The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-05-26
RituaIism amona .Eyangelicals-,

Under the caption "Naming OF Churc"ee
our neighbor, the PresbyteTsGR gives its
readers certain extracts from an article In
the St. Louis Christian Adrooafe, written
by Bishop Marvin. This Bishop is of the
Methodist persuasion and he 10 checked at
custom growing up among his brethren
Of naming their Church buildings after
Saints-St. Johns, James etc. The veneer
able circuit rider was not accusfcmed 20
such things in his early days of camp meet
ing glory and tho whole thing haste linn
flavor Of innovation, and, indeed, ldoia-
try; NJ. s., ,,,..,,,, ~
this SO called servant of God is to show
that the Apostles of Christ ought not to be
remembered 10 naming Church buildings
by way of disting uishing them one from
another, because it insensibly leads to
idolatry. No objection to calling the Capt.
tai of the Nation Washington" or to
speaking of the Lee University or Jeffer-
son College. or perpetuating the memory
Of Wellington, Napoleon, Alexander and
Others heroes in the names of cities. All
this 10 not idolatry, but when it comes 10
recognizing the eminent services to CHRIS
tianity of her Apostles and heroes by dis
tingnishing her temples with their names,
it istyidolatrous.
y The Bishop says:
az do not say that it is actually sinful to
name church after this style. But do say
it 10 . custom of evil tendency. 1t belongs to
the ritualistic order of sentiment: 1t is IN
that drift. 1t lies in that line of things:
att tends also to the undue honoring of
saints. I have had scruples about using the
hv
Church, and canonization is the aPotee1sae oa
the heroes and demigods Of half Pagan
10 n" the nn 10
tions of any creature, is to be regarded with the
utmost distrust;" ;.
! "Indeed, the fashion of naming churches
| Gomez of the superstition of patron SAINTS
which Itself ALSO came from the earlier mySno-
logical snpersttion Of patron aes r.. sG Mstao
dist who names q church St. Johns, does not in
tend thereby to constitute st. John the esPe'
cial patron Of his church, but he does 9n% wv
| tinpfy put his house in o category and III MS
| tortcal associations calculated to foster that
: very sentiment. 1t is bad business =
Here We have few choice selections Of
8 the Oldest and mustiest species of Protest
: ant cant and humbug. denomination is
the apotheosis of the heroes and demigcds
!. of half Pagan Christianity" aud the
: "Superstition Of patron saints came iron
the earlier neurological superstitution
patron deities." Why not 60 to the nata
~ raj extreme of such an argument and sa!
II. that the idea of Deity itself, as held b.
"a Christians, is but a modification OF til
same idea as held by the PAgans The
- worshiped God in an absurd manner an
= we have merely pruped down their absur
" dity to style more conformaole TO I'll
g spirit of the age. The idea of patro
- saints is by no means SO closely connecte
w with the worship of "patron deities,' as
be the idea of Deity itself. For the YER
~ same reason that Bishop Marvin calls til
to tshonoring of patron saints superstition
st. the Atheist laughs at the worship OF Co
he as q superstition, only less gross an Torn
IN than it used to be. --
III But not only is this phase Of Protestant
ism a fiue sam pie Of hypocrtical cant, it i
:. also an intolerable iDsolence. Chrlstianit!
y, of the enlightened nineteenth century must
~ according to Professionalism, look back will
i superiority and contempt upon the Garlic
NJ ares of the Church. Then the true spiri
" of Christ was not understood; 1t coui'
not find the material on which to impress
y, itself distinctly. 1t has been reserved t.
40 these latter days of light and inteiliSenc
" to produce generations capable OF bein
nj real Christians. The first ages were rud
re and grossly vitiatel in the all but aeor
le t;an of a Church which they prodaced. An
e very earliest writer's Of Chistendom' a.
% sneak of the saints and speak of them D
"a name. their sanctity was recognized
% every conceivable way by the very earlles
- Church, yet forsooth, Christianity of tn
- d,v secs in that fact but a half-Paga
1t Christianity. The Grace of God could ne
u. possibly illumine the minds of men VII
n knew nothing of railroads and telegraph
lie But the age of such Puritanic Pharise'
H. ism, such conccited self-sufficiency in r.
as ligious ideas, is fast passing away, and
Is passing away it goes out by the road
cd Ritualism. Well may the old camp NEE