The record-union., 1898-10-23
The Religious Thought Of the Day
AZ Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

churcn there are still only two parties,
the nigh church and the low church.
Ihe great mark which distinguished the
latter always has been that there were
a number of things they did not be-
HeVe, and the vulgar mind sees little
or no difference between the unbelief
which denies the real presence and alb
solution, and its more logical form that
denies the atonement and the inspira-
ton OF the Holy Scriptures as Well To
the common understanding they are all
low churchman, and the less they be-
lieve the lower they are deemed. The
common understanding, moreover, is
suff1ciently accurate in this particular
The old Professionalism is dead, dead
among the clergy, dea,der still among
the young laymen, but the grinning
jackanapes of unbelief has come to
take its place. Who fill. the pulpits
that generation ago were ringing
with the doctrines of vicarious atone
ment, the corruption of the human race
by the fall, ETC.? They are the gentle
men who ridicule and reject each one
of these dogmas."
Beyond question" says the Boston
"Congregationalst," referring to Bishop
POtters recent address to the clergy
Of his diocese, ''the might Of the pulpit
lies just therein the minister's rever-
ence for it's divine institution and in
his enduring faith in it's supernatural
power. These things make the pulpit
throne, the mightiest institution
known to man. to move men to lofty
aspirations and exalted ideals. But
Bishop Potter in the sentence above
quoted has described modern preach
ing which we have often heard. 1t
does not distinguish between a pulpit
and platform. 1t addresses itself,
not to mems consciences, but to their
opinions. No note Of authority rings
through it. It discusses, apologies,
| philosophers. 1t is emptied Of su-
pernaturaI power. It does not sum-
| mon hearers to give account for them
selves before the present unseen God.
| 1t does not charge them with sin, nor
| does it pronounce absolution. 1t does
not really deal with sin, but rather
| with processes of moral development.
| 1t does not deal with salvation. On
| one side only it is CalviniStic-pro-
| claiming universal election as a nee
| essary conclusion from it's hypothesis
| of the character of God. But its only
| knowledge Of reprobation is not Of the
sinner, but of the discarded theology
which condemned him."
''The community as we'll as the
church is a loser says the New York
Outlook" when the preacher ceases
to be a preacher of Righteousness, and
becomes an instructor in politics or So.
| ciology For the latter function he
has no special equipment. His libra
ry is not rich in political and sociOlogi-
cal departments. He has no expert
knowledge and no special information.
He Is as dependent as his congregation
| for his knowledge Of the facts on the
daily papers, and generally also for
| his understanding of principles. He
| is either much more or much less than
| the average man if he is not subject to
partisan prejudices, is not Republi-
| can, a Democrat, a Populist, or Pro-
hibitionist 1t is not safe for him to
| assume that he is superior to those
prejudices which are common to hui
| manity; and if he is unprejudiced be-
cause he is Indifferent, he is unfit to be
a teacher The fact that the press
will report his political sermon and no
other is rather a reason against preach
ing it than the reverse. For the king
dom of God cometh not with observa-
ton; and he who breaches for the news
papers rarely breaches with real ef-
fectiveness to his own congregation"
almost every conceivable device is
being resorted to to commend the
church of Christ to the world" says
the "Watchman" (Bapt) of Boston.
Some of them degrade the very
thought of the Gospel and the service
of God, but the plan of seeking to make
Christian church fulfill within itself
the ideal of Christian society is in
line with the divine method. Strange
that we read our New Testaments over
and over and do not see it, until sCme
day the thought flashes on us and it
transforms the book. There are multi
tudes of isolated believers who are try
ing to live a Christian life. There are
very few churches that are seeking to
incarnate the Christian social Heal
A church that was even partially sue
cessful in this attempt would be a
magnet to draw men and women into
it's fellowship. There is so little of this
spirit in the world that such a church
would be like a bright room with
cheerful fire on a dark and freezing
night
'It is quite hopeless" says the New
York "Churchman' (P. E.). ito get an
entirely satisfactory and universally
received rendition of the Scriptures at
any time. In the very article of trans
lation, the ceaselesS advance of knowi-
edge has antiquated already one or an
other portion Of it. And in the nature
of the case no translation can be per
feet. One cannot convey the perfume
of a flower in painting. The Italians
have proverb tradutorri traditori-
translators are traducers And even
with all the equipment for rendering
the Hebrew and Greek sacred writings
into English that is furnished by the
critical apparatus of modern scholar
ship, such an deal result would be the
f1imsiest kind of a dream. And yet
the time has come when contemporary
educated thought is visibly restive un-
der the continued repetition in public
service of the notorious errors Of the
King James version Notwithstanding
its Incompatible English, so full OF
rhythm and melodious cadence and epic
simplicity that it's words linger in the
ear like the harmonies of some great
orchestration, notwithstanding the es-
thetic shock that every one must feel
at even the slightest liberty with the
majestic purity of it's lines, it is clear
that the church at large is feeling the
| - IL L.