The record-union., 1896-02-15
In RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From Various Religious
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.

~SSN1I
Some Matters Of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.
There are certain things which the
church may take for granted" observes
the New York "Churchman" (P. Ed,
lin advancing upon the great field of
conquest which lies before her. She
needs no more protestations as to the
validity of her historic episcopate, and
no further apology for the ordinances
which she undertakes to administer
Her main work on this continent will
hereafter be the carrying out of that
commission whose authenticity she has
hitherto taken such pains to yindicate.
The vindication was once needed; it is
needed no more. If churchmen have
the confidence in the church which they
have so persistently demanded of out
siders, they had best show it by using
all the powers which the church pos
sesses in regenerating the land. The
spirit of wisdom and the spirit of power
which reside in Christ's church, rightly
used. will accomplish nothing less than
this regeneration The right use i'm
plies, of course, faith, confidence and un-
wearied industry Social problems, the
motives of political life, the life of the
poor, the paganism Of country places,
are all matters for the consideration
of the church, and for the healing which
Christ alone can furnish, through the
ministrations Of the church So diff1-
cult, so pressing, so imperative are the
calls made from such quarters as these
that American churchmen may rejoice
that there is no more need for debating
about preliminaries."
I'VE greatly regret" says the New
York independent" that there is
such confusion about the time Of the
day for prayer for colleges. This special
service ought not to be given up, even
although we do not expect so many
revivals in our colleges as there used
to be. It is a remarkable and very
gratifying fact that there is not so much
scope for them as there used to be be-
cause so many more young men come
to college aready members of the
churches Much better work is done
for the young men than used to be the
case. and now at most of our colleges
we expect most of the students to be
Christians when they enter the fresh
man class. So much is the result of bet
ter methods of church work. Neverthe-
less. the religious condition Of our larger
colleges is by no means what it should
be- There is, perhaps, less drunken
ness. gambling and brutality, but there
is hardly less self-indulgence and lazl-
ness While there is not little religious
activity, it still lacks guidance and ell
cheney. We naturally expect the relig-
ious activity Of a college to depend very
much on the activity and faithfulness
of the college pastor, if such an officer
there be. It is more difficult to obtain
a good college pastor than a good pro-
fessor of Greek or chemistry. The test
Tor such a man is success. If he finds
students out Of sympathy with him, II
they listen unwillingly to his preaching,
and do not cheerfully and freely talk
with him on religious matters, he is out
Of his place. He may be a very good
man and a sound preacher, but he is
not the man for a college pastor.
LYMAN Beecher." says the New
York Evangelist (Pres.) was accus-
toned at Litchfield, after a sermon
aimed at the awakening of the uncon-
verted. to go to the village store or the
mill, or any other place where he would
meet his parishioners, to find out If
his arrows had fastened in any heart
The skillful gospel surgeon will not
neglect his cases, but will rejoice TO
apply the gracious means of cure 1ndl-
Gated in each instance. Preaching with
out seeking to know the effect is like
fishing without a hook. An overland
train last year happened once to stop
so that the dining-car was on bridge
lust over a little pond which swarmed
with fish The passengers amused
themselves by throwing down bits Oh
of bread into the water. The fish in
their eagerness would leap into the air
to get their share Of this shower Of
mamma, and some would throw them
selves on top of the slices of bread and
float there half a minute or more in or
der to pre-empt the ample supply. But
there was not a single hook on the car,
and not a fish was caught. Very much
ike that is the spiritual fishing which
draws crowds, it may be- by an afflu-
ent display of oratorical, musical or
social attractions, but which makes no
serious proposition to secure souls for
Christ"
$50 long as men remain what they
are. If must be an undecided question, .
saws the New York observer" (Pres.)
whether change in any body of relig-
ions opinion or customs can best be eff
fected by those who continue at least
nominalIy to accept it, or by those who
openly reject it and form an opposition
body of their own. In the one case
change. if effected at ALL is the result OF
the quiet exercise OF influence by the
dissidents, and in the other of the force
of example Which is the most effect
i've. and particularly which Is morally
the most binding upon men who fine
themselves unable to accept the doc
trines and practices Of any sect, will
however. always be decided by individ-
ual judgment Indeed, apart from tht
differences of temperament which make
such decision inevitable, there is nj
positive proof from experience on which
TO base decision. The strong, conscien-