The record-union., 1896-06-14
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From Various Religious
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.

Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.
TT appears strange" says the New
York "Churchman" (P Ed, that in the
canons of the church there is at present
no enactment forbidding divorce FOR
other than the one cause. SO long as
the separation of married parties is of
| such common occurrence, the haZiness
and indistinctness of church legislation
on this important, even vital, social
question is doubly deplorable. There
is, indeed a canon limiting the marriage
of divorced people, and stating the con-
dition under which a divorced person
may be married again by a church
| clergyman. There must, however, be
many cases in which divorced persons
do not desire to marry again. In
stances will occur to the minds of all in
which those who have been divorced by
the law of some State still remain both
! man and woman, unmarried to any one
| else, and not united or reconciled in any
way to each other. 1t is very necessary
| that the canons should state explicitly
that only one cause can warrant a di-
vorce, and how the parties TO any di-
vorce accomplished on any but Script
ural warrant are to be dealt with by
| clergymen to whose congregation they
| belong. We are quite convinced that
| the generality of church people do not
clearly know the church's attitude on
! this subject This leads to a confused
and sometimes unworthy view of the
serious obligations of the marriage con-
tract. If the church were in her canons
! to forbid divorce, excepting on the
Scriptural grounds, and were to ap-
| pend a penalty of some disciplinary
kind to an unscriptural and therefore
1rreligious rupture of the marriage tie.
we feel sure she would follow her Mas
| ter's teaching"
Many proofs are at hand" says the
Living Church" p. Ed of Chicago, ito
show that very large part Of the talk
Of Christian unity is the merest senti-
| ment. In many towns several of the
evangelical denominations constantly
fraternize, by holding union meetings,
exchanging pulpits and in many other
ways doing their best to make it per-
fectly evident that they do not regard
the differences which divide them as
having anything to do with essential
Christianity or the salvation of souls
The original causes of separation have
sunk into oblivion. Yet they remain
divided, and are often found competing
with each other for the support of the
Unattached, even enticing away from
each other their actual members and
their respective Sunday-schoo chill
dren. Very often in this rivalry social
considerations are g. powerful element
The jealousy of each other exhibited
by some of the leading denomina tions
cannot but make one wonder at the
inconsistency which is never weary of
asserting in words that there is no
essential difference, and at the same
time goes to any lengths to keep people
from changing their denominational al
legiance. All the considerations which
few earnest souls have brought to
bear upon this condition of things
have had absolutely no effect, so far as
any approach to a real unity is con-
cerned. The only result has been to
| undermine peoples convictions and re-
duce all faith to unsubstantial emo
| tlonalism.'" ,"
I'VE trust it is not an unconscious
revelation of conceit on our part" saws
the christian Leader OTniversalist)
of Boston, when we presume to say
that we have never been at all confused
by the confusing essays and speeches.
the name whereof is legion touching
Christian union. We have found no
one, however emphatic in his plea for
union, giving the slightest intima ton
OF a Willingness to abandon his own
sect or creed. Unitarians plead for
union with Universalists, but they
rarely unite themselves with Univer-
saliSts, and Universalists plead for
union with Unitarians but they rarely
unite with Unitarians. When the whole
matter is reduced to it's essentials. it
never means more than a unity of
spirit, and, in certain regards, Coop
Grafton on different lines for the same
end. We are led to this reflection from
having read the very lucid and i'm
pressive sermon by the Rev. DR.. r. r.
Booth, preached before the Presbv-
terian Assembly at Saratoga. Chris
tan union was his theme, and in ap-
preaching it he gave several particu-
lars as to what Christian union is not.
1t does not lie in uniformity of struct-
ure or of government, and no strict
ness of such uniformity ever can Sc
cure it, it cannot be reached by .any
compress of uniformity it does not
require a renunciation and suppress
sion of sincere convictions nor is it
an all l-comprehending structure the
impulse for which is misleading. nor
even on a smaller scale will efforts
to force together organizations that
differ only in non essential fea atures
have any actual results of union Then
what is Christian union? 1t is the unity
of the spirit in the bonds of peace
simply this and nothing more, and
this is a great DEAL
There are not a few in our day."
says the New York Outlook" who fit
from church to church; who go wher-
ever they can hear the last new preach
er or the last new soprano; who crowd
the aisles of one church on one Sun
day, of another church on the next Sun
day, and are possibly on their. bicy-
cles or reading the last sensational Sun
day newspaper at home on the third
Sunday. IT they are not given the
best seats in the sanctuary, they grum-
bic at the inhospitality of the churches.
if a contribution-box is passed. they
drop a penny in, and wonder that the
churches are always begging; and then
they go away from the church fiatter-
ing themselves that they have rendered
a distinguished service to the church
and its preacher by honoring the one
with their presence and the other with
their attention. Such Christians grow
q G q e q hot oh Il l.