The record-union., 1896-11-29
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS From Various Religious
newspapers.
The Religious Thought Of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.

The New York "Churchman" II. Ed,
referring to the establishment in 1851 OF
1.-The Association for the Promotion of
the Unity of Christendom," says: Yet
the union of Christendom seems now as
far off as it was when this society was
founded. For the society had not reck-
Oned with one great obstacle, and that
obstacle was the position taken by the
Church of Rome. The Roman Catholic
members of the association caused the
Bishops of the Papal Mission in Eng
land to take notice of the association.
The matter was ultimately referred to
the Congregation of the Holy Office of
the Inquisition at Rome. AT that time
the prefect of the Holy Office was that
Cardinal PatriZi who had declared that
every eX-cathedra utterance Of the Pope
was the very word of God, and to be
received on pain of forfeiting Heaven.
The Cardinal Prefect, in his rescript
concerning the Association for the Pro-
motion of the Unity of Christendom,
enjoined Roman Catholics not to unite
with it under peril of being charged
with heresy. In vain 1913 clergymen of
the Church of England, including some
ter signed by all, and endeavored to as
sure the Holy Office that it was not their
object to combine the three communions
into one. They desired only intercom-
munion. They claimed that they had
worked for years with this aim, and had
shown such a disposition toward the
Church of Rome as had rendered them
suspected in the eyes of some Rome
was Obdurate. The decision of Patrizi
was strictly enforced in England, and
practically the bottom fell out of the
new association. We call this bit of in
structive history, and We look upon it as
a warning which has been sadly ne
elected. We firmly believe in a COM
Ing unity of Christendom: but we be-
lieve that such unity will never come
until the world has been educated into
a consensus of condemnation which
shall compel the Roman Church to
abate those pretensions which render a
united Christendom impossible
"The full significance of the papal
yearnings for Christianity is now
clear, so far as the Church of England
is concerned" says the Living
Church" (P. Ed of Chicago. 'The mask
Of kindliness and benignity is thrown
off, and it appears that there are two
main agencies through which Pope Leo
seeks to forward the cause of Catholic
unity in England. These agencies, says
the Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette" are
'denunciation and sustentation' On
the one hand, the sacraments and or
ders of the Anglican Church are de-
nounced as utterly null and void,' as
fictitious. and administered by per-
SONS who are under g. delusion.' On
the other hand, the Pope and Cardinal
Vaughan have published abroad their
intention of forming "a considerable
fund for the support of converted An
glican clergymen.' If we are not rad
1cally mistaken in the character of the
English clergy, this public and osten-
tauouS offer of a monetary bribe to en-
tice them from their allegiance will
by the indignation and contempt 1t Is
sure to arouse, completely defeat its
own purpose. 1t does not seem posi-
BILE that any persons will be allured by
such a bait as the church can well
afford to spare
''The plan for church unity proposed
by the Bishop of Western New York ir
his conference sermon is one of the
most exquisite pieces of humor in theo-
logical literature" remarks the Chris
tian Leader" CUniv.) of Boston. "It
was not intended to be facetious, for ir
all seriousness the Bishop proclaimed
the generous whole le-heartedness of his
church-or the church-towards al
NJ nf he,
churches to come to US; We only ask
that they become like us; assume the
position we hold, and we will come tc
them In the interest of church unity
the Episcopal Church is ready and will
ing to take a progressive step from
where it is now to where it now is.'
The New York Evangelist" (Pres.) J
speaking of the recent so-called .or-
dination" of Ballington Booth, by Bish-
op Fallows and other clergy of vari-
Gus denominations, says? His sponsors
assure us of his virtues and pious life
and conversation, and that he believes
the Scriptures to be the Word of God
But suppose he should fall under the
temptation of the devil or Of the highel
critics. Suppose he should openly de-
ny the 1TefTdDCy Ol the pIlSlIldl
graphs or should fall into fragrant sin
Who will try him and silence him, ol
depose him from the high place t
which this new synod has lifted him
A Presbyterian at any rate, should mo-
lightly esteem the difficulty raised by
this question. Shall we suppose tha
Bishop Fallows and his associates vii
convene and try the offender? vii
they assume to depose a presbyter oi
the Church of God in general? Doubt
less they would publish the fact tha
they could not longer indorse the min
lister they themselves had sent out with
the seal of their appreciation. But Il
they were to go further and assume
to infiict discipline, they would have op.
portunity to hear many and bitter de-
nunciations of their assumption and
arrogance. But surely to discipline q
minister OF Christ without authority
is no greater assumption than to com
mission him without authority"
1T would seem that the intellectual
and spiritual vigor and consequent pop
ularity of men like DIR. Storrs ought
forever to set at rest the misconceptior
that only young men are good for the
ministry" says the Boston "Congrega-
tionalist" I'm all other departments
of life experience and judgment are val
ued at their true worth. and the more
critical the case the maturer the expert
called in. In the ministerial realm
alone are youth and inexperience at SC
high a premium that too often a young
man blights his prospects for later life
when he enters 1t. Brethren, these
things ought not so to be. Part of the
responsibility rests with the preacher
A due regard for the laws of health. a
mind ever open TO fresh thought and