The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-14
A Remarkable Sermon.
HAS PRorEsrANrIsM PROVEN A FAILURE


The latest New York sensation in q religions
point of view, Ia q sermon by Rev. Mr.. Ever,
Of Christ (EpiscopaD Church, Fifth Avenue. the
purport of which 10 that Professionalism Is q
"fsilure." We make room for the following
extract; .rfi'l tsss- - .. II
Nowaday, so long az given individual Of to-
day can "get saved y in some human religious
institution that institution is considered as answer
ing sll the purposes of the church and there is
the slightest anxiety as to whether or not that IN.
stitution contain theological disease which will
kill it, and leave the individual OF two centuries
hence without any institution to "get saved In"
proposed to call your attention to few OF the
facts that mark the disastrous failure OF Protes-
tantism; and to ask you whether those facts are
not enough of themseives-to say nothing of
other-to stir to Its depths any spirit that has
particle of earnestness. GO -.-r- -
tics, showing how small in proportion to the en-.
tire population of this city, is the attendance at
Protestant churches. In conclusion he asked:
Why is it that the Anglican branch OF the one
great Catholic Church has no more succeeded with
the masees than has Professionalism? Why 10 IL
that there is an Epi G pal type of man? 1t is
because We have run our Catholic and Apostolic
wheels in the Protestant, Calvnistic and Lutheran
ruts, VIII Oh they do not fit, never will, and never
can. But wherever we have returned. ia, sA-in.
Holborn, london esd other places, and tried our
own true Catholic plan, we have, glory De 10
God reached down to the masses, and gathered
in all grades of men from highest to lowest. God
ia asking Of Professionalism Where are the masses!
And God is asking of MS, gave you the ten
Catholic talents; why have you hid them 10
napkin! 1t is not because the clergy and !aity
of Protest tsm are unalive TO the wants OF the
masses or to q cir own duty in the premises that
| Prote stantism has made its signal failure.
They are earnest and cody men. Heaven knows
they spare no efforts earnest in season. out OF
| season, earnest in the prayer and In work. Bot
| this only makes the matter worse. The fault Is
not in them. Men are often better than their sys-
| TENS, and without doubt they stand acquitted.
| while their system stands condemned. l have
| mentioned but two counts in the preseutment ;
| time forbids me to 60 on with many others. But
| these alone, viz: the wholesale abandonment OF
Professionalism by large masses of thinking and
good men; and secondly. its failure to reach the
masses, are signs of the times worthy. OF the
| thought of the churchman, and account, In some
| part, for movement which ia deeper than Ritual
ism. of which Ritualism is mere futtering REQ
| feather One thing we know: our Church Is
Catholic Church, which has been worked on Pro
testant principles, and that something must oe
dore. The masses must be reached. and thil
growing inidelity stopped by more reasonable
preeentmens of Christianity than Professionalism
has succeeded in makiag, even by the wide spread
presentment of our true Catholic Christianity"