The record-union., 1897-08-22
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

The following is from the Catholic
Champion published by the Guild of ST.
Ignatius in New York: 1T is a hope
full sign that the consciences of many in
the church seem to be stirred at this
time by the condition of our legislation
on the subject of marriage. A discus
sion that bids fair to be earnest, if not
bitter, is springing up as churchmen
look forward to the General Convention
of 1898. Those who are opposed to the
divine law Of indissolubility are not at
ease We are far from attributins to
them, or to any of them, personally. an
unfaithful purpose. On the contrary,
we know that many good people are
possessed with the idea that our Lord
made an exception in express terms to
the law that no marriage can be dis
solved except by the death of one of
the parties. 1t is hard for us to imagine
how they can think this is the case, but
we know very we'll that the spiritual
power which in all ages works against
the truth of God sends even to earnest
Christians strong delusions. We think
| it is good sign that those who are un-
der the influence of this delusion are
now feeling the Importance of looking
!
what we hope they will do. The idea Of
an exception in favor of the innocent
party in a divorce for the cause of adul-
terry cannot stand earnest and thorough
| investigation
"Some of our brethren who went out
with Bishop Cummins, says the
Church Standard P. Ed of Philadel-
sx1f foJy yfY7cy
that step, they were maintaining their
consistency as evangelical Episcopal
ians, not severing themselves from the
traditions of the past, but asserting the
genuine historical traditions of the
church. Now they find that those ira
ditions, with all their sacred associa-
tiOns, are contemned and despiSed by
their new associates. There is a certain
irony in the situation when an old
fashioned evangelical is tabooed as
High Churchman, but there is no escape
from classifcations of that kind. We
| find them in the Church Of Rome,
among the Lutherans, in Presbyterian
| ism, and here again they crop up as
divisive force in a church which was or
ganized for the express purpose of ex-
Guiding them. 1t is very interesting to
|
to observe the phases under which they
occur The pregnant question suggest
ed by them is this: Whether they are
a just cause of division, that is to say,
of schism. We are inclined to say that
they may be, or that they may not, ac-
cording to the circumstances of the
case. If, as at present in the Reformed
Episcopal Church, the intolerance of a
| 20 t,.oT
rights as we'll as on the sensibilities of
the minority. it is for the minority to
decide whether there is any ground of
conscience which requires them to sub
nit to the dictates of the majority by
whom they are overridden; and if, as in
the same case, the proscriptive policy is
pursued in defiance of solemn funda-
mental compact, then we should say
that the minority would be amply justi-
fed in refusing their submission to an
unlawful supremacy"
!
Bishop Morrill, of the Methodist Epis-
! copal Church in his EpiscopaI silver
Jubilee sermon said: What snouio De
our attitude toward. what is known as
higher criticism?' Evidently it is not
to DE ignored The people read, ana
ought to read We cannot afford to
be timid. The truth cannot suffer loss.
When manifested, it 'commends itself
to every mans conscience in the sight
of God The critic is not necessarily
an enemy to the Bible Let the bright
est search-light of the ages fall on the
book At most 1t can only expose ac-
cretions, if such have gathered about
if. What if it should turn out that
I 1 h of
Moses the man of God, appropriated
some existing literature, endorsed it,
and used it? Is it not therefore of
Moses What if in fact Isaiah found
something not original with himself,
but with some other prophet, and
adopted it? Was he not as much in
spired to adopt it as to write what he
wrote? While we have the book itself,
which never could have originated in
the unaided human mind, why should
we be afraid of any possible discovery
as TO the method of its composition2
We want to know all that can be
| known Of the history of the sacred text.
But there are critics and critics. Some
are destructive in aim and method.
We must be discriminating. Destruct-
/ i've critics are enemies, whether open
or in disguise; but they cannot wear
the mask forever True critics will be
| the first to detect the false. This is a
mine in which all preachers cannot
delve and need not, however rich the
| ore or precious the metals. Calm con-
| fidence is our proper attitude"
! '"The question is anxiously asked in
many quarters says the New York
| observer" (Pres.), Has evangelical
| ism a future? Is not it's very life mem
/ aced by the growth of rival systems,
j by the increase of knowledge, by social
movements, and by the advance of the
rationalistic spirit? A calm survey of
| the situation will silence any hesita-
| ton about the answer to be given to
| this question. The future cannot be-
! long to the school of liberia. thought
which covers everything from enlight-
/ ened toleraticn to hard and callous
| heathenism. Negotiations do not bring
peace to the heart or strength to the
/ life Only the religion that lights the
| fires of enthusiasm can hope for per-
manenCy. History is eloquent in it's
| testimony that rationalism always
means moral and spiritual declension,
! and that it's one compensation is the
revival which proclaims the winter is
past, the flowers appear on the earth,
and the time of the singing of the bird
| is come. Sacerdotalism is now a Sc
rious rival to eyangelicalism. Here
again the tribunal of history speaks
with no uncertain voice. The records