The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-10-18
HIS rnorEsrAx1sM PROVED a FAILURE !,

A remarkable sermon has recently been
preached by. the Rev: Mr.. Ever, of Christ
Church, (Episcopal,) Fifth Avenue, New
York, which has created q profound sensa-
ton. The we'll known talents of the
preacher, his high standing in his own
denomination, as we'll as his social position
in the community, all contribute to give
weight to his utterances. He does not
mince the matter by unmeaning quaiiica-
tons, bnt loudly proclaims that "Protest-
antism is n failure" We suhjoin an extract
from the sermon ~ i3.- 'i''-- i''@ .
Nowaday, 80 long as a given individual
of to-day can 8 get saved: :" in some human
religious institution, that institution Is
considered as answering all the purposes
of the church; and there is the slightest
anxietyas to whether OF not that institution
contain q theological disease which will
kill it, and leave the individual of two
centuries hence without any institution to
a get saved in" 1 propose to call your
attention to u few of the facts that mark
the disastrous failure OF Professionalism /;
and to ask you whether those facts are not
| enough of themselves-tO say nothing OF
others-to stir to it's depths any spirit that
has particle of earnestness. IN .,,rrp
| The reverend gentleman then read some
statistics, showing how small in proportion
| to the population of that city, is the attend
/ ance at Protestant churches. In eOnclu7
sion he asked IT,. -. ,!.,s.. g.l a-lf l.A.n 1.oi
Why is it that the Anglican braach of the
| ore great Catholic Church has no. more sue
ceeded with the masses than has Protest
antism? Why is it that there is an Epis-
copal type OF man 1t is because we have
| RIM our Catholic and Apostolic wheels In
the Protestant, Calvanistic and Lutheran
ruts, which they, do not fit, never will, and
4 never can. But wherever we have returned
l 10, as in Holborn, London and other places
and tried our own true Catholic plan, we
have, glory be to God, reached down to the
masses, and gathered in all grades of mel
from the highest to the, lowest. God ii
asking of Professionalism, Where are the
masses And God is asking of us, gave
you the ten Catholic talents why have
you hid them in u napkinf 1t Is not be
cause the clergy and laity of Professionalism
are unalive to the wants of the masses, OF
to their own duty in the premises thai
; Professionalism has made its signal failure
They are earnest and godly men. Heaven
knows they spare no efforts; earnest IL
season, out of season, earnest i'll the praye
and in work. But this only makes tit
j, matter worse. The fault is not in them
Men are often better than their systems
and without doubt they stand acquitted
while their system stands condemned
have mentioned but two counts in til,
indictment time forbids me to go ON witt
many others. But these alone, viz: tn
Wholesale abandonment of Protestantisn
!, by large masses of thinking and good men
, and secondly, it's failure to reach the masses
= are signs of the times worthy OF the though
= of the churchman, and account, in som
part, for a movement which is deeper tina
= Ritualism, OF which Ritualism is mer
y tiuttering red feather. One thing we know
J, our Church is u Catholic Church, which Ina
been worked on Protestant principles, an
:, that something must be done. The masse
y must be reached, and this growing intide
y ity stopped by more reasonable present
;. ment of Christianity than Protestantisl
= has succeeded in making, even by I'll
- wide spread presentment of our true Gait
! olic Christianity. 81 3D.. ..a..
Despise not any man, and do not spu
k anything for there is no man that has II