New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-08
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION.


cIAND-A PLEA FOR APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION.
70 fAe Editor OF re Tribune
SIR: MANY will he surprised at the state
uncnts made hy Pastor" in "a late issue OF your paper
He evidently shows from the papers read at tSe Ivan
Keheal Alliance that the doctrines represented Oh ie
platform have for generation made no advance anu
that they are gradually losing their hold on the popular
mind II is asserted that throughout Germany there
4, dissolution OF positive faith In Berlin not more
than one In twenty visit the house OF God" hccoi"t
to your correspondent the Alliance mas s"o"n w
Protestantisn IN Germany Is Hopeless; y "ep'''
able In France IL is feeble minority WHO" oosS
not seasiby increase" He writes OF the avn" oe'
,er,ora,on of religious views feelings, and practice
whsh has swept New England within the 'ar' ~ or
90 wears" According TO this writer's quotations. the
Roman eagle lowering over the motley sects ana e
growth Of the Roman Catholic Church lie amazing, and
the Question is askedI there drift toward Catholic
Ism on the one hand and skepticeu on the other"
In addition TO your correspondents testimony LEI me
submit the following: In one OF the NewEngand states
committee appointed. not long since, by an evan
Selical body eXamiDs into the religious condition OF
the state rhis committee went through every town
and hamlet and reported that the lowest degree OF
degradation found among The native-born popult-
ton especially IN the rnra districts - aud while the
Raxyr Catholics kept up at least an outward respect
for the sacred ordinances, nPtve Protestans IN
places paid little gard 10 sunday, or any
religious Observance" There are portions or Ne"
Ensland where the writer the descendants OF
the Pilgrim Fathers busy Ia The feids on 'he ioru
Dda, snd 80 any respect for tae positive
teachings 81 the Bible or The Church o.
Christ ia concerned, utterly dcmoralhed whnie
districts where the doctrines OF Protest
nniisIn held swaY barren 81
would lie called evangelical principles, as j. san
Lake CITY The teachings Of sccarianSn. az they are
represented by Alliance. had fan control aud unds
pnted sva, In the early history those districts where
81, inhabitants nave reached the lowest degradation
and have become practically Lcaihen"a utterly aliens
Christian covenant as n they had been born ~
the deserts the most solitary ISLANDS OF
the sea- one whose opinion j. emitted TO the greatest
respect Il thiuk. beyond question: that there
has been age nation, since the introduction
@; Christianity 10 world when after 1T had been
FAIRLY iuced, there so large a portion OF the
people living utter DISREGARD Of It's requirements as
there is now in this couutry. In rural districts,
alasi Whit the degree ana quality Of religion that
generally prevaiisi MANY OF those who once reflected
che habits and religious of the early days OF
HewEngland now for the most part
desoate with the barTcuueSs 81 Sprualisin,
Umversasn or other of uubclief" Persons are
now living who recall the trie when almost The
whole population Of New England looked Tor spiritual
guidance To the of the Orthodox COngre
gaiioua Churches" county paper shows the present
condition az affairs the stronghold of Ccnfre
satiunasm. In = certain town religious census
was taken. DULY asc-bIrd OF the inhabittnts we've
found ia me PuI-tan Orthodox Church. According TO
The SprtagGed Republican, tscertaned by actual
count oncfourih of the dalton 81 that city
observed the Lords Dy by attendance upon public
worship; aud inst the Roman Cathohc shnrci-F"Sg
people were aboJt onc-shird Of ali those ielGIng
church.
Tue onc>tios is asked. WIZ this dcca lcnce - Prot
e,tau'ism' IA landl Why has ronsTcedtionalisn
60 sguany faded TO keep possession Of The feds The
Alliance seems 10 have been the representative OF
pun Cougre gationalsn and nnttln4 more Now what
fate OF Professionalism as heralded by that
body Ia report Voluntary Associations" read
. fore Congregational preachers
The fact cannot be disguised that We CONGREGATIONAL
,st- though claim that after the scrlptmh teaching
oil church authority aud jurisdiction vest in the par
Ochia nureh. and though Ne have been terribly Jealous
lowed ourselves drift into suhjecsian 10
sinistgailon that have drawn from 1.-THE churches
much Of the selfdeveoped energy and dign!ty and in
In promoting parochia reforms aud erengcliza
tlon. how ready have we been to pass hy Gods own
method through the Church. and get NJ some voluntary
society for that purpose ihcie chl re l,tle icason
gatcnalism. which In The beginning OF our national
history had the field largely 10 sef aud which ought
10 possessed The lana in the interests Of s Scrip
Iurl latin ana pOy, has shrduk TO 20 sinau compare
m"st committed ecclesiastical suciCe Oar prac-
Heal preaching through onr methods as vel AZ by
words thu effect thai the Church, su
yaDized power " little account for doug the LORDS
Work.
The reason for the startling condition OF 'ins, as
shown y your co.res ondeni 'Pa,ior, Is % he
that Pro.cstautsn which one the speakers of the
Alliance calls the twin of Romanisn, which "ascribcs
70 every lndiy iddal inc suiJ ectve autonomy ana
Independence of the truth that Catholicism concentrates
NJ one personthe Pope" which insists upon Tie indi-
Jidual's swn subjective assurance. which would kaow
Nothing OF an objective authority. which rejects tTad
ion and opposes every kind OF obligation 10 the
pmhols Of the Church." The shibholethS Of that
PrOtestantsm are, The Bible ouly," TIE right OF
priyate Judgment" classification by faith alone"
The continual ringing Of these changes in the II the
people without any expressed Limitation and quaIihca
lion has resulted n the religious anarchy Uf the Pro
estant world The rejectiOn OF the apostolic ministry
has multiplied sects Some calls hnsefa minister;
Ne proves mu.selt "sInsrt" preacher, and
Ibe result Is, as by the late DIR. Aleyau
ier q new church " in smthyine, "tsO steeples
two miserable haudiuis and TOO starving
sreachers;' people become disLeartesed " the di
visions The Young Mems Caristau Associations starts
Cd with the avowed purpose Of sweeping secaIlansn
from the face eatth. u takes the place OF the
denomiuational churches The preachers grow jealous
oft. Tbero a conflict Toe liberal independents Young
men got OF II. The different religious societies
deeliue The t0iincr platform" Is laid upon
which al stand together for few days The sug-
yestior is made u, lookers-1n Christians who think
that the Alliance is the Divine method TO unite all,
should each ioin all the different evangelical bOdeoe-
long a. much the Methodist the Presbyterian
ss 10 the Baptist persaa,ion. One the time
lie a GOOD Templsr and odd Fellow Mason mem
ter of n sporting club. Why not De member Of d FER
ept religious societies and thus make TIE principles o
the Evangelical Alliance pgacticalf
Many Who have been tossed about by the conflicting
opinions OF ActaTiausm have found maven M the
Tn,scopaI Church-that church whose fJrmulurIcs
teach as I'll G. Mas shown, that Episcopal ordination
is necessary 20 constitute a vtt1 ministry Uni0rtu
nafeIy hovryer he ard The time when her
stsndaris will nave give This point This
recitation Is "A mistaken dream Oi secLtianihln eiaN
,c chnrch with Der historic credentials, yield The
demands of fraction Of ChTistendOm aud give up tuat
ministry which netee III wcntieths OF ChrstendOn De
i;eye s according 90 the viii Christ and which, IL l.
ny her