New-York tribune., 1873-12-27
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION.
pporEsrANr pIssENsIONs.

rsrANT INFLUENCE WEAKENED by DIscORD-
THE LOST UNITY OF THE CHURCH.
70 the Editor OF The Trtbune'
SIR. II was hoped and believed that the
rvanye,,ca, Alliance would least tend to and
harmony among the religious bodies OF winch 1t was
composed but 80 far from this beng the case, there
has been no time for series Of years when there has
been so much religious or rather rrogous controversy
a since the closing OF the sessions OF tho Alliance The
sectarian papers have sharpened their sconul adec
tyes and repointed their polemcal adverb and
In the lists with old weapons and accustomed vsor
Tho epithets "pagan." "illiberal" Ridiculous"
" absurd" "unchristian," &c, &C., arc tossed
to and fro from the opposing ranks,
leading to the conviction there possible danger
that tho Millennium will into the world ahead Of
time Had tho Alliance resulted in organization for
practical work in imparpg more liberal and better
feeling among the various sects In leading them to seek
for some basis OF real unity in engenderng the graces
Of courtesy and charity, all would have hailed its delb
eratlons "a the earnest and harbnger OF better times.
But some of them at least, have gone out from that
assembly which they claimed to be "a spectacle to
men, angels and God" aud taken their wonted posts at
the old secaran guns and fred in quick repetition,
loaded to the muzzle, partisan shot and she'll.
What are the results already spoken and with boast
ing words as coming from the combined and aggregate
wisdom and efforts OF the Alliance-that dscord is
ceasng and harmony Joining in oneness all who pro-
fcss and call themselves Chrisans-or Is the cOngratu
ation that Mars ascendant star and that leaders
OF the Faith girded and ciashins their arms one
against the other. The Rec York Obserer. after allud
ing to the letter of Adams I'm review OF Bishop
Potter and the letter OF Bishop CummiDs renouncng
the Episcopal Church. says "They will be referred TO
in future discussions results OF the great Evangelical
Alliance Conference, which has recently commanded
tho attention Of the Christian world" Express
ing no opinion whatever OF the controversy, or
the persons OF the worthy gentlemen named still Is
the fact of their disagreement, failing to see IN quite
important things eye to eye, matter OF congratulatlon,
and to be chroniced as OF the results OF the great
Evangelical Alliance Conference Indeed it IL a
onestion II the Alliance any OF the churches repro
sented upon its platform have any just cause for un-
bounded congratulations OF any kind win their own
reports wing how their lines are pressed and broken
bv Roman Catholicism on the hand, and skepticism
ON the other; with their own showing how the Church,
with all its wealth. resources men, literature printing
presses steamships, and the world lying open, white
and ready for the harvest, has barely touched
the pagan nations in their skrting boundaries with the
presence of Christian civilization and Christian ethics
with the fact that their creeds are called In ques
ton and frterng in the very lands that gave the
Reformers birth with the serious and earnest question
proposed them time and again. and which they are
very reluctant consider Professionalism Is not a.
religious factor actually losing its place and force In the
world; with suCn tSsu6ss ono VI
OF atterng answer at least hardly time TO sound
the notes of Jubilee hardly fitting to indulge soon in
chueklo that there conflict among those who
should be of the household Of faith The Observer
spreads tho record OF this with the reverse OF regret
before the eyes OF Christian readers and with this
flourish Of trumpets "Wo shall give our readers re-
markable newspaper this week, n we never gave them
one before" The editor then lifts the curtain land In
the arena are two Bishops and three Doctors OF Divinity
,a,o tatn fnio unf w
provided the entertainment he s furnished with the un-
solicited and gratuitous Information" Results Of the
great Evangelical Alliance Conference which has re-
Gently commanded the attention OF the Christian world
Gentlemen There are other questions. and th ose OF
oute as much gravity that are commanding the atten
ton of tho world not Christian You are faced and
asked by men intelligent and earnest. and with pres
sure In the inquiry, "Whst is TRUTH You are asked
How that. believing as you do that there Is Di-
vine authority church poty and doctrine,
able to agree neither the nor the other that
with all the benefits OF modern research and learning
you are quite much at variance as ever" You are
reminded too that the divisions OF Professionalism cripple
and largely nulify It's Efforts that there Is hardly ham
let in the land that does not abound with feeble and
rival churches mutually ieaIous. and blocking each
others way Holding you do that there has been an
postolic Church, one In doctrine and poty, whose
banner words were. " One Lord one Faith, ono Bap-
tism," Is is natural to ask. why this ~ not now
the case Or. supposing, II you please, that
the polity OF the lCburcb. like that OF "a
nation is OF expediency, why even then cannot
basis be ound broad and catholic for the reunion OF
divided Chrisendomi with the external bonds Of unity
broken, with the division OF sscts and parties, there
never has been 1.-THE OF the spirit in the bond OF
nor there any for the belief on hstor
ical and moral grounds that there ever will be. The
attempt at unity. without including all that Ia i'm
piled and essential the very meaning OF the word has
ever fallen far short of success, and history VIII here
probab only repeat itself We oaunot conceive Of
own Government broken up into forty independent aud
rival States without concedng that with the disruption
the unity OF the nation is gone. and future peace and
harmony among the states well nigh impossible. The
among the continental churches was
brought bay from the divisions following in its wake
The church historians have 50 fully and uniformly set
forth this fact that | may pass it by without
fnll citation. Prof. D0nger cites. as chief
reason OF the loss of great part of the territory Ger
many by the Protestans. the division and disunon la
its own ranks. Gieser states that the divisions and
lbet ween the different churches
opposed IN tho spirit Of Christianity and AT the
time inauspieous In political relations that at
M"spaaV we'S xrots aNo only was there At this time
much intense zeal among the Catholics than
lies was directed against the Proessnts while almost
the whole zeal Of the Proesants was directed against
Jesuit confessors, Jesuit teachers OF youth. over
spread Europe. eager to expend every faculty OF
their minds ana every drop Vi thtir DioOu IN the
cause of their Church Protestant doctors confuting
and Protestant rulers were pdnishing sectaries who
were Just good Protestns themselves Ia the Paat
mate CaviBiste prince prosecuted the Lutherans.
In Saxony Lutheran persecnted the Cavinists. In
sweden body who objected 70 any OF the articles OF
the Confession OF Augsburg was banished." 30 the
narrative runs through nearly all the reformed bodes
sho wing how drawn into partisan linesand led BY par
tisan leaders they expended much Of their time
their preaching writing force one against the other
Does nothing OF that spirit over remain where there
are like dvisionsi Let any one read from week
to week. the religious papers OF the land aud note the
mutual misrepresentation and seorn and rdi-
cule. and the tono has smaok OF
ChrIstan unity. Let him how few OF these
give correct and Interpretation Of chershed
doctrines of the others The Presbyterian reminded
that representative of HIS church taught-and the i
pcatiop has personal bearingthat there are infants
In hell span long" The Methodist IL informed that he
prays 10 God who is deaf" The Baptist after sun
dry hydropathiG suggestioBs is dismissed Que who
- Tha nil