The record-union., 1899-02-12
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.

The Religious Thought Of the Day
as Expressed in the sec-
tartan Press.
Speaking of the recent decisions by
the English Archbishops with regard to
various points of ritualism, the Living
Church" P. Ed of Chicago says: mo
doubt they will not be altogether wel-
come to those who are affected by
them, but we have little question that
| they will be generally accepted in a
lloya1 spirit. Doctrine is in no case
touched by such regulations. The Orna-
ments Rubric and the discredited de-
| ciSions of the secular tribunal of ap-
peal hardly come into question. The
| Archbishop considers it ambiguous,
and in expressing the hope that it may
some time be interpreted by some law
full authority clearly implies that the
authority which has interpreted in
times past was not lawful. The two
regret in the quarters chiefly concerned
are the prohibition of incense and of
reservation. The former is one of the
all along contended. But it may be
considered a matter of congratulation
that the other five, which were at one
| time subjects of bitter contention, are
not alluded to in the pastoral, and, pre-
sumably, were not considered adversely
in the Episcopal Conference. These are
the eucharistic vestments, altar lights,
the eastward position of the celebrant
at the altar, the use of unleavened
bread, and the mixed chalice. These
usages appear to have gained foot
hold from which they cannot be dis
| lodged
Great movements are stirring the
Christian communions," remarks the
New York "Churchman" (P Ed "This
| is obvious to every observer. Perhaps
it is not equally obvious that these
movements are sweeping to converg-
ence. There have been divisive eras
when the differentials dominated, and
discords produced movements of con-
fused and contradictory tendencies
This is another day. The currents of
thought and feeling in Christian
churches are cognate. They bear
toward community. Foremost among
these trends of thought is reaction
against an excessively metaphysical
theology, which erected speculation into
systems that left outside the pale all
who could not assent to them as final.
To-day the aspiration everywhere is
less for an ultimate Christian meta
physic than for a fuller Christian life
All bodies of Christians are feeling the
influence of the discussions about the
Bible and inspiration which in the pop
ular view are the great questions of
current theological thought The re
adjustment of ideas, the new definitions
necessary to save the supernatural
while making just acknowledgment Of
the human element, are bringing
churches once widely separated closer
together through a common effort to
meet common emergency
A cheap and easy way of acquiring
notoriety," says the New York Chris
tan Intelligencer' Ref.) sis to assail
the Scriptures. They will endure the
tests now applied, as they have all those
of the past. They will be vindicated.
The larger part Of the present criticism
will be provedto be without foundation,
sidered in this century as deserving
consideration. Men generally ought to
know how amazingly superior the Bible
is as literature to the sacred books of
the time in which it was written. The
reverent minds which are engaged in
reverentially tearing the Bible to
pieces, who do know or ought to know
Its almost fnexpressible superiority to
the religious standards of contempora-
neous Oriental nations, do not tell men
OF its wonderful pre-eminence 1t would
be difficult to name one of the critics
who has enlarged upon the great dis
tinction it has above all the religious
oracles of ancient times. The large
majority of the men of to-day have not
read the religious standards of the
Babylonians. the Egyptians, the Per-
slams, the Hindoos. They are published
in works they do not see and cannot
afford to buy. But all men ought to
knoW-the average man, the common
people, ought to know-the amazing in
feriority of these ancient sacred books"
"The craze for what is called Church
work. which has invaded so many of
our parishes. leads to a good deal of
spurious humanitarianism" SAYS the
Church Standard" P. Ed Of Philadel-
phia. AN immense amount Of it might
much more properly be called church
fuss; for work is energy intelligently
applied to the accomplishment of some
definite end; fuss is energy more or
less laboriously wasted. Why should it
be assumed that every congregation in
its corporate capacity must immerse IT.
self in church work? May not a parish
as well as an individual be providen-
tally called to the good uses of an op-
portunity of leisure? In such a parish
-and such there are-will not the waste
of leisure be badly compensated by the
meager results of misdirected activity?
In such a parish might not tn time of
the people be better spent in study and
meditation on the work and Word Of
God? Has the church completely lost
the faculty of contemplation and all
sense OF its uses? Is it no longr true
that bene orasse est henc laborasse
that prayer is work. and often work of
the best sort? Might not the we'll
spent time of leisure in quiet parish
be the very best preparation of it's
members for future work there or else
where? And in the great city congrega-
ton, if we maintain, as we must. that
great and good works of .beneficence
should be continuously carried on.
ought not prayer and studious medita-