The New York herald., 1873-12-21
The Protestant Episcopal Church and
the New Reform Movement.

| The influence of the Scottish Hume and the
French Voltaire, we admit, is not yet dead;
but Darwin and Tyndall and Huxley, with all
their large knowledge and the support which
they claim from the daring thinkers OF the
past, have not yet been successful In making
men Indifferent to what are called the inter-
ests of religion The materialistic tendencies
| of the day are no doubt powerful. 1t would
be strange if they we're not. They are fed and
encouraged by many of the ablest minds and
by much of the best thinking of the hour. In
social circles, public and private, learned
fathers and precocious youths and strong
minded ladies preach infidelity as the word
was once understood, laugh at the preachers
! OF the Gospel, and, with nonchalance which
is sometimes as amusing as absurd pro-
nounce the churches institutions much
more convenient than necessary Milk
for babes, but not strong meat
for men-such is the too general
opinion entertained regarding the ecclesias-
teal teaching of the present. That the Dar-
wins and the Tyndalls and the Huzleys have
taught and are teaching skilfully and with
success, and that their disciples are numerous
and enthusiastic, we cannot refuse to admit;
but, notwithstanding the skill and success of
the teaching the numbers and enthusiasm of
the following, the churches remain strong
and ecclesiastical questions are the most vital
and interest-commanding of all the questions
which agitate this strangely perplexed, con-
fused and agitated age.
The late Franco-German war did much to
convince the world that the religious senti-
ment was not yet dead. Sympathy with the
combatants during the war was very much
determined by religious belief. 1t is the same
to-day. Germany is the recognized repre-
sentative of one form of Christianity. France is
the recognized representative of another. The
two great rival nationalities divide the world
at this moment almost as much as they did
during the war, and the determining and
dividing element, now as before, is religion.
Religion is not only a prominent and power
full question as between nations; it is vital
and disturbing element in the politics of all
the leading nations of the day. In Germany
all the power Of strong government is being
exerted to place the Church in condition of
subordination to the State. 1t is the same in
Switzerland. 1t is the same in Italy. 1t is to
certain extent the same in Spain, although
the present republican government has in
this respect-and wisely perhaps-been less
daring than some Of its predecessors. To
come to the New World, the fight for supre-
macy between Church and State is as vigor-
ously carried on in the Brazilian Empire as in
the Mexican Republic. Scottish and English
politics are both seriously affected by religious
questions, and it is religious difficulty which
lies at the bottom of the home rule move
ment in Ireland.
In this country and on this free soil we have
not and cannot have religious difficulties in
precisely the same form in which they exist in
the various countries to which we have re-
ferred. Here the State knows no religion.
All forms Of Christianity are free-free as they
are nowhere else on the face Of the earth.
Under his own vine and under his own fig tree
every man may worship, and no one can, with
the sanction of law, seek to disturb or make
him afraid. With us religion is neither
forced nor resisted; but of all the plants
no one has more prospered or given nobler
fruitage than that of the Christian religion
In spite of the absence Of State patronage and
State control Christianity fourishes in the
midst of us, and all the various denomina-
tons reveal unmistakable signs of strength
and give abundant proof Of their usefulness
The materialistic teachers have no doubt their
followers here as they have IN Europe; but,
strong as are the so-called scientists, stronger
still are the men who remain in the old path
ways and steadfastly cling to the Book of
Revelation as well as to the book of nature.
The schism which has just taken place in the
Protestant Episcopal Church deserves to be
looked at from this point of view. Whatever
the merits or demerits of the new movement
of which Bishop Cummins and Bishop
Cheney are now the recognized leaders, it
affords unmistakable evidence that our
Christianity has in it the genuine elements
of vitality and that we have men in the
midst of us who are as able and as willing as
in the brightest days of all the Christian past
to make for conscience sake needed effort and
needed sacrifice. In the Episcopal Church
Cummins and Cheney were men of recognized
influence. That to that Church both were
sincerely attached we have no reason to doubt,
but every reason to believe. To sever them
selves from that Church as they have done,
and to attempt to build up a new Church, re-
quired not little of the spirit of the
martyrs of olden times; and, in 80 far
as they have stood up for principle,
fought for conscience, revealed daring
and made sacrifices, they have right to be
spoken Of with the highest respect and they
have a claim on the public for sympathy and
support Not a word has been said either by
friend or foe to detract from the character of
the two men who have taken the lead in this