The record-union., 1897-05-30
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From Various RelisiouS
Newspapers
The Religious Thought OF the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

If the Church of England and our
own church in America" says the
Church Standard" (P. Ed of Phila-
delphia, while holding the primitive
talth IN Its integrity, were TO add there
10 other doctrines which We're not held
as articles of faith in the primitive
church, and if they We're TO refuse COM
munion with other Christian churches
unless on condition that such churches
should accept those doctrines as arti-
cles of faith, then the Church of Eng
land and our own church here in Amer
lea, while catholic in faith, would be
schismatical in their position But the
fact is that neither the Church of Eng
land nor our own church here in Amer
lea has ever imposed or required any
thing but the catholic faith of the
primitive church as condition of COM
munion. IL respect of doctrine. the
Anglican position is purely and simply
catholic. The Anglican churches hold
| the faith of the primitive Catholic
Church undetiled, and, SO far as doc
trlne is concerned, they obey the Coun-
ell of Chalcedon by requiring nothing
more. Heretics dixie the Arians of the
fourth century, reject some part of the
faith; schismatical churches dixie that
Of Rome) exalt local and provincial
opinions to equal dignity and authority
with the very faith itself, and make
their acceptance an indispensable con-
dltlon of communion. The Anglican
churches do neither the one nor the
other
That the first meetings of the con-
ference of Anglican Bishops should be
held at Lambeth. and that the Primate
of England should preside, is only fit
ting. But why should it be taken for
granted asks the New York
"Churchman," that the precedent thus
established is to be followed in the fu-
ture, as the title at present applied to
the conferences seems to imply? AS
matter of fact, the meetings this year
are to be held in the Church House,
London, and not at Lambeth Palace.
A still greater change in the place of
meeting might be desirable. We see
many and cogent reasons why it would
be eXpedient for the conference of 1907
to meet in America, while We can con-
ceive of no reason why this should not
be. Our loyalty to the avowed Angli-
can position is responsible for this view.
1t would be a movement calculated to
Capitalization, and to disabuse mems
minds of error if the conference We're
to decide to hold its next meeting in
response to the call and under the
Presidency of the presiding Bishop OF
the American Church. The actual
work of the conference could be carried
on with equal facility almost any
J l,
would be gained if it We're to meet say
in Canada, but there are special rea-
sons why the most satisfactory results
would ensue if the United States We're
to be selected rather than some Eng
lish colony"
"One of the most significant qualities
of the current skepticism," observes the
New York Christian Advocate"
(Meth.), lis the poorness of the wares
it puts upon the market. There has
never been a time when more ought
to be offered, and of better quality
withal, and yet there has never been an
hour when the skeptical output has
been more meager or repelling. The
world is getting larger. Civilization is
extending with amazing rapidity. The
realm of knowledge is widening and
reaching into new lands with steady
force never known before. And yet
the skepticism of the times is running
along in old grooves, and giving less
and ever less hope to those whose sym
pathies and confidence it would enlist.
There are signs that the pub
lie eye is beginning to see into the alb
surdity of the wretched pretensions of
this fiippant or frigid skepticism. 1t
is being discounted very rapidly. What