The record-union., 1896-05-10
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From Various Religious
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.

'The great meeting at Exeter Hall,
London, March 10th, to protest against
the existing system of divorce and re-
marriage, shows that English church
men are becoming fully alive to the evils
which attend the debasement of mar
riage," says the Living Church (P. Z. }
of Chicago. THE number reported to
have been present was about 1900, the
famous hall being filled to its utmost
capacity. Among the large number of
distinguished gentlemen present on the
platform there seems to have been men
OF all schools. Among the rest were
three missionary Bishops, but, it is
painful to say, not one of the Church of
England, in England. The Bishop of
Bath and Wells alone gave the meeting
his express Endorsement The silence
and inactivity of the Bishops as a body
seem almost ineXplicable. Probably an
ADLER and more sincerely religious body
of men never occupied the Episcopal
bench. Yet when a matter of the most
Importance to the moral well-being of
society is at stake, and one in which
1t is imperative that the church should
with unrighteousness, they not only do
not take their places as leaders, but ex-
hlblt no concern whatever. 1t is to be
hoped that this unfortunate attitude of
the Blshops may undergo change.
POSSIBLY measures are being quietly
prepared among them which will soon
snow them in a different light 1t is
hard to believe that they do not share
in the best sentiment of the church in
favor of the inviolable sanctity of the
marriage bond. If this be not so, it sug-
gests anxious thoughts with reference
to the influence of these princes of the
church in the Lambeth conference of
1897, in which questions of this kind are
certain to be considered"
**
representation is a modest pam
phlet unindorsed by the name of its
author, but nevertheless one full of
suggestion" says the New York Evan
sellst Pres), frankly facing a con-
dltlon Which is to many and on many
grounds one that calls loudly for amend
ment. A remedy which shall be effective
and not too radical is not easily found.
The careful study Of the problem how
Assembly, without restricting the right
Oh any presbytery to be represented,
merits grateful recognition. Every wise
man who is slow to change the order
OF things lest something worse should
come will be glad to see a way to Sc
cure something surely better than the
unw1eldy machinery of our higest court.
We have more than once called atten-
ton to the fact that 500 men had to be
led by five or a few, in order to do any,
thing in the way Of business. DeHbera-
ton is in such a multitude virtually
confined to the leaders. This is neither
right nor reasoua BILE One-half the
members of such q body are better
away and at home. Fewer, and if
possible, better men should be sent
to work together as a coordinate intel
ligence and not as a mere register of the
mandates of few officials who are apt
to become officious.''
ut was not a. victory after ALL says
the New York sIndependent" "The
votes OF Methodist minister's do not ad-
NIT women to the General Conference
The returns seemed to make admis-
sion almost certain week ago, and the
Secretary of the General Conference
said 50; but some of the remaining
conferences were no. so favorable to
the cause as was expected, and so the
amendment fails. The failure, is to be
regretted. 1t seems to us, from every
point of view. 1t has been a burning
| question in two General Conferences
| and the vote just taken does not settle
| it. The minority opposed to the ad-
| mission of women is too small to be re-
! garded as finally conclusive. The vote
of nearly three to one in favor of ad-
! mission Expresses the mind of the
| church, even though it Is insufficient tc
| change the constitution. 1t is so large
| that it makes it morally certain thai
/ the admission of women to the .chiet
/ body Of the church is inevitable If II
fails in 1896 it will not fail in 1900, ant
Irolongation of the controversy car
scarcely be regarded as desirable Fur.
thermore, there is some danger that tht
General Conference at Cleveland MAY
be tempted, acting on the basis of whar
is known as the Hamilton amendment
| to vote to admit the women elected as
| delegates Notwithstanding the failure
Of the Baltimore amendment. Thi:
would be, we fear we'll nigh disastrous
1t would be dangerous to the peace O.
the church. Many would regard it as
a desperate assault en- constitutional
safeguards. and some might carry ou
their threat to leave the church.
| "Sectarianism," says the "Congrega-
tionalist" of Boston, lis hateful and is
| to be avoided sedulously. Denomina-
tionalism is right and useful. 1t is
jealous loyalty to and activity in behalf
of ones own branch of Christ's church
! But it puts the church in the highest
and foremost place and readily comedies
the denomination to be only secondary
| a useful and necessary agency, but not
the only, or even the chief one. Secta-
| rianism puts ones denomination above
the church, and rather regards the
church as existing for the sake of TIE
denomination than the latter for that OF
| the former. 1t looks at all subjects
merely from the narrow point of view
of supposed denominational interests
| instead OF preferring those of the cause
of Christ as whole. True Christian
unity is coming to be understood better
than hitherto, and to be sought fol-
more wisely and earnestly. When once
| it has been realized fully in practice
! Christians will wonder penitently why
| it took them so long to interpret Alright
our ords meaning when he prayed that
| his children all might be one
1--WE do not enter into the question
whether the Bible conveys scientific in
| formation" says the STANDARD
| CBapt) Of Boston. I'VE wish to go be-
yond this and call attention to the reti-
| conno nf in fol %.