The record-union., 1896-10-04
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EpreSsiOnS From Various ReligiouS
Newspapers.
Tho Religious Thought Of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.

Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.
An open letter has appeared in some
0I the church papers on the object of the
TenSlOuS movement of Count Campello
ana his associates in Italy. We have
every sympathy with any real and earn
est attempt at ecclesiastical reform,
says the Living Church (P. Ed of Chi
cago, but experience shows that move
nlentS of this kind are to be viewed with
great caution. 1t is extremely difficult
Tor us to understand the real aims and
tendencies of religious agitations among
people whose ideas and habits of mind
ale so different from our own, and in the
case of Roman Catholics we are prone
TO jump at the conclusion that if a
movement is anti-papal it is therefore
worthy of encouragement. Even if such
a movement stands the test of careful
lnvestiga ton, it must show itself capa-
Die of inspiring enthusiasm and attract
ing substantial support at home on the
part Of the people among whom it has
arisen. If it has it's origin in foreign
1n11uence or relies for its progress on
foreign support, it is foredOomed to fail
ure, so far as any effect upon the bulk
OF the native population is concerned. In
such a case it may grow into sect, and
even enjoy a certain degree of prosper
1ty, but it will do nothing for the general
cause of reform, and certainly will sup
ply no aid towards the reunion of Chris
tendon. 1t is necessary to conquer i'm
patience and to reflect that as Rome was
not built in day, neither can it be re-
formed in day
''The Higher Criticism so called, has
been confined thus far to the Old Testa-
ment, but it is evident" says the
"Christian Register (Unit.) Of Boston,
that we are entering on new era OF
criticism with reference to the New Tes-
lament. The direction which that crit
icism will take is indicated in an article
in the New World for September by
the eminent English Biblical scholar
Rev. E. A. Abbott, D. D. DR.. Abbotts
subject is entitled Raising the Dead in
the Synoptic Gospels Though he does
not discuss principles of criticism, he
gives an excellent object lesson of how
they should be applied to the New Tes-
lament. > 3 DIR. Abbott ap-
plies with great skill the modern critical
AilcllIOu ~ SOIItt VI IUt NEW
stories. He shows that the later a gos-
pei is the more it magnifies the apostolic
powers of healing. We cannot say that
all the nara tives of this kind in the
Ccspels are wholly true or wholly false
In all probability some are true and
others are not true, and to distinguish
the true from the not true is sometimes
difficult, sometimes (at presenD impos-
Sillp Each O ha inIpad ire
own evidence DR.. Abbott believes that
bodily healing was far less frequent
than the synoptic Gospels would lead US
TO suppose. He then makes a special
study of some of the accounts of reviv-
ification. The explanation of the growth
Of these stories is sometimes suggested
by pathological criticism. Concerning
the miracle at Main or Naim, DR.. Alb
bott shows that the Gospel narratives
point to an earlier tradition than any of
the three On the hypothesis of fact, it
is not easy to explain it, but as poetry
its growth may be understood. Hence
the author concludes that this miracle
is not history, but metaphor misunder-
stood. a critical study of all the mira
oles, with the endeavor to distinguish
the poetic from the historical elements,
VIII no doubt be eventually fruitful"
Experts in finance tell u.s. says the
New York Independent" that, ac-
cording to the experience of the world,
gold and silver cannot, under free coin
age at a fixed ratio. be maintained as
one standard; that double standard
really means two standards. They say
that we must choose between them
that if we try to secure the double
standard gold will disappear and we
shall have only silver; that if we cleave
tC the one we must relinquish the other.
However this may be in monetary af =
fairs, it is true in the life of the Chris
tian. Christ taught that no man can
serve two masters, nor combine two
different standards, such as the service
of God and the service Of mammon.
We know that men often try to do so.
They think they can serve God and the
world: that they can have the spirit
OF Christ and the spirit of self; that
they can keep the law and violate the
law; that they can be saints on occa-
sion and sinners when self-interest
prompts. No one ever saw a man or
woman combine the evil and the good
In one standard. 1t is impossible to be
a
One standard or the other must prevail,
and if it be the standard of Christ, it
excludes unrighteousness; if it be the
standard Of evil, it excludes righteous
ness. There is no fixed ratio Of combi-
nation by which a single standard can
be made. Where such combina ton is
attempted 1t is not infrequently at the
alto of 16 to 1-sixteen parts of base
.l.r.s-r yl.1
try to serve both masters will give
most service to the worst"
On the subject of equal lay repre-
sentation the Western Christian Ad-
vccate" (Meth) of Cincinnati observes:
I'VE fear. from the current vote, that
this desirable measure will not receive
the constitutional three-fourths vote of
the minister's 1t seems like parting
with power, and though the retention
OF the majority would not in any wise
benefit them, some men will cling TO 1t
to the last. OF course, it's adoption
would greatly increase the size OF the
General Conference, and make re-
duction in the number of delegates,
both Law and clerical, necessary. Some
ministers are unwilling; the more cierl-
cal delegates the greater their chances
to be chosen. Others say, Let us first
reduce the size of the General Confer