The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-09
is THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH DYING OUT9

IL 4i4b III ADNOl AL NllO IlCl llNU w !.
REMARKABLE ADDRESS BY THE REV. DR..
THoMPsoN-THE CHURCH LOSING GROUND IN
THIS coUNTRY-rHE EPISCOPAL AND CATHOLIC
CHURCHES coNTRAsTED.
The church Conference which meets In the
church corner OF Madison avenue and Thirty.ffth
street Is an organization OF Protestant Episcopal
clergymen, who meet for the purpose OF excna2g.
ing views and listening TO the reading OF papers
upon subjects interesting to the clergy. The twen
ty-thrd conference occurred yesterday a!tern DON.
and on motion OF Rev. n. E. Corn wall. secretary.
Rev. DR.. Adams was called TO the chair Their e
were present about ten clergymen, as many lay.
men and half dozen ladies.
The proceedings were opened with prayer BY
Rev. Dr. Adams, alter which DR.. Hugh NJ. Thomp.
son, OF Grace church, made an address upon the
decline In this country OF Eplscopalanism He
prefaced his remarks by the declaration that he
proposed to utter sentiments that would, perhaps,
be disputed BY members present. but they were
his own individual conclusions, arrived at after
careful investigation. He declared that be did not
believe that the Protestant Episcopal Church for
the past ten years had made any progress In this
country. He meant by progress. OF course, rela.
tive progress. but he was willing to concede that
she had made absolute progress. BY thus declara.
ton he wished to be understood that
ruu ,rrr,n -, -
80 oA a"O wi AD' ANoSO
In this country with the increase In population.
II we examined the subject we would nud that
the Church had not only not increased relatively,
but had decreased largely In the last ten years.
sensation. He cited the reports OF the Church
work IN Kansas and sewhere. and asserted that
the Cnurch mao decreased IN the NUMBER oil per-
sons taking holy orders, in contributions, in men,
na.sb,r 10 Tho ravar.na oart,an,or rrocaoa.a
oelS"ip' "o. ine te'eie"o sen.'eman p'ooeeoeo
70 fOr "a tori ho Arst M
assigned was the distrust OF the Church. OF its enas
o,ms ona rprnos.s tho, bad raEan rossass,or q,
rna Anosricar naor,s rho comss -, .n,. n,s,rrs.
was the belief that the
rrxnrxcTrs IN ru,s uonx
iHNDHNho W AhiS DooA
were toward Ultramontanlsm, II not Romanism.
The man who does not know this the learned Doc.
.ar aao,ar.a 49,. ~, 49, w. sont,..s a-.S.
tor deciared' ooes not know the sentiments OF the
people. He admitted that the Church had grown
At some seasons IN this country; then there was
distrust. ina was alter the Revolutionary war,
account OF The dsloyalry that was believed 10
pervade the Church. Thls wasso in Virginia, where
dersIood that 1t was loyal to the Republic our
Church stood hgn IN the confluence OF the COM
rapdy-when HOBART and others champ ioned her
Alter this ner growth was checked by the Tracta-
rian movement, out OF when, however, t.ere came
good She outgrew that, anu my own deliberate
conviction is that the form OF worship started in
81 Adams cnurcn came 10 disturb US. Mr. Ihomp::
son referred TO the nl9n church rites as practsed
IN St. Adams and other congregations, which
tended toward Romanlsm, and assigned as
another cause Tor the lack OF growth
THE DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH.
We might be united, ne SAID, TO make our Church
move toward particular pOlni-toward Rome II
you please-lor then We could defend our position,
but we are divided and permit tolcrafOn IN our
forms OF worship. He referred 10 the liberation
winch permits any church to suit It's own forms of
worship 10 the tastes oil the pastor and the congre
gauon; which permits antasonism within the
Church on Vital points, sucn AS one church
declaring one thing false aud another church the
same thing true. He compared 1t with the Church
OF Rome, the system ot which is strictly logical.
The Romanish system Is welded chain without
naw, and the man VINO attempts TO break 1t Will
find himself engaged IN difficult work. The
Church OF England Is In direct opposition to
ROmanlSm, and the question occurs, Can these two
churches EXIST We are brought to the issue tnat
the two systems are opposed to each other. II he
Episcopal Church Is flushed, fenced in. the gates
hung, &C., our liberation permits that you may
arrange anything inside the walls. 1t Is nOu0dy'S
TONS, somebody will say, II they have worship
Ike the Romans. Ii this man wants candles, an
other man q
PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW ON GOOD FRIDAY,
that he had peen informed that In one church Mrs
Jarley's wax works were exhibited. Mr. Tnomp.
son declared that The church is dear to Eplsco-
palians SO much for what she Is as what she Is 10
belongs to lme-ine Child. the daughter uf the age.
G Told her IN trust for the iand and people. We
have no right 70 Keep out or her the people, Tor
our Church Is holding q solemn trust from God.
has upon the people around, as you will Ind that
our division ID the one thing they dwell upon. They
see that here on one street is q church declaring
one doc Iine and another street close BY another
federation, he asked calculated TO crowd into our
Church Inc one tang III our land Is the dis
turDance among religious bodies. 1t IS that no
two churches tell the same story. Now, Is II o