The record-union., 1898-12-11
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought Of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

The several elements of which the
Prayer Book is made up might very
we'll have been distinguished from each
other throughout" says the Living
Church (P. E4) Of Chicago, each with
it's proper designation on a separate
title page Thus We should have had
the Daily Offices with the Psalter, con-
stituting the first division, preceded by
the title Daily Morning and Evening
Prayer. together with the Psalter.' The
second division would properly include
all that pertains to the holy COM
munion, with the proper title, namely,
The Order for the Administration of
the Lords Supper or Holy Cornmun-
ion, with the Collects, Epistles and
Gospels to be used throughout the
Year In the third place, we should
have the manual, which might be en-
titled, The Occasional Service, with
Offices for the use of Priest and People
on Sundry Occasions Last comes the
pontifical or Book of Episcopal Min
istrations' Such an arrangement of
the Prayer Book in its proper divisions,
with descriptive titles in each case,
would be correct and instructive and
would. we suppose, effectually bar the
absurd idea that the latter portion is
a mere appendix, because it happens to
be printed after the Psalter, which is
itself quite out of place. AS it is, the
most superficial glance is sufficient to
make it apparent that no kind of in
feriority or secondary character at
taches to the services of this division
of the Prayer Book
1.-THE decline in the proportion to the
congregation of communicates report
ed in some Episcopal, Methodist and
other churches does not of itself prove
a reduced interest in religion OBJ
serves the Christian Register" (Unit.)
of Boston. 1.-The obligations of the
creeds do not press themselves upon
the minds and consciences of religious
people until they attempt to join the
church AS church membership is no
longer a warrant of eternal salvation,
many good and wise people are con-
tent to omit subscription to a creed
which they no longer believe without,
therefore, rejecting the spirit OF relig-
ion or losing interest in the laws OF the
good life or dispensing with aids to
devotion. In the great revival OF Il4U,
George Whitefeld and Jonathan Ed
wards charged the Professors in Har-
ward College, with the ministers ana
churches of New England, with ire
ligion because the old forms of con-
version and church membership were
not imposed upon the people. The
creeds and covenants remained un-
changed, but were accepted by so few
that in many Congregational parishes
the church might contain only small
minority of the congregation. II the
churches now would have large
membership and many communicates,
they must meet the congregation with
creed which will be as broad, at least,
as the conditions fof admission to
heaven"
MANY of the causes which led Con-
gregationalists and Episcopalians to
antagonize each other no longer exist
in this country, remarks the Com
gregationalist" of Boston. Neither de-
nomination now fears that the other
will secure State support. Many Amer
lean Epsicopalians would condemn at
tempts to impose upon Congregation
alists the legal and social disabilities
which they have long suffered in Eng
land, but which even there are being
to a considerable extent removed On
the other hand, Congregationalists
have lost their dislike of church festi-
walls, such as. Christmas and Easter.
They no longer refuse to join in writ
ten prayers and other ritual service
They enjoy stained-glass windows and
organ music. They have, in many
churches and without serious protest
from any, used forms of worship which
formerly were confined to Hturgical
bodies Why, then, cannot Congrega-
tionalists unite with Episcopalians?
The chief obstacles to such union are
three. First, Congregationalists refuse
to deny that there are any genuine
ministers of Christ except those who
have been ordained in Episcopal, Ro-
man Catholic or Free Catholic
Churches. Second Congrega-
tional churches refused to accept the
dictation of Bishops. Third,
Congregationalists are not willing to
confine their public worship to the Ian
guage of the prayer book.
"How little of that which makes up
life is visible or tangible says the New
York Outlook" I'VE habitually speak
and act as if there were certain reali-
ties with which we are in such imme-
date contact that we constantly see
and touch them; they exist beyond all
question. because their existence is ev-
ident to the senses. The man who is
willing to accept nothing of the being
and nature Of which he has not ocular
thaCn THINGS
as realities; all the rest he disnlisses
as dreams, or rejects as incapable of
demonstration. And he does this in
many cases, because he believes that
this is the only course open to one who
means to preserve absolute integrity
of intellect and to be entirely honest
with himself and with life. A man of
this temper is ready to believe only
that which he thinks he knows by alb
solute contact; there is much else he
would like to believe, but he will not
permit himself a consolation or COM
fort based on hope which the imagi-
nation or the heart or the mind work
ing without due regard for the laws of
evidence has turned into a reality.
Many honest men go through life and
will not see God because they have
DOlleQ all the uOOIS lHIOuSH WHICH dOu
can enter and reveal himself"
Christianity proves it's own truth"
saws the New York observer" Pres.),
because it tells US of God who was
before all things, and is more than all
things, and is not enthusiastically identi-
fed with anything. That kind Of a
God we can believe in, that is a con-