The New York herald., 1874-11-01

Terry
Services In Zion Protestant Episcopal church
this morning and afternoon by Rev. J. N. Gale
| her, rector.
The Rev. Robert sloss will preach in the Presby.
| terian church in Second avenue ana Fourteent
street this morning ana evening.
| What Are the Aims OF tho Protestant
Episcopal Churchr
| To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The sessions or the Convention OF the Protestant
| Episcopal Church OF America are now drawing to
a close wnas will they erect for the spiritual
| unity OF ChristendOmr To what extent will their
delib bsrations and canOns promote secure unity
| In thought, feeling or worship within their own
| bodyf
| These are momentous questions questions or
| the hour. Let us see how the published acts OF
the Convention enable the serious observer to
| answer them.
| Fhst-rhat the general union OF Christendom
has been one OF the chief aims OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church since 1t last met in convention
we gather from q long report presented on
Saturday, the GATH inst, from the 'Joint
| Committee on Religious Reform in Italy," an
abstract OF which Is published in last
Sunday and Mondays papers. Italy, however,
Is only one little part OF the vast field OF solictude
and labor embraced by this reformation commits.
| sionn Its purpose Is to abet by every means,
\
/ their warfare upon the Catholic Church and the
treason Of bad priests and bad laymen within that
| Church, in their attempts at usurptng the au-
thority ana functions OF her faithful but prosecuted
priesthood. SO the agents OF the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, under the direction and in the pay
| OF Rev. William Chauncey Langdon, d. D., Foreign
| Secretary TO the "Church Reformation Commits
| sion," have been active in every European,
Asatic and American country, where the Catholic
! Church was oppressed by the civil power, or her
| own discontented or suspended priests were dis.
! posed to do the dirty work Of deaming their
mother.
| The wonder must be. in the eyes OF intelligent
! laymen like yourself, Mr.. Editor, as well as in
| those OF all men OF the world, how it Is that
| churches or sects, broad or narrow, can deem 1t
consistent with religlo1, which processes to pro-
mote the interests Of God or with cnariLy, which
| can never be separated from TRUTH thus to seek
! the downfall OF that Church acknowledged to be
the most ancient and the most popular in Christen.
! dom. And what must increase our wonder is
that, at this moment, 1t is not so much the exist
ence OF this or that denomination OF Christian be.
levers which Is menaced by scientific infdelity
but the very foundations Of revealed religion itself
that are undermined By all the intellectual might
The wonder becomes astonishment when we
has been attempted engrat the parent
branch Of the Protestant Episcopal Church in
trunk Of the one holy Catholic and Apostolic
Roman Church. Dr. Pusey is sun living, SO Is DR..
than either, Frederick Oakley. who, with the best
brains the ripest learning and the most unspotted
might and main forty Yeas ago to effect union
with the Roman Churcn, and through her with the
powerful argument ever written against the
Church OF Rome, IN volume two OF Newman's
'.ast shot'' against the Old Ohnrcn, and the very
recoil OF his argument landed him where he would
against which he had been contendng. Well, /
am NOT now prophesylng either for Dr. De Koven or
ae no Of pr Newman awa onv 1naf ass
tnem as ask myself, hos Rome within the last
nali century ceased to be the CENTRE the heart
What are the gentlemen OF the Protestant Epts-
copai Convention dong Promoting union
ing such doctrines and such disciplinary regula-
tions as are sure to be accepted o5 all. and band
all believers In Christ together for the defence Of
their common Bible, and the drm laith In their
common christ Just when the armies ar , Of science
alliance with Mazzini ana Garioaldi IN Italy, with
Strauss and Hegel in Germany, with the Interna.
tomas IN Geneva and the Communists In france,
to break down the intellectual and temporal de-
fences OF the Catnonc Church, aud, with her, Of
chrysaiized Jansensis Of Holland lthe National
Church." orsooth,, the Radicals and RatIonalists.
OF Berne and ZuI ich, and the Free Masons OF
South America, covering the land as with net
work OF lntidehty. sucn are the auxiliarles with
which the Protestant Episcopal Church OF America
and the Established Church OF England avow
themselves III league for the overthrow OF
Does it Strike your American readers how iogi-
cal, not to say now ridiculous, This report or the
.Church Reformation ComInissionn makes the
body who claim TO be the true Church OF Christ in
America and the only representatives OF ''Jhe
trul and freedom" which are Christ's boon to the
nations
lhey triumphantly parade before the American
public the crime or Catholics In Italy, Swltzer-
land Germany, Brazil, Peru and Mexico, consist.
Ing In "defanty resisting" the VIII or the State.
was Ine P tans Of New England ptne ana the the
Catholic pilgrims OF Maryland VINO mad sought an
tiers OF conscience, and that the presence of the
Protestant Episcopal Cnurcn In TINS land OF liberty
was precisely protest against this dsenthral-
ment OF conscience from the tyranny OF the civil
magistrate The Anglican Church was the creature
OF tne State; her daughters IN the United States
and Canada show the milk with which they have
been nursed They are laDoring everywhere in
the Old World and the New to make the Catholic
Cnurch the slave OF the state In sprituals in
temDorals
Allow me to submit two questions to the men,
bers III the "Cnurch Reformation Commsslun.r
How did they approve OF the disestabllshment of
the Irish Church, and ON that subject what is the
America? How VIII they approve wnen TO-
morrow or the next day the English Parliament
Churchg
IL is on record that in the case OF the Irish
ne i G nS, a ana t6 was
go up when the temporaties OF the English cs-
tabishment are threatened. Pray, gentlemen,
tell me how can that be justice ana equity In Italy
Germany ana switzerland, which you cali iniquty
| and oppression IN ireland and England? You have
SAID 1t through every organ you own In the press.
| the irish Church, her bishops, priests ana people,
were ignored ana oppressed by the Act OF Discs.
adjustment How was 10 when the churches
abbeys and monasteries built by Cath
ollc Hishmen during a thousand years and
| the broad lands donated by them, were
| confscatei III day to the profit OF a few apostate
| blrelngs and the voice OF q whoie nation ignored
| In the transaction? How Is IT now in Switzerland
| ana Germany, when III the name OF law and lib
| erty bishops and pastors are driven from heir
| churches and homes, cast into prison, crushed
! WItn nneS, while their churches are seized and
| handed ever TO ''Old Cathollcs,u suspended and
| degraded priests, and their people Given over to
the ministratlon or men who are as odlous to
them as.that first OF "Old Catholics Judas, or his
great prototype, Sathanas.
1t Is no principle that Is not universal in its an
plicaton, no justice hat has one standard OF right
| and wrong lor Catholics ana quito another Tor