The record-union., 1898-01-23
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought OF the Day
as Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

tP. E) Of Philadelphia remarks: The
ffee-church systematic only system
that can ever gather IN and hold cur
lost conlnlunicants-seem to be grow
ing more rapidly than ever. The Holy
Communion is steadily advancing to
that supreme place in public worship
to which it is entitled and is val
ued more than ever as the greatest
opportunity of worship. The service
of the sanctuary is receiving more
and more of the devout care which it
ought to have as a direct Offering TO
Almighty God Church clubs are
springing up everywhere. and every
where drawing churchnlen together.
The intolerance of party spirit is pass
ing away, and men of all schools are
learning to value the catholic inclu-
siveness of the church and the large
liberty of thought ID practice w ich
she allows her ministers an ~iembers
and expects them to respect in each
other. Never before in her history has
the church had a nobler opportunity
than now. The old prejudices agains.
! her have passed away. She is honored
and esteemed where she was once sus-
pected and continued. Her influence
is felt where her authority is not ac-
cepted. 1t is safe to say that she ia
even now exerting a power among her
nelShbors of other Christian names out
| OF all proportion to her own numbers.
She is recognized, not always willing
| ~. as perhaps the chief conservative
influence in the Protestant Christianity
of the land. If she shall be true to
herself and to the work assigned her
by her Divine Head, no man can fore
tell the extent or the blessedness of
| the work she may yet be called to do
for God and man in the coming years"
In the Catholic World for December
is a paper by the Rev Luke Rivington
on the effect of the papal condemna-
, tion of Anglican Orders" says the '.I.iv-
ing Church P Ed of Chicago. THE
/ paper is a confession of failure, with
explanations - explanations which. ii
need not be said, are not complimentary
to the clergy of the Church of Eng
land, even to Father Rivington's form
er friends, some of whom he mentions
| by name. The main point is the full
admission that the effect of the Bull
has been to unity the sentiment of
churchmen. and that it has brought
about a better feeling between parties
than has been known for many q year
TheIe Is, he admits, "a tremendous rally
round the Church of England, though
he lmagineS it is only for moment
He discovers, also in quarters where
there was formerly some reluctance to
speak severely, an increased firmness
of tone and a new definiteness of hos
tility in dealing with Rome There is,
in fact, no longer any reason why men
should shrink from speaking boldly
who hesitated to do so while it might
interpose unnecessary obstacles in the
way of the wished-for unity of CHRIS
tendon. But any prospect in that di-
rection has been closed indefinitely by
the action of the Pope himself. 1t is
well that the Roman controversialists
should see, as Father Rivington plain
~ does, that the results of the famous
Bull have been quite different from
those so confidently predicted at the
time of it's publication. The disintegra-
ton of the church has not set in; on
the contrary, there is in it a rapidly
growing sense of strength and conf
dence for which churchmen may we'll
be thankful
Concerning reported expectations on
the part of the Papal See of a revival
of Catholicism in England.l the Christ
ian Register (Unit) of Boston says:
/ 1t may come; but then, on the other
hand, it may not The Anglo Saxon
race, so called, may be Catholic once.
1t will hardly become 50 second time.
There is something in the Latin races
which is favorable to the rule of Rome.
But in Great Britain the spirit of lib
erty is strengthening. Free thought
is abroad. and more likely than
widespread Catholic revival is a lat
itudinarian deluge, which will make
even the established Church of Eng
land shake on its foundations. The
defeat of the Clerical party in London
is an omen which does not suggest a
tendency towards Rome. If, however,
strong liberal movement should
threaten the permanence of the Eng
lish Church, it is probable that many
would run for shelter to the mother
church thinking that refuge safer
than the wilds of nonconformity and
dissent"
May a minister belong TO two de-
nominations at once?" asks the New
York Outlook why not? The
question is prompted by the report in
the Herald of Gospel and Liberty that
two ministers of the Christian denomi-
nation have been dropped from the roll
by a very heavy vote on account OF be-
longing to the Congregationalist pody.
This seems questionable while negotia-
tons are in hopeful progress for un-
ion Of those two denominations. Gus
tom and precedent must render rea-
son. Are our church denominations
competitive? Then there is no belong
ing to more than one at time. Are
they rather cooperative? Inen why
not belong to more than one? Indeed.
why belong to one rather than another?
The best reason for this is that through
some one denomination one being what
he is can best promote Christian inter-
ests. The denomination is simply
means to that end SO viewing 1t, cne
may ask. Why be restricted to a single
means? Of course objection arises in
the interest Of maintaining certain forms
of doctrine or of order about which de-
nominations are organized. But why
should not 'heraltis of Gospel liberty be
somewhat free IN such natters-'go in
and so out and find pasture just as
some ministers hald the doctors degree
from more than one college?"
"All ceremonies which have meaning
are justified. If the meaning is worth ex-