The record-union., 1896-07-05
IN RELIGIONS REALM
Expressions From Various Religious
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed in the Sectarian
Press.

| long hoped, and for which the Pope a
| year ago evidently thought the time
! had not come, is within the range of
| possibility" remarks the New York
observer (Pres). "For the utterances
| of the organs of the ritualists in both
churches leave little doubt that. except
| On the question of the validity of Ang-
| lican orders, approximation to the
| Church of Rome Is cordial and COM
plete. Both pray for the successful
| conclusion of the inquiry. with regard to
| theAnglican orders, and regard the rit-
ualists as so thoroughly at one with
| Rome that any differences which exist
may properly be adjusted by the COM
| mission. Recognition of Rome as the
| one true fold, and of the Pope as the
| supreme shepherd, the vicar of Christ
| is thus in their view no longer a barrier
| to reunion. They are ready TO con-
| cede anything, to render complete and
| unconditional submission, provided only
that the genuineness Of their ministry
is recognized at Rome. There is no in
| timation of a bargain, of a quid pro
| quo; if only the decision of the commits
! sion is favorable to the validity of Ang-
| ican orders. they are ready for the
| union. That this is not the attitude Of
| the large majority of Englishmen is
| evidenced by the Indignation aroused
| by MIR. Gladstone's recent letter to
| Cardinal Rampolia. in which the idea
| or reunion is tolerated, if not distinctly
| approved. For the Liberal papers de-
| clare that cons ummation to be to the
| bulk of the British people not merely a
| dream, but pestilent delusion.' The
declaration of the Archbishop of Cam
terbury a year ago to the effect that
| corporate union with Rome is impossible
| so long as the latter retains her distinct
| i've and erroneous doctrines, and ad-
vances her present unprimitive and un-
| scriptural claims, unquestionably re-
| fleets the conviction of the great body
of the Anglican Church to-day The
same may be said of the great majority
of the Episcopalians of this country,
the formidable obstacle to reunion
being, as it must continue to be, differ
ence of belief"
| Would the recognition by Rome of
the validity of Anglican orders promote
the union of Christendom? Such a re-
suit is doubtful remarks the watch
man" (Bapt) of Boston. TT would,
|
English High Churchmen to Rome more
easy. 1t would accelerate the movement
which began with Tractarianism. But
multitudes of Broad and Low Church
men care little for the validity of or
| ders.' They have discarded apostolic
succession. The net result of any such
recognition is that for which Mr. Glad
stone pleads is quite as likely to be di-
vision in the Church of England or a de-
mand that the High Churchmen shall
betake themselves to Rome, as any bet
ter understanding between Canterbury
and Westminster. # the Pope should
take the decision that Mr.. Gladstone
| and the High Anglicans desire, and it
| should be loyalty acted upon by the
Church of England, the breach between
| it and the other Protestant churches
would be immeasurably widened. The
| question at issue is whether the af1ini-
| ties and tendencies of the Episcopal
Church in England are toward Roman
ism or toward Professionalism. The at
titude of Episcopalians, both in this
| country and in England, toward the
ministry of other Protestant churches
has been stiff and supercilious. If the
English Episcopalians crave the recog-
milton by Rome of the validity of their
orders they disparage Professionalism
and the principles of the Reformat tion." "
Some of Mr.. Gladstone's points do
not appeal at all strongly to u.s. says
the New York Independent" He says
that if each church among the ninety
nine hundreths of Christendom that be-
| in n Wi nil ~ nd Tn orr1a ri inr
can show that their affirmative faiths
| agree, it helps them all. Very true;
but only so far as these doctrines extend,
and not as to validity of orders on
which they do not agree If it would help
Anglicans and Roman Catholics i'm this
matter to recognize each others eccles-
| iastical regularity, then equally lit will
help their common faith in the Trinity
| if Anglicans and dissenters should do
the same; and let Mr.. Gladstone write
another needed letter to his own church
on this subject. From his point of view
It is true that three-fourths of Christ
| endom holds fast to the historical
| transmission of the truth by a visible
| church with an ordained constitution,
| namely, that of the Roman, Greek and
| Anglican Churches, and that it is well
! that they should not reduce their COM
mon testimony by invalidatng each
other. We prefer to validate all, from
| Jacobites to Quakers, not by making
church order a matter of profound i'm
| portance' but by minimizing it's i'm
portance and magnifying the import
ance of the spiritual element of
Christian life possessed in common by
the old churches of the Apostolic sue
| cession' and the independent religious
communities.
The New York "Churchman," speak
ling of the discharge, by the Presby-
terian General Assembly, of the Com
mittee on Church Unity, remarks ::
while we regret this action, we are
not slow to recognize the fact that it
points to a distinct advance in the dis
cussion Of the church unity problem
We are quite convinced that the Gen
eral Assembly is anxious to be obedi-
ent to the Saviors prayer, that all his
followers should be one in him. We
cannot approach the consideration of
this solemn consummation without a
feeling that humility and desire to
know and see clearly the dimensions
and essential features of distracting
problem are necessary qualifications
for any one who would contribute to-
ward it's enunciation and solution. 1t
is not, in the first place, by emphasiz-
ing denominationalism that we are
likely abolish it. The Presbyterian AS
sembly seems to feel this truth. and
to claim that denominationalism is to
be ignored as the first step to its aboli-
tion What the Presbyterian Assembly