The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14

Church that Is. with the Church OF Russia.
their answer was I'm effect that the East
ern Church was so remote that they could
not say. The Russian Church has been
and Is. in truth. remote from the life. the
progress. the thought. and the controver-
sizes of the other members of ChristendoT
IL has passed through no crisis. under
gone no change analogous either to the
Reformation or to the Roman Catholic re-
action Such conflicts or controversies as
1t has had have been ceremonial, not doc
trinal or spiritual It's great resorner II
he can be so called. Neon. was a thor
Ough-going ceremonialist and initiated no
doetrinal innovation. The movement or It's
non-conformists, the Starovers. IS not =
counterpart of that of Protestant nOu-eon-
formists, but ritualistic reaction. It diff
fers theologicaily from the Roman CathO-
lie and the Anglican churches on the ar
ticle in the creed respecting the procession
Of the Holy Ghost But its more practical
ground OF difference probably is its abhor-
renee Of images and OF Instrumental music
and its practice Of baptism By immersion.
1t is more sacramental than the Roman
Catholic Church. administering the com
munion as well as baptism to infants
While It abhcrs images. II adores pic
lures. provided they are archaic and not
works Of art. having an instructive percep-
ton of the tendency of art TO open the
door for humanity. But it is less sacer-
dotai. compulsory marriage of the clergy.
instead of celibacy. being It's rule. Monas-
tic it is. but its menachism is of the East
ern and eremitic type, not Ike the active
monachism Of the Franciscan. the DOmini-
can, or the Jesuit. The Russian Church il
intensely national a character stamped
upon 1t by the long struggle for independ-
ence against the Mohammedan Tartars-
The head of the nation is the head Of the
Church. The Car is Pope. as the En-
peror practically was Of that Byzantine
Church of which the Russian Church is
the daughter. He presides over the eeele-
siasticai councils. The abolition OF the Pa
triarchate removed the last rival OF his
power. Peter the Great, when asked TO
restore the Office. exclaimed. II am your
Patriarch flung down his hunting knife
on the table and said: There is your Pa
triarch." Attempts have been made both
by GalIicans and Anglieans TO negotiate a
union with the Eastern Church as coun-
terpoise to the Papaey. But they have
antiquated ritualism of the Russian
Church rather than by the difference about
an article in the creed. The upshot has
been the immobllity. not to say the torpor.
of the Russian Church, whose compart-
ment in the theological history of the last
century is a blank.
Such is the position in which at the
close of the last century Christendom
seems TO have stood. Outside the pale of
reason-of reason; we do not say Of truth
were the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Churches: the Roman Catholic Church
resting on tradition. sacerdOtal authority.
and belief in present miracles; the East
ern Church supported by tradition. sacer-
dotal authority, nationality, and the
power of the Car. Rationalism had not
eaten into a Church, preserved, like that
of Russia, by it's isolation and inteilec-
tual tOrpor; though some wild sects had
been generated. and Nihilism. threatening
with destruction the Church as well as
the State, had appeared On the scene.
into the Roman Catholic Church ration
alism had eaten deeply. and had detached
from her. or was rapidly detaehing. the
intellect of all educated nations, while she
seemed desperately To bid defiance TO rea-
son by her encyclicaI. her declaration of
the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Outside the pale Of traditional authority
and amenable to reason stood the Pro-
testant Churches, urgently pressed by a
question as to the sufficiency of the evi-
dences of supernatural Christianity:
above ALL of its vital and fundamental
doctrines: the Fall of Man, the Incarna-
ton. and the Resurrection. The Anglican
Church fabric of policy compounded Of
Catholicism without a Pope and biblical
Professionalism. was IN the throes of a
struggle between those two elements.
largely antiquarian and of little irnpor-
lance compared with the vital question
as to the evidences of revelation and the
divinity of Christ
The task now imposed on the Iiegemen
Of reason seems TO be that of reviewing
reverently. but freely and impartially, the
evidences both Of supernatural Christiani-
ty and of Theism. frankly rejecting what
is untenable, and if possible, laying new
and sounder foundations in it's place. To
estimate the gravity of the crisis we have
only to consider to how great an extent
our civilization has hitherto rested on re-
ligien. 1t may be found that after all
our being is an iusoluble mystery Ii it
rs, we can only acquieSce and make the
best of our present habitation: but who
can say what the advance OF knowledge
may bring forth? Effort seems TO be the
law OF our nature, and if continued il may
lead TO heights beyond our present ken.
In any event, unless our inmost nature
hes 10 US. TO cling TO the untenabIe is
worse than useless; there can be no sal
walton for US but in truth.