The record-union., 1898-04-03
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.
Patriotism in it's truest sense" says
the New York "Churchman" Up. Ed lis
not the fiaring up of the national spirit
in something analogous to burst OF
anger under the strain of external press
ure. True patriotism is neither feyerfSh
nor hysterical 1t is rather calm,
steady temper of mind that works best
when outside relations are most am
icable and no cloud of war hangs low on
the horizon. Indeed, it will only brook
the thought of war when something
more dreadful than war is the one alter
native. While patriotism is the love or
ones country, love which scorns So
called cosmopolitanism, that emascu-
| lated affection for humanity which Is
neither alive nor dead, it is not an exclu-,
sive love- National selfishness is that
spirit which disregards all interests but
its own, but true patriotism must have
| some measure at least of the Golden
Rule in its makeup and give due consld-
Grafton to duties to other nations. This
| Is not to water down patriotism until II
ceases to mean anything. Even in the
| family loyalty to the home and home ties
is never SO exclusive as to leave out OF
! sight duties to other families, else tle
State could not exist"
I'm her Table of Fasts' the church has
only two days which are absolute fasts,
namely, Ash Wednesday and Good Fri
| day" says the Living Church" Up. Ed
of Chicago. But even these days should
not be observed as absolute fasts by the
sick, the very young, the very old, or by
| those engaged in laboriouS or very eX-
| acting work Still, all members of the
church might, and should, make Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday as strictly
| days of fasting as their duties and cir
cumstances permit. Neither will the
faithful fail to observe those other
days of fasting on which the church re-
quires such measure of abstinence as
is more especially suited to extraordi-
nary acts and exercises of devotion'--the
forty days of Lent, the Ember Days, the
Rogation Days, and all the Fridays of
the year, except Christmas Day. The
church does not set fc9th a minute d.
rectory as to the ob-& vance Of these
days. 1t does not publish list of for
hidden foods 1t would do no good. It
cy1t do bor r. hn h 10
conform to the letter Of such directions
and yet miss altogether the spirit and
purpose of these days. 1t would be Of
no avail to observe them only In for
NAL. perfunctory way. To do that might
make us mere Journalists. but it would
not make us better men or better Chris
tians. Still, men nowadays are in little
danger of being in Hastings often; GER
tainly not too often. 1t is a luxurious
age"
1--WE are at one with all who demand
that first of all a minister shall be spe-
cialist in religion because of his own
personal, intimate knowledge of the
things of God" says the Congregations
alist" of Boston. I'VE are well aware
of the fact that people do not honor
minister, as they once did, on account of
the office he fills, but for what he him.
| self is. If ministers do not receive that
reverent consideration accorded to their
| predecessors, let them ask themselves IL
| the cause be not in a lack of qualities
| in their character which deserve that
consideration. That no men, even In
Puritan times, We're more beloved or re-
vered than some who serve the churches
of to-day few would deny. But the
honor paid them is honor paid to char
acter, to the spirit of conservation mani
| fest in daily life, to earnestnesS and un-
selfishness rather than to position, in
tellectual ability or the possession OF
rare gifts Of eloquence. The pure in
heart shall see God Purity of heart
rarely fails to win homage. 1t finds
expression in righteous conduct, in self
sacrifice, in genuine love for ones fell
low-men. The great need Of the time
is men in the pulpit whose spirit and
deeds make it clear that they are men
Of holy character"
1.-The supreme test" says the New
York Christian Advocate" (Meth.) "of
! any system worthy of the name Of reli-
gion Is, Will it enable radically iTreli-
gious and immoral persons to reform?
Is it adaptable to childhood, youth and
manhood? Will it sustain life Of pi-
ety. with it's arduous duties constantly
required and it's incessant self-denial?
| Will it's motives grow stronger when
motives drawn from this life, such as
| the love of praise, power, wealth, friend
ship, and social life, grow weaker? VIII
| it give to old age cheerful outlook?
| Will it rob death of it's terror, leaving
instead not merely negative indiffer-
ence, but implanting in the heart lively
hope? Since all must die, and none can
tell when, religion that hesitates, fall
| tiers, or is silent then, is like pilot COM
petent only on the open sea. And as
cid age is a period of sensitiyeness,
weakness, loneliness and apprehension,
whatever religion may have done be-
fore if it can afford no help then, he
who has trusted in 1t is like pilgrim
robbed of his staff when SO weary as 10
fall without it's aid, though the journey
be not done, and the shadows of night
are falling fast
| I'VE are not sorry says the New York
observer CPres.) therefore that a
discreet selection between the products
OF the different manufacturing countries
is facilitated by the frank announcement
| which appears on some of them to the
effect that they have been made in Ger
many. And we have been thinking that
it would be we'll if some of the theology
current now in America were plainly Ia
beled with a similar inscription, and
would show their tag. Too many of our
theological systems (sic) have been
| TT, ic of f.o,1rca