, 1877-07-15


estant Church Of Germany is an event O
much greater Importance than the conhic
between the State and the Catholic Church
Tho Rationalistic tendency in the Empir
only came to the surface about hundre
years ago. and it was reinforced by Englis
Deism through TRANSACTIONS Of T1SDA1, b
the presence of such French infdels as Vo1
TA1RE and D1DERoT at the Court Of FREDERIC
| H., and by the metaphysics Of WOLFF, whicl
subjected everything to reason. Out 0
these beginnings sprang the schools Of LEN
IER, LEss1Na. KANT, STRAUSS, FEuERBAoH
and BAUER The Rationaistic attack WIGS mnde
not only outside, but inside the Church, ant
Il has steadily increased, notwithstanding
the influence and power Of the Court hav,
been opposed to it. So far has i
progressed TINT even now the Prot
estant Synods are discussing the pro
priety of prohibiting the use o
| the Apostles Creed in divine service, and st
bitter has the discussion become, and so VIC
lent the attack of the Rationalists, or liberia
wing of the Church, that the orthodox fac
tion has taken refuge under the wing of the
civil power, and called upon the Emperor fol
! help and protection.
A striking effect of the spread of this spirit
| OF Rationalism is shown in the alarming de-
crease Of church-going. In 1913, the aver
| age attendance upon church in Berlin WAS
bnreiy 80, 600 out Of population of 500, 900.
Since that time the population has increased
to 800, 600, and the number of church-coers
hes still further decreased. There are in
Germany. in round numbers, twenty-eisht
| million Protestants and fourteen million
| Catso olics. Of these twenty-eight millions,
fully one-half during the past few years have
been abandoning their orthodox belief
and going over to what Dr. KRuM-
MAcHER called ''the Devils kitchen
of BAUER, STRAUSS, RENAN, and ScHEsKE1,
where the enchanting potion is prepared
which in due time will produce the anti
Christian intoxication of the people, in
other words, the .EcangeIiyehe Kirche, the
Protestant State Church of Germany, is be-
coming iberalized, and its members as q rule
are not going to church. To the extent that
the educated classes of Germany conclude
that the dogmas Of the Lutheran creed are in
conflict with the revelations of Science, men,
tai, moral, or physical, to that extent
they coolly disregard the expounding of
those dogmas, and even carry their indifer-
ence and absolute hostility so far that they
are now seeking to abolish the Apostles
Creed from divine service as a rusty and
useless form. The reason of this remark
able change is easily found. Professionalism.
like everything else in Germany, is char
ncterized By obstinacy and inhexibil-
ity. It is not only conserva-
tire, but it has the rigidity of
iron. 1t will not yield in any point to
Science. It will make no compromises. 1t
is aut CGsar aut nihd. It does not stop to
investigate or discuss with Science. It
mathematics her. It's hostility is as bitter |
and undying as was that of HAss1BA1 to
Rome. It demands that the believer shall |
accept alI the dogmas without question, or |
go into the outer darkness of infdelity. The
relations Of the two may be shown by con-
trast with our own country. Here there is
a spirit of compromise. The labors of such |
men as DAVID SWING, JOSEPH CooK, and !
others, show that there is no necessity for a |
conflict between Science and the moral pre-
cepts of religion. Professionalism, instead
Of defying Science, seeks a reconciliation
with her, and by sacrificing non-essentials
holds her own, while skepticism makes slow
progress. Science never yet hns made any as
'ault upon the foundation truths of Christian-
ty that has weakened them, and, having con-
1dence in the security Of those foundations,
he Church can afford to compromise, or
sven yield points which are not essential to
he truth of doctrines. In Germany, how
sver, the Church will yield nothing. It flies
it Science as MARTIN LUTHER flew Mt the
Devil. There never can be any reconci1ia-
ion between them. But individuals progress
The Church does not, and, as individuals
lnve no alternative left them except to i'm
'hcitly accept the dogmas or leave, they
cave. The result is that fourteen millions.
r one-half the Protestants Of Germany, are
ot believing anything, Or are so Indifferent
hat they neglect the Church altogether,
7hile some of the more impulsire, in
ensed at the arbitrary demand of the
'hurch, are carried to the extreme of in
delity. In the large cities the Church |
uffcrs the most. In Berlin, where
per cent of the people are Protest. |
nts, and churches are very numer-
us, scarcely any men attend church, the i
hurch~goers being mainly women. In t
rance, where there are only 2,000,0 600 /
to 54,o0o,0o0 Catholics, the ,
sme causes operate to produce the same re- I
Its. The Protestants are divided in the
iddle. The anti-clerical party, or what is a
officially known as the Republican, is not &
arty Of church -goers, The Church there is y
st MS inhexible and unyielding as in Ger n
any, nnd for this reason the Il asses deny Fl
ligion altogether and run off into FREQ \
ought and unbelief. So also in italy and Il
sewhere. England is more like the O
nited States. The Established Church of f,
ngand is not only yielding in many points n
Science, but also sacrificing non-essentia1s u
the demands of Dissenters This liberni- n
on the part of the Church has its e,
ward. The people Of England and the II
aited States are, as rule, church-goers. il
le Protestant people Of Germany and d
ance AZ n Y11Ja nre mt ch1,rob ,,oo.r | =.