The record-union., 1899-11-26
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed In the Sec
tartan Press.

tartan Press.
''The church believes the Old Testa-
| ment because it believes in Christ,
says the Living Church P. Ed of
| Chicago. Strip it of that Christian
significance which He first, and His dis
ciples after Him, attributed to it, ana
it's value is gone. The church as such
is not interested in the Bible as book
of antiquities or a collection of ancient
literature. There is no manner OF
doubt that whatever discoveries OF TACT
the antiquarian investigators may make
and whatever differences they may
choose to draw from such discoveries,
the ancient traditional method of in
terpreting the Scriptures will persist.
All this critical work does not and cam
not affect it. The supposed facts might
all be true Though that is an extreme
admission), but there is quite another
light in which they may be viewed from
that which the critics generally are in
clined to follow. 1t is the light which
is shed upon them by the conviction
that the Bible is the Word of God, and
that we are not at liberty to treat it as
we would treat any other book. We are
dealing with the things of divine,
supernatural sphere. If this be esteem
ed as evidence of limited comprehen-
sion and narrow moral ability the
church will nevertheless pursue the
even tenor of her way. She will con-
tinue to employ that traditional inter
probation which DR.. Briggs seems to
scOrn, but; of which we suspect he.
knows but little, without being daunted
by charges of weakness and incapa-
city"
Professor McGiffert is not the first
Presbyterian says the New York
Evangelist Pres), who has been
| asked to relieve the strain on his de-
nomination by quietly taking himself
over the border into another branch of
the Evangelical Church. That same
thing occurred in the year of grace
1881, when the Scottish Kirk deposed
John Mcleod Campbell, one of the
most sanity spirits in it's ministry, for
his views as to the personal assurance
of salvation and an unlimited atone
ment. With that action was combined
an assurance of confidence in the Chris
tan character of the deposed minister
and the intimation that he might be,
take himself across the border and be
received into the ministry of the Eng
llsh Church or the Independents, with
both of which bodies the Scottish
Church was in full fraternal connec-
ton. There was nothing in the action
of the general assembly which so deep
ly wounded Campbell as this He al
ludes to it in his letters and says, with
out one shade of Indignation or per-
sonal resentment, that it touched him
to the quick that his own dear and hon
ored church should thrust him from its
ministry While still recognizing in him
the marks of a true believer, and cast
him out for heresy while cordially ready
to recognize him in the ministry of thu
Evangelical churches over the border"
1t is great strain upon our natural
optimism, says the Interior pres
OF Chicago, ito read just now our Eng
l1sh exchanges. We lay them down
with dazed sort of feeling and in
variably glance at the calendar upon
the wall to make sure where we are at
1t must be 1,S99 years since the birth of
Christ, according to that tablet but is
that possible when, as we find. a king
dom is torn up over the question OF
candles and incense and priestly pro-
cessions? Is it possible that Jesus
talked with the woman at the we'll so
long ago, and told her that any wor-
ship in spirit and in truth was accept
able to God, and that no other was.
and still men weep and lament because
they cannot kneel before candles and
dlslnfect their prayers with aromatic
gums? And after all the efforts of our
LORD and his disciples to Danish bod
lily exercise and the washing of pots
and Of kettles and the observance of
days and seasons, here they are all
back again as the very substance and
fundamentals for Christianity. and yet
God be thanked, there are some even
in the Church of England who under
stand that the fruits of the Spirit are
love, JOY, peace in the Holy Ghost But
we could wish there were more to whom
the simplest truths of the Christian
religion We're not hidden"
THAT there is need of a revival
throughout the church none will deny
who is acquainted with prevailing con-
| ditions," says the New York Christian
| Advocate" (MethodisD; that every
minister should pray and plan for such
an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as
will awaken sinners and quicken the
indifferent, will be conceded And none
Will say that every member of the
church should not heartily and en-
Enthusiastically cooperate with the min
lister in the days of preparation. as well
| as in the days of the fulfillment ana
fruitage of preparation. While the true
revival of religion is spiritual in its
origin, 1T is wrought out through hu-
man agencies Men become in the most
practical sense colaborers together with
Christ for the redemption of their fell
lows The service we are thus called
upon to perform is of the highest and
noblest and nearest divine in which it
is possible for humanity to participates:
for, as James says, He which convert
eth the sinner from the error of his
way shall save a soul from DEATH and
shall hide multitude of sins. This
is a sublimer service than to win vic
tory at cannon's mouth or to destroy
the fleets of the nations enemy: and
it is a service that every follower of
Jesus may render"
I'VE are greatly surprised. little
indignant, and still more amused says
the New York ..Churchman' P. Ed,