The record-union., 1899-12-24


of pagan and ecclesiastical courts for
heresy are represented in the Apoc--
alypse, and recognized by the church
on earth as.especially worthy of honor
1.-THE church of this era,'' says the
New York christian Intelligence"
(Ref.) sis not called by men of science
to offer to them special rule of duty
and way of life. Professor Asa Gray,
who probably more than any man revo-
lutionized the science of botany, was an
humble follower of Christ, and sought
no personal distinction in the church.
Professor Dana, as eminent a geologiSt
as this country or the world has had,
received both law and gospel on the
platform common to all his brethren in
the Church of Christ. Romanes, who
had distinctly rejected the gospel, and
treated it as worthy of no attention, ac-
cepted it in the later years of his life,
and died trusting with humility in the
/ cross of Christ. Siemens was mem
Der of a Presbyterian church, as was
also Henry of the Smithsonian. And so
we might go on and mention long
list of men eminent in science who
made the Decalogue the rule of their
lives and the gospel the foundation of
their hope of salvation. Why should
the church of the living God, which is
the pillar and ground of the truth,
make the men of science and culture
of this day a special class to be ad
dressed in special way, when they are
confessing ignorance of the nature of
the facts lying at the very foundation
Of their knowledge? Herbert Spencer
acknowledges that life is inscrutable,
that the dynamic force of life is un-
known, is a profound mystery; that
the incident forces which regulate the
development of organic bodies of trees,
beasts, birds, men, indeed, of all life,
are absolutely unknown in their essen
tial nature; that there is cause be-
hind all the manifestations Of nature
from which they proceed and by which
they consist, which is absolutely un-
known. For what reason should the
church seek for or employ special
rule of life and ground of faith for men
of culture and science?"
"The Christian Register Unitarian
paper, from its point of view exceed
ingly we'll edited, makes a sprightly
reference to a growing church. It's
chief characteristics are seen in these
things: The Unitarian minister sum
mering high up on the hills Of God"
has the freedom of the village pulpit,
be it Congregationalist or Baptist or
Methodist. Local church festivals
bring together clergymen OF the most
various opinions in a friendly way The
Presbyterian and Universalist meet to-
gether; and, If the Roman Catholic
and Unitarian do not kiss each other,
they laugh and chat, unconscious Of
the impossible gulf which yawns be-
tween their theological systems we
notice." says the New York christian
Advocate" (Meth.), "that the Protest.
ant Episcopal Church is left out of the
category, though the laughing and
chatting go on in the social life of its
ministers with all the others. Only
a bigot refuses that. Some of our
most genial acquaintance are Roman
priests, Episcopal parsons, and Uni
tartan ministers. But the priests will
not recognize the orders of the parsons
and high church parsons will not rec
ognize our, orders: nor will they or we
recognize sthe Unitarian bodies as
branches of the Church of Christ. The
gulf is impossible. We worship Christ
as God; they maintain Him to be but
man. For us. to join with them
would be blasphemy; for them to join
with us would be 1dolatry. We believe
that the death of Christ-apart from
His example and moral inf1uence-has a
vital and unparalleled relation to the
forgiveness of sins; the modern Uni
tarians, as class, do not. This grow
ing church which the Register sees
1t wrongly names. It should be called