The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-04

sThe review of the religious press |" These
would be pleasant words, indeed, If there ap-
peared any new thought or idea in the col
umns of our religious contemporaries this
week. New Years Day appears to have alb
sorbed the attention of the fraternity of the
clerical editorial order, and yet not one OF
them represents view of the important
religious events of the year just closed. What
is the meaning of this? Have our brethren been
anticipating some new dispensation? Has
the Cummins fever extended beyond the limits
of the Reformed Episcopal body? Has the
call upon English authority for evidence in
the case of the Rev. Dr. Cheney, of Chicago
been the means of creating this extraordinary
quietude in the holy cycle?
The Independent is of opinion that the
Freeman's Journals faculty to develop posi-
bility into a fact rivals Darwins evolution,
and abuse of the Jews, in which the latter
paper INDUCES, is stigmatized as "contempti-
BILE" ''We can conceive" says the Indepead-
emit, "of an almost extinct prejudice against
that nation which has given US not only the
Old Testament worthless, but the founders and
all the heroes of the early Christian Church
q nation in which Jesus Christ felt patriotic
pride, if we may judge from his reply to the
Syrophenician woman; while it is an ex-
tremely happy instance of airily mounting to
a conclusion"
The editor Of the Independent also discourses
upon constitutional Right and Duty" bear
ing upon the peculiar situation in Louisiana
pertaining to the relative claims of certain
aspirants to Senatorial honors in the National
Legislature. 'The plain duty of the Senate"
declares the writer, ''being the sole and final
judges as to whether Pinchback or McA1illen,
if either of them, is entitled to represent the
State of Louisiana in the Senate Of the United
States, is to decide this question of law ac-
cording to law and evidence, irrespectively of
all collateral and party considerations The
constitution makes it q court for this pur-
pose-the final court-and it will be recreant
alike to duty and to the vital principle in
volved if it permits party bias or interests to
control its decision"
The Evangelist gives kindly article about
topics designated for the week of prayer, and
one" afirms the editor, 'can find in them
any warrant for the belief that Christian
views are narrow or contracted" The EUan-
gelist contemns ga railroad to knowledge
other words, abridging the college course-and
comes to this conclusion, ''that while men hew
Hoosac tunnels through mountains they can,
therefore, level all difficulties of intellectual
discipline or attainment, or find any mechani-
cal substitute for hard labor of the brain"
"Hoping Against Hope; or, Bishop Against
Bishop" is the text for. another editorial in
the Evangelist 1t comprises comments on
recent letter from Bishop Lee, of Iowa, to
Bishop Cummins, in which the Iowa prelate
endeavors to dissuade his Kentucky brother
from his proposed % secession from the
Episcopal body Bishop Lee, according to
the writer in the Evangelist, doubtless repre-
scented the views generally entertained
by those who are classed as the
Low Church But the prospect Of
another century of the mingling of clean
beasts with unclean is not dissolved by the
charm OF Episcopal assurance" And when
speaking of the Episcopal as the Scriptural and
historical Church, branch of the universal
Church Of Christ, he says, ''Take her all in
all, believe her to be the purest branch of
that Church in all the world, in her doc
trines, polity, discipline and worship" we
must pronounces the Presbyterian EUan-
geist ''confess that we are compelled still
more emphatically than ever to part company
with him in his hopes, and to doubt whether,
like Esther, he has come to the kingdom for
such time as this y"
The Christian IateHigencer puts the query
els Bishop Cummins guilty of schism ?" and
concludes that ''those moderate Episcopalians
and others who talk about him as a schismatic
should consider where they are putting Luther
and Calvin and Robinson and Wesley. The
grotesqueness of this new separation lies in
the fact that it is bent both on leaving what
exclusives call the Church, and on taking it
along. Whichever Of these inconsistent things
it may do at last, it is absurd for any Protes-
tant to call it schism.'
The Presbyterian Observer is suggestive on
the Pope's last encyclical Secession and
Succession" (referring to Rev. Dr.. John Cotton
Smith in an article in Church and State in regard
to DR.. Cummins) is also the subject of an
editorial in the Observer. 1t quotes from DR..
Smith 1.-THE proceedings are irregular, un-
canonical, schismatical; but they carry with
them, we are compelled by our own principles
to acknowledge, the succession and orders of
the Church" And the Observer adds -
"This opinion of DR.. Smith is directly OPP
posed to that of Bishop Smith, who has de-
clared that all the acts of Bishop Cummins
are invalid We believe with the Doctor and
not with the Bishop" The Methodist takes
up the Popes encyclical and remarks that
the Roman Catholic claim is of "a spiritual
empire, visibly organized in all the earth,
over secular governments. 1t is the domi-
nance, by divine right, of one corporate body