The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-11-02
] Representing
3.l94 COMMITMENTS,
Sl4.626 diocesan and general
Contributions.

Here again il appears that in still greater dispropor.
on the larger clerical vote represented the smaller
rscon OF clerical members and clerical contributions
10 say nothing of the missionaries dependent
for their stations on the bishop and the half dozen pro-
oil, aud whose moral weight therefore, in Question Of
winch the influence is TO be felt by congregations and
parishes. is virtually null
In tue face Of such demonstration as this of the
who sui IA the the the 2pas should nc
be eypected desired, anything but logical
christian.
Now this all seems very fair, very cogent, very
irresistible But after very attentive examination OF
the process of reasoning employed we believe that
we have been able TO detect fatal error, which
completely upsets all the conclusions attempted to
be drawn from these spiritual statistics The
Colonel ;akes it for granted that all the communi-
cans-aIl the protesting sons and daughters of the
holy mother church, are of equal value-of equal
weigh--of equal moral Importance. This is the
fatal error. But let us proceed cautiously, and with
that thoughtful and careful deliberation, which the
delcdcy Of this abstruse problem render necessary
in order TO It's sound and just solution. One star
dlfiereth from another in glory. That we be-
leve, is axiom that will not be de-
med. One oyster contains more gelanous sub
stance than another-will the Colonel deny that
II he do we give him authority-Downing's Re-
ports, vol. LXVlI, sec, %, %. Now let us pro-
csed On the same principles, saint is of great.
er value than another Is not this clear establish.
ed principle? # is repeatedly asserted in the Scrip
lures, and illustrated in a variety of methods
Now we think our readers begin to see daylight
on this subject. May not the eight communicates
of Grace Church, Prattsve, far outweigh the two
hundred and seventy-fve communicates of Grace
Church, New York? That is even supposing that
the whole batch saints. There again comes up
another delicate question. However, We do not
deem il necessary to the practical purpose of the ar
gument to enter into that. But we insist upon il
that the saints in the country are assuredly much
more valuable in this statistical analysis than the
saints in the town The city is full of corrupting in
fluence. The sons of men, with their daughters and
wives OF their bosoms, go to the elegant church in
the city more to "show off," and TO thank God that
they are not like the poor publicans; but in the vii
lage and country church, far away from the crowd
ed and wicked marts and great cities of the earth,
the worshppers 20 to commune with heaven. Who
will venture to say that these eight saints OF
Prattsvle, on whom Colonel Webb places so low a
value, are sufficient to outweigh alfthe crowds who
throng the fashionable churches of New York on
fine Sunday!
IL VIII thus be seen that we have completely de
moiished the specious reasoning of the Courier, and
tnat AFTER all, The question to the decision of the
saints on the case of Bishop Onderdonk, stands
pretty much it did before the Colonel apol;ed N il
his ingenious system Of spiritual statistics