The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-13
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

tartan Press.
TT seems in some quarters to be con-
sidered formidable objection to Chris
tianity." says the Living Church
Up. ED of Chicago, that great NUM-
Der of men do not believe in it. This is
spoken of as if it We're quite a new
phenomenon. and therefore portentous
and fatal thing. AS a matter of fact,
there is nothing new in it. The Chris
tian religion has never seemed charm
ing 10 the great mass of worldly people
and there has always been a large and
important body of so-called thinkers,
or philosophers, who could not tolerate
it. The preaching of ST. Paul was to
the Greeks foolishness'; to the phil
osophers of Athens he was a babbler
a .Spermologos that is, a superficial
gatherer of odds and ends, preaching
an incoherent patchwork scheme. Fes-
tus. the Roman, thought he had a dis
ordered mind Nothing could exceed
the contempt of thoughtful people IN
the second century for the new religion.
To such intellects the mild and enlight-
ened influence of the phllOsophic An
TONNES was d hundred times more to
be desired than the narrow. aggressive
and exacting system of the gospel The
conditions with which We are confront
ed have no element of novelty. In the
last century it was supposed that Chris
tianity was at the last gasp. All its ten
cts were assumed to be exploded. Its
mission in the world was done. This
was the tone of good society. But re-
ligion has shown considerable vigor
since that day"
1T is always an advantage to the
cause of Christian unity" says the New
York "Churchman" (P. EA. when re-
ligious bodies who call themselves by
different names strike the same note in
prayer and praise on the same day OF
during the same season. They thus re-
veal the existence of radical sympathies
Of which they themselves even may
have been hitherto ignorant. In this
connection it is highly significant that
| the church observance of the coming
Lent is to be responded to by series
| of professedly Lenten services in sew
eral New York and Brooklyn congre-
cations who do not profess to follow the
Book of Common Prayer, and have nc
obligation to do SO. This fact suggests
many reflections. 1t Shows, in the first
| place. that al! prejudices against the
| Catholic season of self-denial, Self-eX-
animation, and renewed religious devo-
ton are gradually dying away, and that
| the barriers which these prejudices rear
| between different members in the uni
versal church Of the baptized are becom.
| ing gradually removed. This is of it
self a most important advance in una
nimity and toward unity. 1t establishes
between different religious bodies an es-
sential harmony real, if only partial
in the wide field of religious devotion
and worship" otsa bua
|
| How mistaken on some points of re-
ligion are twelve hundred clergymen OF
the English Church may be inferred
| says the New York. observer" (Pres.)
from the fact that these high church
men have united sin recommending g
volume entitled A book for the Chill
dren of God which contains the state
ment that the Catholic Church is the
only abode of the Spirit of God, who
| it says does not make His home If
any dissenting sect This remarkable
misstatement is added Sometimes peo-
pie quarrel with the church and breal
away from her, and make little shan
churches of their own We call these
people dissenters, and their shan
lchurches sects' Those clergymen hav,
not yet learned the A 3 C of Christiani
ty, which is a system larger than tn
lone flock of Anglicans or of Catholics.
IOther sheep Christ has which are not o
Fol To fcln NJ, ,y.c1,
wherever it is, which fails to illustrat,
the teaching and spirit lof the Master
that IS a true chu~ch, whatever its par
jticular polty. which holds to the Bible
and by testimony and life interpret
Christ to men as Christ taught Him
lself.'
Two or three of the Congregations
and some other papers are not mindins
their own business in regard to Pro
fessor Briggs and our church" observes
the Interior" (Pres) of Chicago "Fo
their benefit we will recall what oc
Toured four years ago last summer, AM
ask them how they would look al it an(
like it if they were in our place. W.
had great parliament of religions. The
Orientals were here landing their sacred
books literally to the skieS-even thu
nasty Koran was decked cut with sen
timents stolen from the Bible and Sc
upon pedestal and the incense Of adu
lation burned under its bloody hands
and demons eyes. Buddhist and Brah
min and Parsee We're here--the latte1
by a fair shadow of right. for they
were they who greeted the infant Sa
vior. A. man came on from New Yort
TO stand for the Bible. in this grea1
tournament Of the sacred books. 1t was
a magnificent opportunity, worthy tbs
effort of lifetime 20 any man who wa
adequate in heart and brain to the oc-
casion. That man was spoken to in
regard to his opportunity. He replied
in effect that he did not come TO vim
dictate the Bible but to exhibit its i'm
perfections-and he proceeded TO do so
We W. re so indignant that for what W.
said Of that speaker some of his friends
with much show of temper and of in
suit, flung the Interior back at US
What followed? That prince Of hum
bugs and frauds, Nivekanada rode il
triumph all over India proclaiming tina
the Bible had been repudiated at tn,
parliament by its own champions, Tha
/ champion was DR.. Briggs. Now, gen
tlemen. if you force reason why V,
have, without compromise. opposed th'
restoration OF that learned gentleman
you have it"
The fact is that the differences tha
mostly make sects and denomination
do not any longer represent religion
life. but the want Of it, says tn
christian Register (Unit) of Bos
ton Gather together the saints from
| all the denominations of An1aI.ica-W