The record-union., 1898-10-09
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.

EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.
THE American Church." says the
Church Standard P. Ed of Philadel-
phla, is thoroughly and irrevocably
committed to the principle that church
councils ought not to be councils of
Bishops only, nor of Bishops and the
clergy only, but councils of the church
consisting of Bishops, clergy and laity.
with all due respect for the Lambeth
conference, rightly regarded as an un-
official gathering of gentlemen of Epis-
copal rank, the American church does
not regard that conference as in any
sense whatsoever a council of the
church having any color or jurisdiction
or authority over the churches whose
Bishops may, or may not, be pleased
d
fact, the Lambeth conference itself. At
us meeting in 1897, made its own exist
ence to depend hereafter as heretofore.
upon the good pleasure of the Arch
plshop OF Canterbury. 1t is impossible
10 regard body SO loosely constituted
ana SO utterly dependent upon the will
| OF one OF its members, as of any con-
stltutlonal Importance in the system of
national churc~l; and if it We're de-
sired to place the conference upon a
permanent footing, we doubt very much
whether the American church would be
Wiling to be included in it unless due
provision should be made for it's rep
! resentatlon by clergymen and layrnen
as Well as by Bishops Even with such
a provision we doubt whether this ma
tlonal church wisely could, or willing
~ would, subject itself to any ecumeni-
cal council of the Anglican churches.
Without radical change of its pres
ent constitution, even the general con
Vention would have no power to do so.
and hence We are constrained to believe
that our general convention is not like
iy TO accede to the formation Of con-
sultative bodies created under resolu-
tlons OF a conference which, so far as
the American church is concerned, has
no constitutional existence"
The provincial system, or some
adaptation of it, in the America n
church is becoming practical neces-
sity, says the New York "Churchman'
P. Ed. The vast extent of the coun-
try which the church in America en-
braces makes legislation difficult for an
assembly representative of the whole.
The deliberative capacity of the House
of Deputies, body that becomes more
cumbrous with each succeeding con-
vention, is seriously impaired. The GEN
eral convention is forced to confine its
attention, with increasing strictness. to
those questions that are common to the
entire church. Yet the diverse interests
or large sections of the country origi-
nate sectional problems which must be
recognized more and more in ecclesias
tlcal legislation. These questions are
SO local that each separate diocese or
group of contiguous dioceses is abund-
antly able to meet them. Certainly
their discussion in the general conven-
ton impedes action on matters of wider
interest. But worse than this. it NAV
easily result in wrong legislation
through the natural inability of depu-
ties from distant parts to appreciate
and sympathize9 9:with<the problems un-
der discussion. Properly constituted
representative assemblies with full de-
Lucrative, but limited legislative DOW
ers, gathered from groups of dioceses
bearing natural kinship to one another.
would fill the gap"
Professor John T. Duffield of Prince
| ton had an article in the Independent'
| in advocacy of heresy trials, which be-
comes interesting because it brings ont
far-reaching differences" says the 'In-
terror" Pres.) of Chicago. 'The
proposition upon which he rests his ar
gument is as follows: The Presbyter-
ian Church is a voluntary association
of Christians organized to maintain
and propagate what they believe to be
the system of doctrine taught in the
Holy Scriptures This he prints IN
italics and small capitals, for empha-
sis. Stripped of its surplusage the pro-
position is this: The Presbyterian n
Church is voluntary organization,
therefore it may admit whom it pleases.
exclude whom it pleases, set up what
ever of tests and requirements, intel
lectual or other, it wishes. He calls
it very properly, from his point of view,
a voluntary association making the
addition which is unnecessary to his
logic, of Christians Therefore, it
may be what it prefers-an ethical So
ciety, a school of doctrinaires, a tenn
perance society, a civic federation. Dr.
Duffield, from our point of view, is
wrong. No such liberties or powers
inhere in a church Of Christ. If he is
right, the Presbyterian organization is
not a church. 1t is what he describes
as being a voluntary organization
and it can claim no divine authority.
On the contrary, we believe Jesus
Christ is the King, head, lawgiver, and
sole authority in his church: that his
church cannot lawfully, nor to him 10y
ally, reject whom he receives, receive
whom he rejects, prescribe tests not
explicitly laid down by him, nor make
requirements in belief, faith, or conduct
which he has not made. Nor is il
voluntary organizati ton. It's members
are members under the authority Of his
command. and by constraint of his
spirit resistance to either of which in
wolves mortal peril
'While Christianity is not rationalis-
tic" says the New York observer"
(Pres.), ''it is reasonable. The distinc-
ton is a valid and valuable one Chris
tianity appeals to reason, but not as to
q Caesar Reason is its servant, not
it's sovereign Come, let us reason to-