-06-29
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
liglous Newspapers,
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the sectarian Press
Some Matters Of Interest to Both
Minister'S and Laymen.


ave feel bound" says the Lining
Ch@rch p. E. OF Chicago, ''to call en-
phatjo attention to the alteration which
appears in the Declaration of Conformity
as proposed by the Constitutional Com
mission. IN the form here presented the
singular has been substituted for the
plural, SO as to read doctrine instead Of
doctrines Either this is a simple slip
Of the pen, or else he Commission, agree
ing with curse 80 that the distinction
which has cen made in this case is en-
tirely unWarranted, have simply desired
to bring this declaration into verbal
agreement with the promise made in the
ordination service. But it must be re-
mem hered that the distinction mas been
insisted upon. Whether it is valid or
not is not the only thing to be considered,
but the use which has been made of it.
The present declaration is q strong, in-
deed unauswerable, safeguard against it.
To change its phraseology at the present
juncture would evidently be regarded
as a concession to the licentious claims of
an aggressive faction, against which it Is
the manifest duty Of this church to set
her face with intieXible determination.
| nder these circumstances we cannot
think 1t possible that the General Con-
yention will assent to the proposed
change. We trust they may not even be
called upon to consider IL, but that the
Commission itself will leave the Declara-
ton of Conformity in the form in which
ii now stands. The present is not time
for letting down even the least of the
barriers against unrestricted license in
teaching"
"The sermon which the Rev. DR.. L.
". Donald, Phillips Brooks successor
at Trinity Church in New York City,
preached on June "a. on the subject of
Christian Unity, was a sensible, manly,
earnest plea for Christian brotherhood
and union in it's truest, largest sense"
says the Boston CORgreg0tiOnaEtSt. "Dr.
Donald reminded his hearers with whole
some plainness of the absurdity OF re-
fusing TO fellowship American Congrega-
tionalists, Presbyterians. Baptists and
Alethodlsts while recognizing the remote
and Indifferent Greek Church and the
Old Catholics of Switzerland. He also
declared UnqualiiedIy that the necessity
OF ordination by a Bishop TO clerical
standing or for the orderly admIuistra-
ton of the sacraments IS not the authOri-
tatiye doctrine Of the Episcopal Church,
and pleaded tenderly tor Chrlsthkeness
as more important than forms and cere-
monies. lis sermon gave fresh and am
pie proof both of bis own fine Christian
spirit and also of his fearlessness as
leader of thought. Such sentiments must
have sent cold chill down the spines OF
many EpiscOpalians, outside OF Trinity
Church. at any rate. Some already have
hastened into print to condemn and at
tempt TO disprove his statements. But
the wiser policy of calling no attention TO
ri wi
prevail DR.. Donald will be looked upon
by many of his own denomination as
rather worse than q hereto. But he is
right and he can afford to bide his time
and see others come TO his ground"
"The removal of the time-Iimit of the
itinerancy is one of the questions which
the Methodist Episcopal Church must
settle within few years." observes the
New York independent at has been
under discussion several quadrenniums,
and the NUN Der of those who are in favor
OF return TO the system of one-year ap-
pOintments, with compulsory limitation
10 five years, or any other series, appears
to be increasing. The Christian AdCO-
cute, which is not in favor OF the pro-
posed change, expresses the belief that
'uine-tenths of the laymen in the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church are IN favor of re-
tanning the tlme-limlt, or doubtful of the
tx p0QlbuCF "a ISllONAuk ID, anu L1aL LuS
One-tenth that are not in favor OF the
tlme-hmit are talking upon the subject
ten times as much as the nine-tenths that
are.' Il also believes that at least two
thirds Of the ministry at the present time
are either opposed positively to the
mOval of the time-limit, or doubt the eX
pediency Of it, There are plenty of good
guesser5 VINO Will not agree with this es-
innate. They remember that the Com
mittee on Itinerancy, in the last COnfor-
ence. reported in favor of removal, and
JhaIth vote in the Conference was I62 to
Jos This was not q two-Lhsrds majority
against the change. it would have re-
quirej thirty-six more to make it up to
that figure. C0nceding. as we suppose
our contemporary would, that the CEN
ersl Conference was fairly representative
OF the church, and that the houors Of the
long debate were not carried OF by those
in favor of the change, it seems more
than doubtful whether the i AdUOcate'S es-