The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-11
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.

EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought Of tho Day
a. Expressed In the Sec
tartan Press.
There is hardly anywhere a Chris
tan heart that does not glow with ar
dent longing for the day when the
PRAYER of our Lord for believers shall
be fulfilled, that they all may be one.
Everybody" says the New York OBJ
server (Pres.), "deplores unnecessary
and acrimonious divisions of Christen-
dom into warning camps of controver-
sialists. But this is not to say that
the various denominations are to be
Judged severely for maintaining def
mite positions in theology and conduct,
provided they make this stand for what
they consider to be truth in self
respecting and brotherly spirit 1t is
not at all necessary that the various
evangelical denominations should be
mutually warning hosts. They are
rather separately organized, but mu-
tually supporting divisions Of the one
great army of the Lord. The United
States forces in the Philippines at pres
ent consist of numerous regimental
sects, but the cause if not the particu-
lar uniform, is one, commanding this
loyalty of all the several parts Of the
expeditionary force We are not, there
cd
ic church unity Variety of types on
every hand ON earth; in nature, society
and in the church, and for all we know
will continue to exist in heaven. But
no real harmony of spirit, amid the
variety of outward types, can exist I'M
less each several unit, individual or &C.
cles&astical, seeks steadily, conscien-
tiously, and frankly to arrive at the
truth in which alone all can be one. 1t
is impossible to love Christ unless one
also loves Christ's truth, whatever that
may be- The hue and cry that is
raised, accordingly, when any one de-
nomination takes action for the con-
domination of views which it considers
subversive of the truth as it is in
Jesus, is illogical and senseless.''
ildt there Is any tSSSLtldl dIitdS
onism,'' says the New York ''Evange-
list" Pres), between the two (schol-
a1ship and faith is unthinkable. The
single aim OF scholarship is knowledge,
and its aim is achieved only in SO far
as the knowledge it gains is conformed
to fact The substance Of faith is also
fact; faith is the witness that things
as yet only hoped for and unseen are
actually existent that they are a fact.
faith that is alive always adds to it
self knowledge in proportion to the
firmness of its grasp on the unknown;
the advance of scholarship is therefore
precisely that which faith contemplates
In so far as scholarship advances along
the line of fact-and the ultimate pro-
gress Of scholarship is in the nature of
things on this line, however often it
may be compelled to- abandon tentative
positlonS-in so far as scholarship, by
investigation and ecounter-test, makes
advance along the line of fact, so far
it walks hand in hand with faith, and
each uphOldS the other. The Presby-
terrain Church-not to say Pauline
ChrfStianity-hasn never been untlink-
ing. From the first it was challenge
to thought
1.-THE proceedings of the Protestant
Episcopal Church have become public
property" says the New York Chris
tian Advocate" (MetLh), for within the
past fifteen years it, together with the
Anglican Church, has been appealing to
our separated brethren to enter its
fold; and DR.. George Douglas in his SER
mon at the ordination of Dr. Briggs.
could not keep clear of references to
the same subject. But when their in
vftations We're brought to the test, they
were found to be intensely sectarian
with respect to their doctrine of the
nature Of ordination and certain cog
nate points. According to the Out
looks" definition, that church is a sect.
That sect has room for Newton and his
dissolvfng views of all doctrines; for
Ritchie and his quintessence of ritual
ism and bigotry; for Dr. Briggs and his
views; but it has no room for any one
who will avow the views of the minis
try and or ordination which were quite
common in the Anglican Church 100
years ago, and which have been taught
by Dean Stanley, Bishop Lightfoot, and
others. It these last-named men were
in, and for the sake of order would
comply with the consequences of the
High Church doctrine, the laissez faire
spirit which now prevails, especially in
the diocese of New York, would allow
them to remain But if they came
knocking to-day from any other sect,
frankly avowing their belief that they
needed no reordination, they would not
be accepted"
"It grows clear" says the New
York Outlook that the English
Church is in an anomalous position;
and it is probable that the present
discussion will convince many, who
have been very reluctant to reach the
conclusion, that sooner or later discs
tablishment will be inevitable. Or
ganic relations between the Church and
the State, in sense which gives the
State authority to determine questions
of doctrine and of ritual has become
repugnant to the modern consciousness
Precedents and law furnish solid
ground for any action Parliament may
choose to take in determining how far
the law of the church has been broken
by the priests of the advanced ritual
istic party. Parliament can unques-
tionably punish disobedience. This is
apparently the short cut out of the
whole difficulty; but, unfortunately,
very few persons are willing to take
this short cut It marks a great adj
vance in religious feeling that such a
body as Parliament recognizes the inn
propriety of exercising such a power,
and feels deeply that a religious or
,{1o OF {ro nr1