New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-27
DIR. Cox on the Decline of Professionalism.

DIR. Cox ON the ,Dcciine of Professionalism.
To The Editor of The Tribune:
Among the discourses which the announcement
of the Decline of Professionalism has called iorth'
that of Rev DR. Cox of Brooklyn is worthy OF
some notice, The subject was advertised to De
son the Decline of the Roman Catholic heh
gionn This was carrying the war into the
enemys country, and it was therefore to De e6-
peoted that some field Of Zama would soon de-
oide the issue
The Rev, preacher took for his theme passage
in % Thessalonians, where is said the day of
CHRIST should not come uatG The man Of san should
be re0ealed An explanation was made that the
Tbesna!onians had somehow got the impression
from the first epistle that the end OF the world
was close at hand-and some critics have under
taken to assert that Paul himself was under the
hike mistake.
And aoso ye k,,o,c ehot ictttp0ldeth. This, he
eaid referred to the Roman Emperor, who would
not have tolerated even the bare hint that any
other power was TO be set up rivaling his own IN
iniouity Il was necessary, therefore, to touch
upon that poat with great delicacy, lest it might
give oAense to this high dignitary The learned
lecturer however, did not explain how there
could have been any serious danger OF ohense
stated, as the writings of st. Paul were unknown
30 the Romans Except the Christian convertsl as
late as the reign Of Trajan ct least Plutarch who
lived in that reign and survived the Emperor sew
cral years, and was diligent observer OF al! the
systems OF religion and philosophy IN the WoFIo
makes no mention OF 81. Paul.
| merely suggest tbs as suSut oo]ection
which it might have been well TO notice, as the
audience might have got the impression that the
people oil Rome attended Church every sRboath
aud heard the epistles, with the other scriptures
publicly read.
that "tke aaQSte9y of tntq%stY doth already toork-
on1n t1t Ifts6 tcsN lei ust& he be taksn array
This is another allusion to the Emperor, but SO
carefully recited that 10 one would ever have sus
oected IT, After that IS should De revealed that
wicked one whom the Lord should consume.
Now, although the prophecy was 9oScutc loi sne
reason before mentioned, that the Emperor might
think it perGonaL yet we are not to suppose Ihe
vision of the APOSTLE was not clear Ga the cen
trary so far from being under mistaken iaea th@S
all eheSe things were to come 10 pass IN chs o"11
day, he orssaw perfectly that II was to se Just
about la0G wears in tultment, Whlch Woui0 Iltl9
il at the present time. or perhaps TWO OF t'i' %
wears hence, IS something ia TO be allowed u "
calculation Ter so long q period rus ho"eYef
is q conjecture Of my own, and was not distinctly
put forth in the discourse.
He next commented on the ediiicaton there IS
IN this and other prophecies, ana the utility ~
sber having been preserved IN their lntegtlty'-
This part OF the argument was maintained by 70
ferring to Gibbonss History, which shows US %hat
events AGce taken place. A question mlgat have
arisen in the minds Of some, in what consisted
Abe particular advantage OF aprophecy that cogla |
rot be anderst0od till after II vas talhised. . az
tnis being oil lesser consequence vas not SoHsne''
upon.
1t might have been expecte4 that something