The record-union., 1895-07-06
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
ligious Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Secrarian Press
Ministers and Laymen.


Some Matters of Interest to Both
Minister'S and Laymen.
On the subject of the revision OF the
constitution the New York CHurchn1dn
". E.) says: GAS q bond of union the
constitution has long since ceased to ex-
ist, and may well disappear as distinct
body Of law, its provisions being COM
bined with the present canonical law un
der the title, perhaps, of the Constitution
and Canons.' Is there any longer need
of the constitution as a framework of &C.
clesiastical government Has 1t taken
place and an Importance in the church,
such as the United States Constitution
has taken in the nation? We think not.
There is 10 place in the church for such
q manInade framework of government,
or groundwork of political structure. a
written constitution is the embodiment
Of fundamental principles, and IN all hu-
man governments those may be changed.
The fundamental principles OF the
church's organization are divine, and
may not be changed. 1t is the duty OF
the church's mem bers to keep always in
&
divine character of the church. as Christ's
body and as Christ's kingdom, and to
hold 1t up Enthusiastically before the
world. If any statement of the funda-
mental. the constitutional. principles Is
to be made, let it be in the form OF some
pream mble, or predatory declaration. TO the
canonIcal legislation OF the national
church, and not denominated a constitu-
ton, which is to-day commonly under
stood asa human device tor constituting
and perpetuating a political govern
ment."
'Tbat the pastoral [of the Bishops] is
only the first stage in what, it may be
hoped. is to be an organized and continu-
Gus effort to root out error from the
church, and that much more will yet be
needed, was at once made evident to
those who have eyes TO see," remarks the
LaUiag Church lP. E. of Chicago. That
those who hold or tolerate the heresies
which that document had in view did not
intend TO give way was shown by their
reception of it. Sometimes there was an
afectation OF surprise. 1t was a very
great proclamation, il was said, over
very small matter, namely, the am bigu
GUS position of one or two immature the
illogical students. Or, again, the author
lty OF the document was questioned. 1t
was Irregular. 1t was the work of a
small clique. 1t represented nothing
more than the views OF the five or six
slguers. But others, more frank or
more bold, criticised the subject mat
ter. Sometimes this went no further than
TO complain that the phraseology was an
nQuated, or that there was something the
matter with the affirmation that 'hXity of
Interpretation is of the essence or the
creeds,' but there were not wanting some
who directly rejected the doctrinal state
ments themselves. That the case is not
g ri in hQ iopf hof ho
physical resurrection of our Lord, the
truth that He took again His body, with
flesh, bones, and all things appertaining
TO the perfection of mans nature has
lately been attacked-the great fact upon
which all our faith rests. 1t could not
but be that the denial Of the resurrection
of Christ in its material reality would
issue from system of thought which
disputes His virgin birth as physical
fact"
"We publish elsewhere" says the New
y ork Independent, "the address of a COM
pany of Christian olergymen, who have
formed the League Of Catholic Unity. the
purpose of which is TO secure the union of
ChriStendom on the basis of the Chicago
Lam beth platform. With this object they
proceed TO show that the three first arti-
cles in their platform, the Bible the ulti-
mate standard OF faith, the Apostles
Creed and the Nicene Creed, and the
TWO sacranents OF baptism and the Lords
supper, offer no difficulty, and then they
say Of the fourth article The Historic
Episcopate IN various forms already pre-
walls extensively throughout the Chris
tian world, and, as connected with the
Scriptures, the oreeds and the sacra-
ments, 1t might become bond Of organic
unity among the Christian denOmina-
tiOnS by completing their Congregational,
Presbyterial or Episcopal systems, and at
length recon binlng them normally in
one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Here we are again brought up sharp
against the one great barrier to Christian
unity presented by the Chicago Lam beth
platform. 1t is OF little use any longer to
say that by the Historic Episcopate is
here meant anything else than the Epis-
copal understanding of that episcopate
All the rest of us believe that the real his
tOric and apostolic eplscopate was not
this Historic Episcopate at all. but local
pastorate. This view. however, is barred
in all negotiations on the basis of this
platform; and the signers of this paper
allow the Episcopal definition when they
propose that denominations possessing
Congregational or Presbyterial systems
shall complete them-that is (for it can
mean nothing else, by adopting the His
soric Episcopate."
''The Rev. DR.. Donald is sustaining the
traditions OF the pulpit OF Trinity Church,
Boston, for cathoiicity of thought and
courage Of utterance," observes the New
York Outlook. ION Whitsunday, in a
sermon on Christian unity, he expressed
the thought Of d great many devout and
loyal EpiScopalians when he asked WHY
the Episcopal Church should be ready
10 affiliate with the remote Greek Church
of whose spirit and work so little is
KNOWN in this country, while II refuses
stflllatlon with American Presbyterians,
CongregatiOnalistS and Methodists. Why
should the old Catholics receive a recog-
milton and sympathy withheld from
Protestant bodies? Why should Pere
Hyacinthe be received with open arms
while fellowship is refused 10 millions of
American Baptists? The religious and
intellectual life Of this country is largely
identified with the history OF Congrega-
tionalism and Presbyteriansm, and is
largely in Congregational and Presbyte-
rian hands, and yet these churches are
held at 8 distance, while the Roman
Church. not freed from the paganism of
the Middle Ages. and the Greek Church,
remote, inaccessible and Indifferent, are
recognized as Christian brethren. What
gives this state of things more signiti-
nor the Greek Church acknowledges the
validity Of the orders in the Anglican and
American Churches, and that they refuse
all utilization. In other words the Epis-
copal Church OF to-day, as represented by
many OF its leaders, stands aloof from the
millions OF American Christians who
have made the history of the country,
founded and controlled its colleges, cre-
ated It's literature AMI larCalv cbaDa5 itS