The New York herald., 1874-11-22

/ ago, when men were lar less educated and en-
\ nghtened than now. Is not SO surprising. Tn
subject for marvel Is that so many succeedin,
/ generations have Endorsed Its errors, uniil now
| toward the close OF the nineteenth century IL Il
| assumes TO be above IL, with an infallibe human
head and Interchangeable laws aud ordinances
That TINS Church should teach error and cling &C
IL, that II should have added unto the laws ant
ordinances OF God or diminished IRON Ihem Is
matter OF regret 10 the balance OF Cnristendom
How long II Will continue to enact laws Tor III
government which are contrary &C the teachings
OF Scripture and impose burdens upon its mem
bers which are hard to be borne the iuture alone
must reveal. But In its assumed infaihbiiity ane
boasted unchangeabieness will no doubt he fonnc
at length the cause Of Its decline. Enlightened
humanity will not forever receive Its dogmas ~
the law OF heaven nor accept as commandments
OF God the traditions OF men. PROTESTANT.
The Gerdemsnn Ap0stacy.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The following translation from the Baltimore
catholic Peoples Paper (German). trust, IN
behalf of your many Catholic readers, you will
PUBLISH
"a FALLEN PRIEST
''For over week the daily papers have had
much to say concerning the fall of Mr.. j. w.
Gerdemann, OF the diocese OF Philadelphia, and
formerly pastor OF st. Boniace church. As The
woman, appointed her organist, and, as MS court
ship became known, gathered together as much
panied by his loved one, TOOK to iiirnt. In Jersey
City he was married by Protestant minister pre-
vlous to leaving for Europe, where, Without doubt,
priest by the state Alter his departure he Is said
to have written to the Most Reverend Bishop
that ne could not believe In the iniallibity OF the
Pope and therefore left the church. A German
proverp says Pride comes before the fall and
Gerdemann has inded verided this saying. He
was undoubtedly, q talented man, but one who
had an exaggerated opinion Of himself. He
imagined that he alone was all-wise, and. on this
gave up our paper because we defended the In
fahDillty OF the Pope, and again because we were
not suicientiy Prnss'an' , IN a. our views and a, on
and Catholic afterward;' which shows that he is
well ntted TO All an Old Catholic position IN Prus.
sia Baden swiszerand or wnsrever the Wnd
%A' entirely ' innocent % Of hts a,''''s Iai ior
never nao , n can. n univ wnsn he beaame
amor0us did he place himself and his Protestant
love above Pope and Church. 1t Is the same old
eEced men are promoted TOO rapidly; they easily
grow giddy and then there Is fall. scandals
not be depressed by them. They have always oc-
cured and this fact alone OF the existence OF bad
priests should lead us TO value and esteem good
ones the more. The Church warns US ever to
pray thar God may send us good priests, for so
much depends upon them that plous missionary
out ceasIng or good priests, for If the priest is
lost the greater part OF the congregation is l0st
and II the priest is saved the greater part OF the
congregation Will be saved
"Many journals hostile to the Catholic Church,
IN describiDgthis unhappy affair, point to Beecher
ana 5S .es no
for bad priests. and at the first moment OF their
discovery they fee from her into the protestant
denomination as though pursued by thousand
furies. There they are received with open arms
and ind themselves at home. Worthless Prot
estant ministers simply remain at their post,
where they are protected and even whltew ashed
by their equally worthless congregations. THIS
makes great difference. what is bad with us
Outside the Catholic Church such rubbish Is re-
ceived with Joy and esteemed = as !, an armcle OF
vertu" CATHOLIC SUBSCRlBER.
Ministerial and Church Movements.
METHODIST.
The Missionary Society OF the Methodist Episc0-
pal Church will hold it's anniversary this year in
Boston. commencing sunday, December 6.
The Rev. Arthur Edwards, d. D., OF the North
sces,er.n Christian Advocate, was here last week.
attending the sessions OF the General Missionary
Committee.
Dr. ]. s. Porter, of the Newark Conference
whose sight has been impaired for two years past
has been fully restored by an operation performed
here q lew days ago.
The Rev. 7. Seymour, Of the Troy Conference.
died at his home last Sunday, aged seventy 1--we
years.
grand Methodist reunion IS to be held in
Newark, N. j., December Q. A number OF the
bishops secretaries and editors OF the Church are
expected.
The anniversary OF the Sunday School Union and
Tract Society will be held in Akron. Ohio, COM
menctng December s.
Church dedications have taken place within q
month at Passaic, N. j.; at Torchlake and at Cam
den. Mich; at Mount Pleasant, Pa at Lumber
City, Pa; at Belleville, W. Va. Other churches
win be dedicated to-day at Martenvlle h Pa sa az
Long Branch church VIII pe reopened on Thanks
giving Day, having been closed for repairs The
corner stone OF . new church at Cedar Run, N. j.,
was laid on Friday last. The Bloomsbury IN. j.
church was reopened on Wednesday last.
Tne Halsted Pray 1g Band viii be aS the Thirty.
fifth street Methodist Episcopal church, near Tenth
The new edifce Of the Liberty street church, New
Brunswick, X. A. Chalker, pastor. the foundation
OF which has been waiting Tor three years, is about
Tne subscription for the floating debt OF the Ho-
boKen church has reached SO, 900. The sum asked
Tne Sunday school OF st. Johns Methodist Epis-
copal church IN Brooklyn mas received an addi-
tonal attraction the shape OF the largest organ
built for Sunday school service in the United
States
The seventh anniversary OF the Freedmen's Aid
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was
held in the Arch street Methodist Episcopal
churcn, Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon ana
evening.
The Rev. William $. Perkins late presbyter OF
the Protestant Episcopal Church at BRISTOL, Pa,
has formally united with the Reformed Episcopal
Churcn.
held Tomorrow evening IN Grace Protestant Epis-
copal church, Jamaica, L. |.
It Is now $50 years since the Episcopal Cnurcn
found a pace to worship in Charleston, .. c.. and
the event has been duly celebrated IN st. Phihp's
church, In tnat city.
The Reformed Episcopal church, at Peoria, ILL.,,
was the first edince erected after the Reformed
movement began, and, although large and comm0-
dlous, II is filed to overhowinR. 1t Is 70 be en-
larged In the spring.
The Rev. Thomas U. Dudley, Jr., d. D.. rector Of
Christ church. Baltimore has been chosen TO sue.
coed Bishop Cummlns as Assistant Bishop OF the
Episcopal Diocese OF Kentucky. He Is a conserva-
tive and was a compromise as between Dr. Hare
and Dr. Shipman, OF Lexington.
The $4,000 bequeathed by the late Mrs. Hubbel,
OF Massachusetts, Tor memorial chapel for KEN
per Hall, have been paid over by tae executors,
and the erection OF the chapel Will proceed with
the least possible delay.
A Reformed Episcopal Society has been organ
lied In Gloversvllle. NJ T., one OF the most enter
prsing villages III this State. This is the first
movement OF the reiormers In the diocese OF Al
bany, q diocese where rituallsm has almost gone
TO seed within three years, so rapid and rank has
hoaV vrpx no wi Dntr