[Prof. Rudolph Eucken, Ph.D., in Christian Commonwealth.]

What obligations does the rebirth of religion in our time lay upon us? What are our immediate duties as friends and advocates of a free, rational, and spiritual faith? First, we must fully and frankly recognize the changes which through the productivity of the last centuries have been wrought in the spiritual concerns of mankind. Whatever, therefore, is antiquated, outgrown, and no longer useful, we must be willing to surrender as no longer of significance and value to our day and generation, as, perhaps, a positive harm to it. These older systems of thought and conceptions of religious truth once had their validity and importance, and are to be respected, even revered; but the picture of nature has become so enlarged, our insight into causal relations so deepened, our interpretation of universal law and order, our understanding of historical and critical processes, so extended, that we can no longer hold absolutely to the older philosophies and doctrines. Much in the old systems that was once held to be absolute truth is now felt to be only a symbol. The latter conception of it is the chief excuse for its retention on our part. But it will be still better if we openly and frankly disavow it, and not wait until our opponents compel us to do so. It is our duty as Protestants earnestly, reverently, to revise our traditional beliefs, that religion itself may live. Deprived of these husks of outgrown dogma, the essential kernel of religion will not die, but only be purified and released for new germination and increase.

[Continent.]

The right way to cure laxness of modern faith is by a path that leads up from the high level of Christian toleration to the higher level of this understanding: every conviction of truth that a man can attain to by deep living and high thinking and close fellowship with God, he owes to the world; he must hold on to it and live by it for the world's sake. Truth, that is to say, is a trust fund. It is in spiritual realms, not acquired by the wise, but granted to the faithful. It becomes not property for the owner's distinction, but endowment for mankind's benefit. And no one man's measure of it is complete in itself. His part is but a measure to be contributed, more or less, to the full truth-stores of the world. Whoever sees these things, can neither be vain of his own acquirement nor bitter toward those who for the present will not have his truth; but still less can he cease to care for and cherish that truth in his own breast. As a trustee, he must keep his trust undamaged until the world does take it. Keeping the trust, he must openly testify meantime to its worth as he understands it. Especially must he live it to the highest limit of his power in order to be an illustration commending his faith. Truth's trustee, conscious of his responsibility, becomes not a dogmatist seeking proselytes, but a brother of men desiring to spread the benefit of his own blessings. It is thus that tolerance and conviction are to be married in the household of faith.

[Quincy (Ill.) Herald.]

One of the most gratifying things that comes to the notice of the average good citizen is the evidence of increasing interest in the Bible. There are more persons reading that good book just now than ever before in the history of the world. Whether a man be a church-member or a rank outsider, a believer or an agnostic, he will be ready to concede that the people who are reading the Bible are getting better morally and are making better citizens,—are more honest, more honorable, more just in their dealings with their brother men.

To the careful student of human conditions there appears a greater leaning toward spiritual things. The discovery is being made that the Bible can bring not only deliverance from sin, but physical healing to those who study it carefully, read it not perfunctorily but thoughtfully, and apply its precepts with honest endeavor to measure their lives by them and eliminate the material things, the carnal lusts and pleasures which are antagonistic to the higher spiritual life. And so we really see a positive and earnest awakening and a real sincere effort to attain to truer, holier, and hence to happier things as learned from the Scriptures.

[British Congregationalist.]

It goes without saying that the faith of the church is manifested not by her opinions, but in her works. This is true of the individual church, as well as of the church as a whole. And when we speak of the individual church, we come at once to its leaders and members. The measure of their faith is the conscience they put into their work in and for the church. As things are, it is too easy for the individual among us to escape responsibility by shifting it on to the whole of which he is a part. The church is wrong and faulty in this direction and in that. But what is the church but the man himself, and a number of others like him? It is what they do and say and think that makes up the churches' collective life, and when they fail the church fails.

[Universalist Leader.]

The Bible undertakes to ground religion in a golden rule of justice. What the world needs is a prophet who can put the aspirations of the toilers of the modern world into the mighty call of Isaiah, and who can turn the face of worship toward that East where is beginning a new day in industry. In that hour we shall find deep down in humanity one faith, one hope, one baptism, and one vision of the new earth in which dwelleth righteousness. When that time comes, we shall understand that the perversities and bigotries and mutual animosities which affect our discussions of these great human problems have not been all on one side of the controversy.

[Christian Register.]

The spirit of unrest is abroad. All men and nations are moved by it to question everything that is and to wonder what the next things will be. Every institution is challenged to show cause for its existence, and the assertion is frequently made that everything is different from what it was, say, fifty or a hundred years ago. The home and the church are conspicuous targets for criticism, assertion, and prophecy. All this is well, and good will come of it in due time; but it is well to remember that false spirits and false prophets are abroad, and that the unrest of the times is in part an artificial intoxication, while much of the assertion and prophecy is mere guesswork, and therefore worthless, if not injurious.

[Christian Work and Evangelist.]

A careful study of the teachings of Jesus reveals equal emphasis on two aspects of religion. The first is on the obligation of the soul toward God; the second, its obligation toward other souls. The gospel deals equally with man's personal relationships with his Father and his relationships with his fellow men. There is the parable of the repentant son who returns to the arms of the forgiving father; there is also the parable of the good Samaritan. The two together comprise the gospel.

[Advance.]

If you seek selfishly for a happy year for yourself, the year will bring you disappointment and heartache. But if you seek earnestly to bring the happiness of the year to others, every day will bring you something of joy, reflected from the high peaks of the joy you have brought to others.