New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-30
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION.
THE INCREASE OF ROMANIsM AND sKE0-
TICISM


THE NEED or EVANGELICAL CHAMPIONS.
TO the razor or The TrtbuHe'
Sin. There seems to be strange ana
startIlno admission lde by leading theoogAns "a 10
,he tendency Of modern religious thought The Evan
celeal Alliance was composed OF excellent and pronl-
nent Christian men from all parts OF INC ProtestlnV
world As delegates they have made ther reports anu
presented reasonable TO suppose IN the most 1a'o
hle light the condition of religious thought and life in
the countries from which they came let lhe resultant
OF their statements ends in this concession that 'o
docrines renresented in the Evangelical Alliance have
tor generation or more not only made no advance, puI
are gradually losing their hold on the popular mind
Dr Tbouck name venerable TO the scholar and theo
Logan sent report TO the Alliance entitled EVanger
cal Theology In Germany" After ne States Tue PROS a""
cons the influences and against evangelical religion
a. Germany he saws toward the conclusion Of his essay;
r,t this much cannot be denied, that the very con
has come 20 pass what had been the hope OF ne
whole Of the EyanSeleaI pr. ~ 90 me naion Ia
paralleed victory which God granted 10 tne natoh -
the late war has not regenerated Us III lhlt u ~! -
ton Of hearts TO HIM ON 'ne nyn '9 ewes
CIR see proves Itself 20 ~ an ever proceeding ssou
ton of positive faith and ChrstAn anu .S ul
throughout the whole of Germany
There seems to be no change in that country that In
tho ocgrecate gives among the people increasing ac-
centance OF the orthodox faith few years since the
| Rev Thomas Pearson. an English clergyman wrote "
vo,ne upon ,Inhdety" and dedicated II to the Evan
ol,cal Alliance The work has had large sale In In
Gland and has been deemed worthy OF republication
in this country for the OF TIC CLERGY ando'ncIs' vi
! page 500 he writes: 1870,
Look at Germany. There the power OF the pulpit Is
soon 10 uopdcrate nightly The site OF ihhd,Iy
Nothing can be dcplorble than tns eta'o 81 so
German churches. Rauonahsm OF every s1alp ieDiy
hsoned IN the holy places. ~ -, " ii ana m tbc
rooted IL the universities the lower schoos anu ~ ~
pulps SaXOny, the cradle OF the Eelollioh N"u w
country of Luther, has been ls StonI" tic
the Old pastors sat at the feet OF TN
chief, Wegscheider and are iaithu 70 have we mo Io9
while multitudes OF the younger, VINO nay 40 n,Icr
under the influence OF such men as IholneS ana MuSI
belong TO the extreme left OF the HeGeiAh sehoo any
acknowledge Is their guides. strauss, 10 uo ',
such like The German churches, win soiHo liSIl"
men Sheltered under an evangelical creed but Throwing
| out doctrines that give the lie ~ IT.
On the next page he states:
Their religious principles have long been undermined
by a systematic course OF rlIionastic preaehnE rom
The mint Inhdenty and indihercntisn. o-peelay III
large towns characterize fearful extent all classes
from tbr h hes. to the lowest. Dr. krunnachcr stated
very lately that IN Berlin, Nhlch cota ltc' 3 thr
400 900 persons, not moro than onetwen'e'h Visit the
| house Of God.
A correspondent OF Tie Cincinnati Commercial writ
hing recently from Berlin, makes the percentage oil woT'
shippers stl less. Will not occupy your space WIN
extracts DR.. Couybcare Rose. and Others nor pre-
sent the statements travellers and residents III
Germany Suffice the present tho statement OF Dr.
Krummacher delegate to the Alliance After present
ing the hopeful aspecrs OF the German Christianity q
to-day. and speaking OF recent events. he adds;
Two or three years have passed since then. and to-day
IL viii no longer be rash % assert that tho expectation
that religious revival would be the fruits OF the great
national events, was originally l0sieltl mas h1 DC"
realized. deepening and increase OF CHRISTIAN ne mas
not been associated with the political and nauoVai
progress This think fact OF history. Ihis fact Ia
deplOrable one, or must we use stronger al Auci OK
pressions and say 1t Is hopeless 1t Is despeIdtei
The Rev. A. Decoppet OF Paris gave an account Of
Professionalism in France and uttered the following sem
tence "The Protestant population OF France is SIN
but feeble minority which holds its own. but does not
I p-lfl Int lc had Nj
cent OF that minority not orthodox, being Of tho
school OF Coquerel Colaui &c. Another delegate from
Paris Dr. Fsch. declared thai France has now become
the most Roman Catholic country in the world
The balance sheet OF reports made 20 the Alliance. con
Joined with statistics and histories which accessible
TO every one lead inquiryIs there drift toward
Catholicism the bandaud skepncism on the other'
Doingcr states. giving his authority That ut one time
nIne-teuths Of Germany were Protestant, but adds;
Since the end the lCth and beginning OF the l7th
century half Germany has gradually become Catholic
again" Macaulay makes his estimate. with al, Europe
as his problem aud declares Professionalism not SO strong
in numbers as in former days. According TO Prof.
scnem. Protestant satstciau, Catholicism increased
in the United States, from 1859 10 1858 100 per cent
Another authority gives the increase Of Roman Catholic
Churches in Scotland for about 80 years than 200
per cent and for the the increase o. Roman
Catholic Churches in Great Britain 100 per cent
II would have been well had Que in the Alliance
made a thorough review Of these questions There are
many who believe with Froude that there Is d" a de-
cadence Of Protestantsn." There many who quote
trumpbantly the words Of Lord Macauay: :" In MY
years from the day in which Luther publicly renounced
communion with the Church Of Rome, PEO.cstantsm at
tanned its highest ascendency-an ascendency which 1t
soon lost, and which it never regauei."
On the other hand there statements made through
many channels and auhortatvely OF he increase OF
skepteism- Any person who has atteutively watched
for quarter of century the tile Of Thought in the
world that Mr.. Blauvet Is essentially correct in
his review Of Modern skeptcisn." Prof Farrar In bis
hampton Lectures Pearson Rose and others. with gath
cred history and statistics, have shown how the skep
teal tide has flowed through a great part Of Europe
Others contend that there IL danger OF like results at
home. Twenty years ago the Rev. DIR. Dana" Tho Adj
olson Of ngaud7-wrote: Few. probably,
aware Of that awful deterioration OF religious views,
feelings and practice which has swept New En-
gland within the last thirty forty years and which
threatens sweep away everything worthy OF the
Of religion. one thing Is certqu-unbolief Is the order
Of the day. the fatal nalady OF the age"
Dr. Holland IN ScriJner's Tor November writes It is
a stupendous aud mOmentous fact patent to all
the willfuy blind. that there exists modern school
Of skeptcsn in which critical scholarship and material
science have united TO unsettle the faith Of world
Christianity. The leaders Of this movement have not
been met and fully answered. and all who arc ca rap
port with the public thought know that they have made
a deep impression" Who will venture To say that Dr.
Holland Is not entirely correct IN his assortion What
competent pen will review. for the instruction OF the
public. all these questiOnsi The retcence heolo-
gans and professors in theological sesnarIes upon
these and like questions s to say the least
Assault after assault Is made upon Christianity Ia
varied form and with renewed effort; ana yet barely
drawing fash from the guns OF the citades OF our
faith Perhaps ain IN error, amt the assertion IS too
sweeping; II so. tell me where the needu
essays books. comprehensive and exhaustive upon
the defensive SIDE and accessible to the common reader
ran be I IN Ilv