The record-union., 1895-07-20
Tn RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re.
liglous Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian Press
Ministers and Laymen.


The council of the church to be held at
Minneapolis next October will be by far
the most important council that has been
held in the American Church within the
century," says the New York Church
man. ''It enters upon the revising of
the church's law. Revising is reforming
reformation. Reformation is, or ought
to be. reformation. Every student OF
church history knows how often the
councils OF the previous centuries were
called for the purpose OF revision. He
knows, too. how often, alas, they failed
20 accomplish revision and reformation.
The failure of the Councils of Constance
and Basic to reform the church by over
throwing the tyranny of the terribly cor
rupt Roman papacy and cardinalate and
restore the church to the primitive model
led to the reformation of the Anglo
saxon Church OF itself and by itself, and
apart from the Latin Church. In Eng
land the Anglo-SaXon Church returned
10 the primitive model of the church in
every respect possible. In this country
the church Of to-day is nearer the primi
tive model than any branch of the church
No branch of the church ever had less
need of a so-ealled constitution to make
ltS more important legislation perma-
nent. The mere existence of the
constitution is evil. 1t ditferentiates the
American Church, sets it apart, separates
1t from all other branches of the church.
1t does not exhibit OF set forth the church
in America az q true part of the Church
OF Christ. Nay, 1t hides and conceals it.
Worse than that, 1t makes the American
Church to date back only q century, and
ignores and obscures the great truth that
this church Is here under the provisions
and by the sanction and with the author
1ty OF the constitution of the universal
church. That constitution is the herit-
age OF this church. and she needs no
other and should have no other"
The Lining Church (P. E. of Chicago,
protesting against the Interpretation put
upon the word ''ritualist" by tie New
ork Independent, observes: Even the
secular newspapers, generally misled by
the glamour OF anything calling itself
broad or liberal have III recent in
stances shown themselves unable TO
comprehend the attitude OF men who
nave obtained positions In a religious
body, with the opportunity of q livelihood
and the advantage Of office, upon the ex-
press condition of holding and teaching
the doctrines that body exists to plopa-
gate, and then have proceeded to repudi-
ate every pledge and obligation they have
voluntarily taken upon themselves. 1t
was matter of surprise that the Chicago
papers, not, perhaps, distinguished for
special devotion to orthodox Christian
lty, should have found it impossible to
commend the position of a clergyman of
the church who was understood, whether
correctly or not, to have denied the phys
lcal resurrection OF our Lord as recorded
III the Gospels and asserted by the Chris
tlan Church from the beginning. Look
ing at the matter simply from the ethical
standpoint, and viewing it as plain men.
unbiased by the sophistry which would
make black seem white, they could not
see how such position could be main
tanned without detriment to public NOR
ais. 1t is reserved for religious news
paper to condone the attitude of license
assumed by several prominent men in
the Episcopal Church, and TO throw dis
credit upon those who object to the un-
dermlnlng OF the ancient faith and the
violation of sound morals by applying TO
them an opprobrious epithet."
$50 far as philosophy and theology are
concerned, we were perhaps never less
independent than noW," observes the
Adednce Congo of Chicago. lone OF
the chief causes of this increased deDend-
ence Is the evolution theory. No theory
ever put forth SO completely swallowed
up its adherents as has this DEVELOPMENT
theory. And inasmuch as its promulga-
ton and elaboration belong to the Old
World. it has everywhere turned the face
OF scholarship in that direction, With
the introduction Of this theory in Ameri-
ca large part OF our scholars began to be
little more than echoes Of the teachings
that came across the sea. Many an Amer
lean student of science does not think il
a hold a min hO1 Ia
duck or crab without the consent OF
Darwin. The theory has also had it's in
huence in bringing about the present
marked subjection of American theology
TO Old World thinking. Protestant the
ology ought to have been the last thing to
turn its lace towards the East. For
American independence was a child Of
Professionalism. And for generations there
was nothing IN the land SO self-reliant
and strong as American theology. Men
could preach without crossing the ocean
TO learn how. But to-day we are echoing
the religious opinions of the lands from
which cur fathers broke away as never
BEFORE"
He who is led to believe that man has
ascended from lower animal order, and
that the story of the first sin, as recorded
in the first chapter of Genesis, is not his
tory, but truth In the form of either myth
or allegory, is not compelled says the
New York Ottttook, ito disbelieve in the
awful fact Of sin and the glorious fact of
redemption. After the third chapter of
Genesis Adams sin is not mentioned in
the Old Testament, except incidentally
and by way of allusion once to Job: it
is never referred to by Christ nor in the
Apostolic discourse, nor by Peter, James,
Jude or John, and by Panl only paren-
thetically. And Paul, in that chapter in
which he deals most comprehensively
with the nature and origin of sin-the