The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-12

CATHOLICS AVID PRoTEsTANrs = ARCHBISHOP
HUeHFs vENsus Dr.. DowLINo.-On Sunday even
ING last the Very Reverend Archbishop Hughes
delivered powerful lecture al ST Pdtrick's Cathe.
Dial on the "Decline of Professionalism. and its
Causes '-admi;iance fifty cents--andisnce three
Thousand The Archbishop, always with a pru-
dent eye 10 the turning of honest peany, turaed
his ;utere discourse, not only to the encourage
ment Of the faithful, but To the cause OF charity,
10 The sum Of fifteen hundred dollars. This takes
the premium from the contributions Of Birnum.
Bur, in one respect, the Archbishop falls behind.
Seats had been provided for the reporters; but the
press OF the audence-iifiy cents each-crowd-
ed them out. Justice to Barnum requires us to say
that he never carries his charitable aspirations
quite so far as to crowd out the reporters But in
the cause OF charity, we can agree that our report
ers shall take their chances, and even pay double
for the privilege of standing up. Such is charity
But where's Barnuml
The lecture of Dr. Hughes was marked with
all that ingenuity of logic-tha. math ema,ical
precision of argument, for which he is so dis
tinguished. He was right as far as he went
decline is creeping ito the Protest mt churches
The causes are TO be found in those steady peri
odica revolutions which have marked the history
political systems. The Archbishop, however,
omitted TO carry out his argument, in coaining the
decline of the church to the seceders from the
Rock of Ageswhch is the rock of St. Peter. In the
mother church, he might have traced from the
same fundamental causes, the shadows Of decay
stealing over the resplendent glo,es Of the Vatican
But the omission of the Archbishop was amply
filled up by the Rev. DIR. Bowling, at the Baptist
Hope chapel in learned discourse on the "Rise
and downfall of Popery." From the argument of
the Catholic, il is manifest that the Protestant
churches are in rapid progress of decomposition
The Pope himself appears 10 be of this conviction,
from his recent general order re- establishing the
true church under the very nose of Queen Victoria
and the Archbishop OF Canterbury. DR.. Pusey is,
perhaps, TO blame but such is the state ofthe case
We agree, therefore, that Archbishop Hughes is
right--!h at Professionalism is on the decline. We
also concur with Dr. Bowling that the Catholic
church is on The decline. Even in this city, with
all its apparent prosperity, the church is in debt
The young ladies' academy at Harlem, and the
school for boys az Fordham, are thrifty and sue.
cessful, as such branches Of the Catholic church
generally are, under good management; but the
church, from its prodigious efforts to extend
itself, is exhaus'ing its resources. Hence the
financial em6arrassments here, which have been
so repeatedly relieved by the ability and tact
OF The Archbishop On the other hand, the ex-
iravegant pnces paid for pews in some of our
Protestant churches, so far from being an evidence
OF spiritual prosperity, is but proof of the nroads
OF worldly vanity and folly. Neither splendid
clutches, nor lavish extravaganza, are proofs of
the spread of true religion. But in the Decline
OF Pfoiestants ~ and the " Downfall of Popery,"
what are poor sinners 10 do! Let us be patient,
and persevere in well doing, and all will be right
The millennium can't be postponed forever When
that comes round, under some new revelation, cold
things viii be done away,"-old churches, old ira
ditIons, old ceremonies, and old clothes, and all
things will become new" There is good time
coming" Brethren, let us watch and pray