The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-20
IN RELIGIONS REALM
Expressions From Various RELIGIOUS
Newspapers.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

TT is with sadness rather than sur
prise" says the New York Church
man" Up. Ed, that we read the verdict
of the Roman Church on the gloss of
the Three Heavenly Witnesses found in
l John ", Z. The question which
came before the Holy Office was wheth-
er the text could be safely expunged
as gloss, or, at any rate, could be
considered of doubtful authenticity
Their conclusion, after every argument
had been weighed with most diligent
accuracy was summed up in the cas-
lily understood Latin word Negative.
That is to say, the Church of Rome
has declared beyond recall, a notorious
text of Scripture. Though it stands as
authentic in the authorized English
version of the Bible, readers of the re-
vised version will remember that it is
there omitted without a word of COM
ment, which signifies that there is abb
solutely no critical support for retain
ing 1t. The temper of mind of
Which this decision of the Holy Office
is an indication is not encouraging to
those who cling to the hope of a recon-
Citation between the Church of Rome
and the rest of Catholic Christendom.
1t reveals a barrier as insuperable as
| the bull ApOStolica Curae. For it is a
declaration that the papacy is immov-
ably resolved to ignore indisputable ev-
| idence whenever it seems to clash with
papal philosophy, or if it demands a
withdrawal or modification of former
dlcta. Part of the power of Rome lies
IN her reserve, but sometimes, as in the
present instance, it is a power that is
purchased at the cost of truth
Some of the newspapers have come
across mares nest in connection
with the Lambeth Conference" re-
marks THE Living Church" P Ed of
Chicago. They tell us that there is a
growing tendency on the part of that
assembly to make the primates and
metropolitans of this country in a
measure dependent upon the dictation
OF the see of Canterbury, and that this
movement is arousing determined and
bitter opposition in the American bish-
ops. Such statements have the usual
amount of truth, beginning with the al
fusion to 'primates and metroplitans' as
existing in the American Church The
Lambeth Conference is a purely volun-
tary affair. 1t is unknown to the law
of the Church of England or of the
American Church. It's discussions and
resolutions have no more legal force
than those of church congress. Their
value is altogether moral. Undoubt-
eddy the results arrived at in such an
assembly, consisting as it does of men
of the highest eminence for office and
character, will always be received with
respect. But not one of them can
have the slightest legal value or bind
ing force. Before any suggestion from
that source can obtain the force of law
in the American Church, for example
it must fullow the usual course of legis-
lation. Nothing of the kind can be-
come binding upon US, except through
the voluntary action of the General
Convention ENGRAVING it in a regular
way upon the constitution or embody-
ing 1t in the canons of this church Our
friends may be assured that while
churchmen look forward with interest
to the meeting at Lambeth in July, they
feel no manner of alarm or anxiety
The circumstances of the case exclude
the possibility of any apprehension OF
radical or startling measures, or of any
measures calculated to compromise in
any degree the independence of the
Catholic body in America known in
law as the Protestant Episcopal
Church.
The critics, so called, who insist on
treating the Bible as literature, or as
all other literature is treated. are not
faithful to their own creed" observes
the New York Christian Intelligencer''
(Ref). They subject it to tests which
are not applied to other writings In
| ternal evidence goes for nothing. A
pure supposition is advanced, and then
a labored attempt is entered upon to
| induce men to accept the conjecture.