The record-union., 1899-03-05
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
az Expressed in the Sec
tartan Press.

Some time ago we objected 10 an
expression which has come into use VI
late years, which seemed to US 10 pe
founded upon a misapprehenslon~oI I'M
portant relations or, at any rate, easily
open to serious mistakes The express
sion we refer to- says the Living
Church" (P. Ed of Chicago, rs the
priesthood of the laity.' 1t is perfectly
true that there is a double priesthoou.
There is the ministerial priesthood on
the one hand. and the priesthood OF an
Christian people on the other. But TINS
latter is not priesthood of the lalty as
DISTINGUISHED from the clergy, but one
In which all are on the same footing as
kings and priests unto Cod In this
priesthood clergy and people are all one.
But the popular idea seems to be that
there is one priesthood which belongs
Ito the clergy as such, and another to
the laitv as such. and that the line be-
tween the two is obscure and uncertain
1t is inferred that there is constant
danger that the clergy will encroacn
upon this lay priesthood and appropri-
ate to themselves what properly be-
longs to it. Accordingly, the laity are
sometimes called upon to assert their
time has come for the 'pews to invade
the chancel. Nothing could be worse
than the use of language which is cal
culated to make people think that they
are being deprived of their rights by
those who are set over them in the
Lord"
Speaking of the new common cate
oh rph
New York "Churchman" Up. Ed OBJ
serves: speaking generally, the cate
chism, though it is wholly silent Oh tne
.filiouue,' is catholic in its theology
and in the third division of the Apos-
ties Greed its definitions are MADE
uuate rather than false. The dehnltlon
of the church, for instance, is vague
but we note that it is called q 'Visioie
brotherhood which has been supposed
to be fundamentally contrary TO the po-
sition of dissenters. We could not, now
ever regard their proof OF a Vallu hlih-
istry as decisive at all. Any layman
of zeal might well fulfill both the con-
version of sinners and the edlhcatloh
of the Body of Christ Indeed, we
should have thought this same deTnl-
ton would have caused the Presoytef-
fans some qualms. 1t is SAID that'
Christian minister must be called OF
God and the church, but we do not
learn that there is any outward test OF
the truth of the call The teaching on
baptism is capable of wholly cathoiic
Interpretation, but it does not compel
1t; for what is signified by 'signify?' Is
it .symbolize,' or become a means to
convey? And so, time and again
verbal resem blances rouse hopes of con-
cord that q careful examination shows
mask unspoken differences Especially
in the treatment of the second Eacra-
ment we note a studied vaguenEss.
The STANDARD BaptisD of Chicago
says on the same subject: Most people
will be surprised. in reading through
such q catechism, to find with how
much of it all the larger Protestant
denominations in this country agree
There is no uncertain sound in its ut
terances about God and Christ, sin and
salvation To be sure, it's brief deftnl-
tons are capable of diverse explana-
lions in the sense that various schools
of theology may offer different courses
of reasoning to reach these conditions.
But the conclusions themselves, with
regard to most of the fundamental
truths, are firmly held. There is III
the catechism no philosophy OF the
atonement; no elaborate definition OF
inspiration: no explicit statement as 10