The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-16
"ROMANIzING TENDENCY

The Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church,
at its late session in Philadelphia, resolved to
suspend its correspondence with the German
Reformed Church, inasmuch as the contnu-
ance of the same may be regarded as lending
the sanction of this Synod to sentiments and
doctrines which are favorable to the corrupt
views of the Church of Rome, which are advo-
Gated by many persons of distinguished char
acters in the German Reformed Church, and
have not been reprmanded by the authorizes
of said Church"
The Catholic papers have published list
Of the names Of distinguished conversions to
the Romish Church, which have occurred in
this country within the last ten years, stating,
by the way, that it is not nearly complete.
Nineteen Episcopalian Ministers are named
among these converts, viz: Revs j. r. Bayley,
DR.. Forbes, Thos s. Preston, Dr. Huntington,
Donald Mcleod, Ferdinand T.. White Mr..
Richards, Mr.. Loutrel, Mr. Burchard, William
Everett, Mr.. Pollard, and Mr.. Stoughton, all
of New York Rev. DR.. l.. S. Ives, Bishop of
North Carolina Mr.. Shaw, of alabama Mr..
Baker, of Baltimore MIR. Hewitt, of Connect
cut ; MIR. Hoyt, of Vermont MIR. Major, of
Philadelphia and Mr. Wadham, of Aibany
Protestant Ministers of other denominations
DR.. O. A. Brownson and George Leach, of Ros-
ton ; Prof Oertel and Porter Thomas, of New
York }. and Rev. William ]. Bakewel of Pitts
burgh, who was the immediate successor of
the celebrated Mathew Henry, the great CON-
mcntator upon the Bible as pastor of his con-
gregation at Chester, England, if We recolect
rightly, afterwards pastor of the Unitarian
congregation at Pittsburgh, after that, again,
an Epscopalian clergyman, and now men,
Der of Mother Church. His son, Robert A.
Blackwell, editor of the Shepherd of the Valley
is another convert who bids fair by his zeal
and talents to rank with the most distinguish
ed of these conquests from Professionalism.
Thirteen officers Of the army and six of the
navy, are added to the list of the captures ia
ken in the ten years holy war The names of
the honorable women not few" are with
held from feeling of propriety; but it is init
mated that they are very numerous and we
doubt not that such is the fact The Virgin
Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven
inserted into the Catholic Trinity, for obvious
reasons ia a very efficient supernumerary force
in its divinity and the ample provision for en-
thusiasm, made by the Church, is an opening
for the devotees Of faith and charity which
gives it immense advantages over the more
simple and commonplace institutions of Prot
istantism. These things work according to the
laws of human nature, and it requires but lit
tie philosophy to perceive the larger and more
natural adjustment of the ancient Church to
the diverse wants of the wide world than the
reformation allows. If there was nothing but
the feminine element in the divinity, supplied
by the Catholic creed which the Protestant
lacks, the difference must tell decsively but
many another want is met, and urgent neces-
sity Of the heart provided for, which must 90
far to counterbalance the faults Of the one
side, and the peculiar excellences Of the other
Auricular confession; intercession OF the saints ;
pomp and ceremonial impressiveness OF public
worship; mystic sacredness Of the priesthood ;
efficiency of prayer and sacrifice for the benefit
of the dead; antiquity and universally OF
church--all have their effect, which suffers
but little abatement from the historical offences
which she has committed against the rights
and liberties of mankind, in a country like this,
where her powers for evil are not felt and but
| little feared.
That Catholicism is on the increase among
us at great rate, is obvious enough. A sim
liar process is going on in England ID requires
to be looked into Providence, we think, in
tends to call the attention Of Professionalism to
its own condition by this means. The wisest
use and the best that the reformed churches
can make of il, will be to occupy themselves
less with the faults Of the old enemy, and look
more sharply to the amendment of their own
Their own goodness will be the best argument
they can offer against her abuses. +.
WILLIAM J. BRowS, now editor OF the lndi-
ana State Sentinel, and who was anxious some
years since to be Speaker of the House of Rep
resentstiyes by Free Democratic votes, has been