The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-10
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
The Religious Thought Of the Day
A. Expressed In tho Seq
tarian Press.

The Religious Thought Of tho Day
~ Expressed In tho Sec-
tartan Press.
"A few years ago." says the New
York Christian Intelligence" (Refo,
"the people were especially urged by
| the friends of the new theology to con-
slider particularly the fatherhood OF
God and the brotherhood of man. These
were the great truths Of Revelation. the
chief doctrines of the Gospels and
Christianity, and the truths Jesus
Christ presented as of the highest i'm
portance, through which humanity
would attain perfection. A few years
ago the cry was back to Christ and
the teaching respecting Christ in the
Gospels and the testimony of Christian
consciousness in regard to Christ, were
above all others to be accepted by men.
Recently some of the leaders in the
new theology have returned to the pre-
vious declarations and maintain that
the central and fundamental truths of
Christianity are the fatherhood of God
and brotherhood of man. This shifting
about of the foundations prompts the
! inquiry, What next? 1t is respectfully
suggested that true religion rests upon
the fact that God is the maker, pre-
server and ruler of all things, ruling in
Righteousness and mercy, and that this
is the fundamental truth of Revelation
from the first verse of Genesis to the
last verse of the Apocalypse. There
was a time when the attributes of God
We're the themes of sermons, and men
regarded such discourses as dealing
with the central truths of theology, but
now the demand of the pews seems to
be for discourses dealing with the wide
gate and broad way leading to heaven,
and filled with assurances that all is
well and that no man need concern
himself in regard to his relation to God
or the future life
IAN esteemed pastor said to us the
other day: I never introduce questions
of higher criticism into my pulpit That
is sound position" says the New York
Examiner (Bapt) However inter-
ested the preacher may be, personally,
in the subtleties of Biblical criticism,
and whatever views he may hold re-
garding the so-called discoveries of
modern investigation, the pulpit is not
4
a bereaved soul in the congregational
sorrowing widow, perhaps-whose sole
refuge from the desolation of despair is
in the consultations of the Book; is 1t
the part of a true minister of Jesus
Christ to disturb her faith, to suggest
distressing doubts, to rob her. IN
word, of her only source OF comfort!
There may be a young man present
who, having heard the sneers and IN
nuendoes of the unbelieving world, is
lowering between faith and scepticism;
is it wise to hint at incertitudes in the
Book which may be matters of harm
| less speculation to the trained mind,
but to the immature Judgment are proof
positive that the Bible is not the Word
of God, nor even contains it? 1t VIII
be small satisfaction in the day of ac-
count to have displayed little second
hand 1earning-which may be all wrong
lin the pulpit when none can answer,
at the cost of sowing distress and doubt
and infidelity among the weaklings OF
the flock. Preach the great truths of
the Gospel, if you believe them. If you
don't, your place is not in a Christian
pulpit"
There is a general impression" says
the presbyterian Banner of Pittsburg,
that religious interest has experienced
some decline and that church attend
ance has fallen off or not kept pace
with our growth. 1t may be that we
are passing through such period OF
depression, for low tides sweep over
the religious world as over all other
| spheres But such times of depression
are only temporary, and are sure to
pass. And the present outlook is by no
means discouraging. The religious life
| of our people is wider and deeper to-
day than in any past generation. The
ratio of church communicates to popu-
lation has steadily risen during the CEN
| fury. Deep below all this rushing tide
of wealth seeking and worldliness lies
the conscious need of humanity for the
spiritual and eternal. The church is
feeling it's own depressed condition, and
is beginning to stir itself and to cry
out for a baptism of fire. The grow
ing unity and spirituality of the church.
the simpler and more practical Gospel
that it now breaches, and it's mission
airy earnestness and zeal, are signs and
means of the more rapid and radical
coming of the Kingdom of God into the
world"
I'VE firmly believe" says the Int
rior' (Pres.) of Chicago, that the great
masses of our church are waiting, with
a warm and generous welcome, for a
forward movement along all our lines
4 One can find this feeling glowing in
the hearts of our membership any
where, in city or country, in wealthy
/ congregations, and in obscure missions.
/ But it is repressed and rendered inn
potent by our controversies Those
movements of the Holy Spirit which in
cline a man to seek fellowship of
Christian brethren in the Shurch are
+, precisely those movements which repel
a man from a church the members of
which are at war among themselves.
Our church can make no progress so
long as they continue. The conviction
that this is true is all-pervading. A
peaceable and harmonious General AS
sembly is always recognized with con-
! gratulations, encouragement, and joy.
/ The contrary always casts a shadow
i over consecrated hearts. They lose in
| terest, practically withdraw, and those
who stand upon our thresholds. look
! ing in and ready to enter, turn away"
"Our ministers who preach Thanks
/ giving sermons will probably do quite
| as we'll to speak of family life and its
| sanctions as to spend their time in
| -