The record-union., 1896-12-20
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
1.-THE most interesting phase of the
Church Congress- says the New York
"Churchman" P. Ed, was, perhaps,
the spirit of elevated kindliness which
obtained even in those debates where
the most divergent opinions were eX-
preSsed-we say opinions adviSedly, for
there was no note of discord as to the
great facts of ChriStianity-and this
distinction between fact and opinion,
between truth and the philosophy of
truth, is the rising hope of wiser and
more glorious day for the church in its
mission to the world. Party lines are
being worn out, thank God, in state
and church. said the Bishop of Louisi-
ana at Pittsburg, and faster and faster
will they be worn away as We come TO
understand the divineness of the
church's wisdom in requiring of men,
bers of the kingdom of God the accept
ance of facts, and leaving the training
OF her children in full and compra-
henSive knowledge of these facts 70
time and eternity. The presence of di-
vergent opinions even if that divergence
seem dangerous and hopeless, should be
evidence of the energizing by the Holy
Ghost of the lives of all sorts and con-
dItionS of men. Instead therefore of
endeavoring to array the Christian
church on the side of a political, intel
lectual or ecclesiastical party, it Shouts 1
ha oil 70 =
1t, to endeavor to plant it, in every
form and phase of human society. The
mission of the church is not to separate
but to gather together, not to shut out
but to gather in. 1t is the positive,
patient, loving anxiety of a mother
seeking to bring her children, all her
children, home.''
1t is matter of surprise to the
apostles of liberality that their teach
ings do not easily take root in the
church of the West We think it can
be explained says the Living
Church" P. Ed of Chicago. "why that
kind of enlightenment and progress
which shows men how to look upon the
prayer book as a set of antiquated for
mulaS to change the creed into SYM
Dol of mere natural religion, and to
contrive ways of lodging the force of
canonS. is not popular in this part of
the country There is among the un-
sophisticated people of the West a very
nearly contempt for ShamS If our
church people could be led to accept
these advanced and liberal views they
would be likely to say, Why should we
remain connected with a church in
Whlch we must be constantly saying one
thing While we mean another. and be
driven to all manner of evasions in
order to escape obstruction? Why not
throw our support into organizations
which stand avowedly on the free and
liberal basis? Another point is this:
In this part of the world the air is sat
urated with liberalism. No one needs
to belong to a church, least of all the
Episcopal Church, in order to enjoy to
the full all that this kind of freedom
and enlightenment has in it. 1t re-
quires no tithes and exacts no special
duties. Muftitudes of people have come
INTO the church to escape as far as pos
sible from this very liberalism. They
longed for another atmosphere, and
they thought the church meant what
disappointed.
IF the right kind of praying is a
prelude TO a genuine revival, the right
kind of preaching is of vast moment
also,' says the Rev. DR.. Cuyler in the
New York Evangelist" Pres). "The
men who lead in those seasons of great
spiritual quickening that DR.. Storrs re-
fers to We're not afraid to preach the
exceeding sinfulness of sin and it's just
retributions as well as the wondrous
love of God in redemption. The thun-
ders of Sinai and the loving invitations
of Calvary We're both made audible in
their trenchant sermons. Such preach
ing made thorough work The surfaces
of mems hearts and consciences We're
not merely scratched over with cultured
essays about Christianity; the gospel
plough was thrust deep down into the
lower strata of human hearts and their
nethermost convictions of divine truth
and when souls We're converted their
eternal hopes were bottomed on the
base-rock. Sinners were not only in
vited to come to Jesus, but were told
why they should come and how they
should come, and that unless they left
their darling sins behind them the Sa-
Vior would not accept them. Bear in
mind that it was this style of heart
piercing presentation of the gospel by
the Apostle Peter which produced the
glorious harvest of converts in Jerusa-
lem. That was a typical revival; earn
est praying and earnest preaching We're
attended by powerful outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. Why not now ?
Whether this style of preaching would
be popular now, or whether it would suit
the cultured taste of the times and the
prevailing secularism.' are questions
with which Chirst's ministers and
churches have nothing to do"
I'm the old days" says the New York
Independent" there would often be a
large number of conversions in re-
vival, and then perhaps for five or ten
years a church would have scarce a
single accession. There is current
opinion in the churches now that that
is not the best way, and they desire
through the ordinary ministry of the
word and through the Sunday school
instruction, to bring their hearers into
the church. Not only do they believe in
conversions but their success is greater
than it ever has been before in the his