The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-10-27
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question was asked why 1t was so why such very
marked tendency towards Rome in that sect, while
in other evangelical sects it was not discovered?
The reply which our friend has given was an
swered in part last week. A few other parts re-
main to be noticed now. We are reminded by our
friend that Baptists regard Infant baptism as
one of the relics of POpery, and thus place Pres
byterians in the same predieament in which we
place the English Reformation. If the Southern
CharchmaR was in search of little pleasantly
wherewith to relieve itself from troublesome
question, we have no objection to its quotation
from the Religious Herald Of this city, Our Bap
tist brethren are so much in and under the water,
that it often gets into their eyes, and prevents
their seeing straight Otherwise our friends Of the
Herald would have known that Qeaving out the
testimony of Scripture as to the Apostolic tines
infant baptism prevailed in the Church long be
fore POpery was established, and could not there
fore be in consequence Of it.
If these eecentrieities of the Baptsts are adopted
by the Southern Churchman as arguments or per
tinent illustrations they are as lame as was Mephi-
bosheth. To have any application to the point
before us it must be shown that in consequence of
holding to infant baptism Presbyterians have
manifested, more than Baptsts, an inclination to-
wards Popery. But this is not pretended.
Next our Episcopal brother insists that he is
not bound to answer our question at all that to
answer it is our business, not his. This seems to
us unreasonable. The fact OF the peculiar tenden-
ey to Popery in the Episcopal Church he does not
deny. In common with some excellent EpiScopa-
hans aseribe it to peculiar bias of the Eng
hsh Reformation" and to be a little more spe
ci6c, have stated the conviction that this peculiar
bias" left its traces in the Prayer Book The
ground of this persuasion it is our expectation to
present and leave all who read to Judge whether
it is well founded. If the Southern ChlTchmaa
feels reluctant to answer our question until we
have concluded, very well. Our friend may take
his own time and way. We shall, with many
others, be grati6ed to obtain it upon any terms
for while EpscOpaianS are fairly bound to account
for fact thus admitted and so remarkable, it has
long been noticed that they touch it shyly. Their
papers, and sermons and documents are certainly
not backward in telling how and why other things
about that sect are thus and so. But why it is
there should be such a marvellous propensity
among them to take the road to ROme-On that
point they are decidedly coy, as if there lurked
within a dangerous matter, which it were better
to leave as much undisturbed as possible.
But the Southern Chmchman, after declining
to answer our question at present, turns imme-
diately around and attempts to answer it where
did such good Southern learn that fashion?) by
asking another He sets before us wildly the
fearful in6deity into which the Protestant church
es have fallen, and asks" If there be tendency
in the Episcopal Church to Rome, why in the
non preatcal churches Ito use his (Our) phrase)
do we see such tendency to in6delity" &c. sc.
This line of reply was so entirely expected that
we could have written it out before hand and saved
our friend his trouble. The answer to it is not
difficult:
I. If it were granted that this detection points
to some popularity about non preatical churches
which tends to in6deGty, it would prove nothing
on the precise question before us. If that were
all admitted, still the other fact might be also true,
namely the peculiar prOneneSs Of EpiScopacy to-
wards Popery. Whether, however, this was Ow-
ing to the Prayer Book, or to other causes, would
have to be ascertained from other sources.
2. The argument is from analogy, always req lir-
S2g wSsb carr il is Ia In this case it is pecu,
Ssry unIss.,l y the influences opera
80 upcS S scs chuiss.ss1esssA oaf. Germany
have been complex, and because the elements of
flair comparison are wanting If there had been
Protestant Episcopal Church in Germany, side by
side with the non-prelatieal, and the latter had
shown a marked tendency to in6delity, and this
repeated at intervals through long succession of
years. while in the former little or nothing of the
kind was discovered, then by all principles of fair
reasoning we should be entitled to the conclusion
that there was some peculiar cause for the differ
enee, and nothing would be more natural than to
look for it in some principle adopted by the one
that was not held by the other A fair comparison
would be between the Presbyterian Church in
Scotland and the Episcopal Church of England
The general influences were the same in both eoun-
tries. Is it true that more in6deity has been de-
yeloped in the former than in the latter? This
will not be pretended. But it is true that the
tendency to Romanism has been, and is now,
marked among EpiscOpahans in England, while
such is not the case among Presbyterians in Scot
land.
But the Southern Cblrehman comes to England
and points to the non-prelatical churches there
1t says:
AT first the Puritans desired government for
the Church such as they had seen in Holland and
Germany, They wanted an efficient Pes5yte1y
and no Bishops. In few years they gave up the
Presbytery they so much coveted, and became In
dependents or Congregationalists and this day in
England there are but ll9 congregations belonging
to the English Presbyterian Church so much for
England.
Not quite so fast before that case is disposed of
we beg to say
l. That Presbyterians in England never obtained
the efficient Presbytery' they wanted. The pre-
lat c historian, Echard, admits this as he says in
truth but in derison alsO that /" the ResbyterianS