the ineffable glory of God Himself. Those who still claim to be materialists have been compelled, in order to account for this fact, to invent "mind-stuff" and "atom-souls," and so to change their definition of "dead" matter as to recognize the magnificent truth that it is pulsing and thrilling with an infinite life.—Rev. M. J. Savage in the New World.

NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CONFLICT.-It is apparent that the Presbyterian Church is not likely to escape being agitated by a prolonged and widespread conflict. The late General Assembly made a strict and close deliverance upon the question of the inerrancy of Scripture, ending with a call upon all professors and ministers within its bounds who do not accept this doctrine to step down and out. The Presbytery of New York was directed to go on with the trial of Dr. Briggs. In the Presbytery of Cincinnati action has been taken looking toward the trial of another theological professor, the Rev. Henry P. Smith, D. D. Some eminent pastors have been billeted in certain newspapers of the Church as fit subjects for an ecclesiastical trial.

If these germs of discord are not soon suppressed, it is evident that their growth will run a line of cleavage through the denomination.

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In the New York Evangelist of June 30th, a prominent pastor of Albany, the Rev. J. H. Ecob, D. D.—one of those designated by name as obnoxious-publishes an open letter to the late General Assembly." He thus boldly accepts the issue and takes up the challenge:

You were very clear and explicit in your demand; it becomes us ministers to meet you with equal openness and decision. If I had any doubt that I was one of the men indicted, that doubt is dissipated by the promptness of certain religious papers to publish my name as one of the men whom your resolution intended to strike down. "Thou art the man!" clears the ground and forces the issue. I accept the challenge, my good Assembly. I do not

propose to step down and out. The majority may put me down and out: that is their look out, not mine. Nothing stands in the way of a majority, especially a theological majority.

He then goes on to defend his position that God has not seen fit to construct or to hand down to us an absolutely inerrant Bible, and that it is both a tyranny and an absurdity to require any one to so affirm. At the same time he assserts his strong faith in the Scriptures, as an entirely adequate and trustworthy revelation from God.

What he has to say about the binding nature of ordination vows and about the obligations of the individual minister to his denomination and to the whole Church of Christ is good reading:

We have one other point of contention with you. Your resolution is very explicit and solemn respecting our ordination vows. I wish to remind you that our vow not only binds us to what you are pleased to announce as a verbally inspired, inerrant, and infallible Bible, but also to the belief that the Bible contains the system of doctrine taught in the Confession of Faith. These two items constitute one vow, which no power on earth has a right to impose, since it binds upon the Word of God a purely human system, which you confess to be very imperfect, since you have been at work for three years trying to amend it, to make it represent what the Church really believes. How can I make a vow to accept what changes with every meeting of the Assembly? Such a vow I do here and now solemnly and forever recant and repudiate.

If this shocks you, I answer that I am only doing what you have already done. The Presbyterian Church is herself, by her official action, undoing the bonds by which her ministers are held, since by an overwhelming majority she has declared in favor of Revision. Now if the Revised Confession is taught in the Scriptures, then the Old Confession is not; you may take either horn you chose. If both the Old and the New Confessions are in the Bible, then the Revision amounts to nothing. If the Old was in the Bible and we have revised anything out of it, then we have revised something out of the Bible. And if it should come to pass, which is more than likely, that both the Old and the New Confessions shall be laid aside, and a brief and Scriptural statement of belief be adopted instead, then what has become of your ordination vow? My dear Assembly, believe me, it has died by your own hand. Revision has killed it.

I must have a word more with you. Your resolution makes much of "honor." This is a strong appeal. But your resolution

fails to make an important distinction, that is, between the Church of Christ and the Presbyterian denomination. I was called of God. I was called to preach the Gospel in His Church. The matter of denomination was purely an accident of birth, or training, or personal preference, which in no degree takes from my higher obligation to Him who is the Head of the Church. But your resolution makes of our denomination simply a political party with a platform, and says virtually, "If you do not like the platform, go to some other party!"

Holding a far higher conception of the Church, let me tell you frankly, yet kindly, that you take too much upon you when you assume to dictate to every Presbyterian minister when he shall step down and out. I reverse your code of honor. I am in honor bound to the Church of Him who redeemed me and called me to the ministry. By birth and training and preference I am in this denomination; as one of its ministers I am bound in honor to stand here and do everything in my power to save it from being an instrument of tyranny and oppression, and to keep it pure and holy as a part of the One Body of Christ.

He then closes this interesting letter with this confession of faith.

I believe with all my soul in the Word of God as an entirely adequate and trustworthy disclosure of the Divine mind and heart. I rest the weight of my immortal life upon it, not only without doubt or fear, but in inward triumph and abounding joy.

I believe with all my soul in Him who in the Scriptures is set forth as the Redeemer of men. He is to me not only the Saviour from my sins, but my Friend, my Lover, and my Beloved, in whom my soul delighteth.

I believe with all my soul in His Church, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, His Body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all. He Himself is its glorious Head, He Himself is the present Lord, the mighty Leader and Defender of His Church.

I believe with all my soul in the eternal life brought to light in Him. The Lamb's company is my company. I make haste with joy unspeakable toward the day of His appearing.

Now, if there is not room for such a man in the Presbyterian Church, I assure you I shall not step down and out to find room for him, but I pledge you that so far as in me lies, and by the grace of God, I will help to make room for him in just that place to which he has been called, a Presbyterian pulpit.

INDIVIDUALISM.-In the April number of the International Journal of Ethics Mr. J. S. Mackenzie, M. A., discusses "The Three Religions," and concludes that Christianity, while superior

to the others, has failed to fully satisfy the world's demand for an ethical religion, and principally because it is too individualistic. He says "The new religion must contain, as an essential element in it, the recognition of the organic unity of mankind."

We have been saying the same thing in this magazine with this essential difference. Christianity, not in its true form, but in the prevalent conceptions of it, has become too individualistic, and has been betrayed into grave errors concerning human destiny because of its failure to give proper place to this very idea, originally essential in it, of the organic unity of mankind. This truth underlies the Old Testament and so becomes the basis of the New revelation. The Church has been misled at this point by a false doctrine of election, which does require the choice of individuals, but which becomes a perversion, when it is assumed that the purpose of their salvation terminates upon themselves, whereas they are chosen in obedience to this law of unity which binds the whole race in a common bondage to evil and a common deliverance. The elect are the agents by whom this salvation is imparted to the rest. True Christianity gives a wider scope to the benevolent operation of this law of unity than other religions have yet grasped, or our ethical searches after a new religion have yet dreamed of. It includes the dead in this unity, and gives us a Head of humanity, a Saviour, who is Lord, both of the living and the dead.

CHRISTIANITY'S "NEXT STEP."-In the June number of the New World the Rev. Dr. S. D. McConnell of this city argues that Christianity has thus far passed through three phases, the dogmatic the ecclesiastical, and the mystical or evangelical, but that these are preparatory to another phase which shall be more inclusive of present human interests and concern itself more with present right-living. He says, "The interest 'for salvation' is surely receding behind the interest for 'conduct.' The appeal is about to be taken to life. Christianity will more and more concern itself with living."

This amounts to saying that the Christianity, which has heretofore been concerned about the tremendous issues of the world

to come, will hereafter occupy itself with the betterment of human life in this world. But the only justification for such a "step," ," if it be an advance, must be found in the fact that the interests of the next life are closely bound up with those of this life, that the "world to come" lies just behind the veil of this present world, and that those who have passed into that unseen world are still one with us in the great organism of humanity, insomuch that no greater benefit can reach them there than that we should live rightly here, for "without us they cannot be made perfect."

In brief, unless there be such organic unity of the race, and such identity of interest between the living and the dead, Dr. McConnell can give us no good reason for his proposed new departure, and the religious instincts of the race which crave a sure hope for the future, as well as demand right conduct in the present, will continue unsatisfied.

We conclude, therefore, that it is not less dogma which the Church needs to equip her for the coming era, but right dogma, and not less enthusiasm to win the crown of eternal life, but more of that "enthusiasm of humanity" which shall press forward to that crown along the same path of love to all men and of baptism for the dead which Jesus trod.

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.-The recent Convention in New York gave a surprising exhibition of the new form of Christian activity represented by this society. Among other things it showed the power of those truths which all Christians hold in common over those which bind them together in separate denominations.

The one truth which seems to be emphasized in this movement, and which was made prominent in the meetings and addresses at New York, is that of the indwelling Christ as the inspiration of Christian life and service. It is gratifying to see that Christian thought and activity in our day is advancing beyond the idea of a Christ whose office it is to save men by treating with the Father in their behalf, to that of one who takes away their sins by the formation within them of His own divine-human nature which cannot sin, because it is born of God.