New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-11
Free School Law.
The returns of the vote on this question are
THE DECLINE OF PROFESSIONALISM.
a LECTURE
BY ARCHBISHOP GiIES.
Reported for The Tribune

Last evening, John, Archbishop Of New-I ork,
Delivered in St Patrck's Cathedral, the first of
the regular Winter Course OF Lectures before the
Catholic Institute The vast edi6ce was full to
oyerAowing; all the oises were full, and every
Mace where person could sit or stand was oc-
pied. The audience comprised large proportion
of Protestants and their close attention manifest
ed the depth OF their interest in the subject
The Archbishop discourse was upon The De
cline of Professionalism and its causes. Our re-
port is necessarily abridged, bur we think 1t
embraces. in q condensed form. all the material
portion of the Lecture.
The Reverend speaker said the civilized world
was divided into TWO great religious denomna-
tons Catholic and Protestant. He was aware
that there are the Greek Church and the follow
ers of Mahometi but he spoke of the ciylllzedpor
tion of the world. What the Catholic Church IS
every one understands and it requires no explana
ton. Not SO with Professionalism the term Is
generally understood in its popular sense, but
closely considered is vague and indefinite it is
rather generic term. One system has been IN
the world since the beginning OF Christianity
the other since the beginning OF the sixteenth
century. The word "Deeno. in the title
Of his lecture he had not chosen Arbitrarily he
could show that Protestants themselves acknowl-
edged the doctrine Macaulay acknowledges the
inroads of Professionalism upon the beautiful system
Of the Catholic Church and has prophecied the
green age of the true faith, when the traveleron
London bridge shall behold the ruins of W estmn
ster Buthe the Archbishop would rather hope
that ere that time. the voice of the true worship
of returning and repentant nation would be
heard in St. Pauls. He referred to the rise of
Tnthers movement. which began when public
morals may be said to have been at low eho--
The adherents Of Luther coveted and secured po-
htica alliances and in a brief time the new doc
triDes overran Germany, and Switzerland and
France and England, and all the North. Only
bv the Irish nation was the food wlthstood
The battle has lasted three hunded years,
but Ireland had never been conquered. de
thought the Providence Of God was manifest IN
this The rapid conquestS OF Protestantlsm was
remarkable feature. In tty years from It's be
ginning Sit covered every inch OF ground that 1t
evar has possessed Luther himself saw the
widest extent of the system which he originated.
DR. Hughes described the vastness OF the spoil
which was so suddenly won from the CathoAc
Church. the magniiiCence OF the Churches. which
went over 20 PrOteStanlSn Ill iutes thi!lts4il Aau
been what it protested to be, 1t then had the
means to carry its conqqests TO the ends Of the
earth The true Church was forced to hide in
the catacombs OF Rome, aud It's possessions
passed over TO the other side. Frotestantlsm
4 that day proposed to SsdfFg gSas and s5 pa
professions To convert pagan and Catholic ma
lions, and to preserve and propagate Itself |
have sought in vain among its most eloquent ad-
vocates for definition OF the term Professionalism
but may say as general thing. that Protest
ant protests against the Caiholc Church protests
AGAINST all human authority, and assumes to read
the Bible, aud take such impressions as are made
upon his mind Tor the religion of Christ. In l567
the Protestant Church-then in three great dlyis
ions. Lutheran, CalYinistic and Anglcan-com
prised many OF the great truths OF the Catholc
faith He spoke OF the advance Of Iatit 7 ma,
he had authorities on their own side almost in
Vulnerable, to show the dying away Of what they
once had OF true faith In Germany the doctrine
Of the Trinity is only held by the ignorant. The
learned have substituted Rstionalism They
have applied even toe dreams Of Mcsmer to the