New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-01
THE EPISCOPAL CONGRESS.
CIVILIZATION AND THE PRESS.

AssIsrANr-BIsHoP DUDLEY. ERAsTUs BROOKS
AND OTuERs.
The attendance at the Episcopal Church
Congress yesterday morning. much greater than on
the preceding day. although the conservation oil lhe
Rev Dr. l. l. Scherechcwsky to the Bishoprlc OF emma
took place Al the time, at Grace Church TIE sn-
dence seemed take much interest in the subject under
discussion and the speakers were frequently interruption
by applause Bishop Clark, OF Rhode Island, presided
during the early part of the session Later the veneer
able Bishop Wilmer entered the nan ana was iVod 10
the chair.
The subject considered 1.-THE Spiritual Forces In
Civilization" The Rev. DR. +. c. Ever OF the Church OF
81 naus took the position that spiritual forces came
into the world only with Christianity for there were
morality and civilization before Christ He sad IN part
These forces have not been floating through the uni
verse. They have rom the first been organized INTO
church. Their regenerang marks nave Oetn seen III lhe
revolution of social lie aud the formation of habits and
manners I'm bending mOnarchs TO their WILL In eevatng
woman, mitigating the horrors OF war; III nhuehcnS
legislation, IN protecting the infant ana the ageu
and in Selling the elements OF Roman CIVIL
zaton end barOatsm, ana mouihns ,,eu i liz
modern Europe. This work not done suddenly bnt
slowly ana WIN caution Inc woIk o, '',o ci az ne
present and the future and, as the social ana popc
louder aud as the voices That challenge the
hitherto uaques Of competton 20 curQ inc
SD rt OF moderation, establish the eternal principles
Of the brotherhood Of man, and thus to save society," sun
filled with 50 many elements devoid OF cehtra al'i''o
Be6old Christianity, then patient mastcrarst, IN
tle roar and dust of the Medieval workshop laboring
nnon the materials for modern Europe. in It's well or
defed houses quiet streets It's public charities, us
peacefu pursuits its high moral standard ITS active
thought It's gentle manners, aud just national ana inter-
national legislation her wishes and Influence peneir3t
ing eyervwhere to-day. aud reflected from the press the
bench the pulpit. the rostIum and daily ssu IN silent
has flied the galleries Of cath from the volumes win
which she has enrched our libraries, and from heTT
peculiar architecture, every mulhOu and cOIDd ana
final OF which il an expressive word
The Rev Francis A. Henry, of Stamford, Comb, was
the next speaker The following is abstract OF his
paper:
Civilization is human progress in which man is realiz
ing the capacities OF his nature The constant forces
that wrought the fabric Of civilization have aWak
Cned three answers inc supreme historic iolces are
said t. be nature, man. or Divine Providence According
70 the first, civilization Is natural product formed Dy
the physical conditions ihat surround the ne Oi NAN
The mistake 81 this theory is that II considers
conditions According 10 the second CIVILIZATION
failure To gasp in its conception OF human nature thS
consist wholly in its conscious powers o intellect ana
will II here that il has broken down III that II views
man in his conscious acr0n, the sole author u MS
tOric progress The attempt 10 pui THIS theory ID pac
tee in France ruined II Conscious inGusht w9 Iosnu
DRY declares progress OF history 10 be ordained ana
controlled bv Divine Providence. rhe fault of this idea
il maj n logically pre,upposc world set i'm motion by
one cause auJ then makes Divine Providence another
that nteyenes That makes two principles IN MS
tory which are as good as no principles at al. A..
Now. the error common 10 al these theories Is that
they lock upon man, nalnr, ana God Is e&Stng eacn
in itself ana FOR itself while the truth they oay exist 10
mutual relation ana we must @3S 10 men ui.Y lII d ie
cusson is allowable 10 set aside tne material, AMI con
slider Inc human ana lic hINIhc Inc Itidtlon pb
within himself tnc divine Thought and VII In
T Tln1 r Si.1Si between Cod ana man rinds
concrete sphere the nation The nation i a part Of
humanity Above all and nations but still in them,
Is the spirit OF history Bnt it il independent and hn
al cod Is te revelation of II 10 man THIS revelation is
religion; Tie central hsnI OF religion Is CAriat The
spiritual force OF civilization Is Christ
The Rev. Percy Browne, OF Boston, read The third
paper In part, ne said
Civilization the organic life OF the race and the true
history ~ civilization would be the history 81 IN, ten
dency toward organization The consciousness that hu
manity Il greater thing than individual he now pre-
civilization IN exponent OF Cod ana are us Operating
forces and The church in kind degree! In
spite Of certain philosophical views (Which the speaker
mentioned at length, as CHRISTIANS We nope 70 give
better Interpretation tndn they, 10 TINS rae. oI organic
@ ,iS Liz; m - ne rIrr6 Cyizto is
nor only full OF spiritual forces put INTO it by Christianity
Uhat s tho chuTc but 10 IL The prOdCc Of these forces
Inc law of sacrifice iitn winch refuses 20 clasp the
cross so closely that 1t excludes the world for which
Christ died. every mind working under the inpnl~e OF
thc love OF truth, even the special concusiois ed
b. each mind, he maternal Improvement o. lAe day. are
10 ne regarded spiritual forces OF the day The IecOSn
ton OF these does not break oowh iLe cAirch' nHt
more firmly estab hes tue reason OI lis existence The
church does different WORK IN different ages Il supreme
work nov 10 u bear witness To ihe DNue character OF
any good or NOME achievement to give the re sOti man
such cOnce iOu OF his relation 10 humanity 10 teach
spirit of civilization.
The Rev Dr. Monooert of Jersey City, spoke emphat
ically in some volunteer REMARKS. He said:
There is great amount o. m.sc"nceptOa IA reArd %
s,tity gnSb Vii r"ye 5r,mi - All rbines
earthly Somebody will say highest f0GI is The
negatOn of al religion. the proof OF ihs Is tla people
crowded to hear tIo greatest exponent OF science who
takes theS, vi.
.'Same niln." cried some person in the audience.
" Huxley" answered the speaker
beg the gcutlemau's pardon" continued Dr None
bert calmly, " bu have my own opinion on tEa point
iAppaGsel TIE highest force Of ciyiz .tlon Is TIE
church, and 10y church don't mean everything thai calls
itself that which Is founded up tn Lord
Christ have great fespecs iof Boston, Ddt be-
leye that there is also Intelligence outside her classic
limits"
The following gentlemen also spoke briefly upon the
question TIE Rev. DR.. r. u. A0ercrODibe, OF New
jersey the Rev. :. ID. Mcconnell Of Connecticut and a.
S. Doodle, " Altoona
NEWSPAPERS AND CHRISTIANITY.
The attendance IN the evening very large The
audience appeared much interest tho subject Of
discussion. The Relation Of The Popular Press to
Christianity ID America" Hon. John jay made the open
ing address. OF which the following is abstract:
The relation Oi the popular press IN America 10 Chris
taity presents questions Of interests enter
upon the second cenIhrJ ID our hitolA He me de-
eennia supplies statistics 81 the M crcas-0i IT.
culaton WHICH plllS hI e4ie INC gro IN oi IL pow
OF. TIE country had u 1910 go newspapers, with an
annual issue Of 22OJO,ODD Tnc II teen nandred million
sheets in 1870. now increased PROBABLY 10 more
tnan two thousand millions, itpcaths every va
Tlety opposing views ~ religion aud politics.
While opinions definitely pronounced ia the last
Church Congress may serve u shu" the dihicdiiv o.
an agreement. they unto Ia recognizing no gower o.
the press To- good OF for evil ana hat Il cucf emcnt
IN the subject DcOre US IL las been said tbaI u France
q newspaper derives force from tine clql which
IL represents. and in Germany 1rOm TIE lncas
which IL supposed 20 advocate; Dut in LuZlGad, and
especially in Ancrci the public voice fluids dtttrauce
through the Press, and We look 20 Tie Pres simply
for current history but fyI lcnt tdOl- cHdlC.
fersfIc 81 the American Press which forgot
zen, when We compare 10 A mat Of other count :, is
nals-frOm tie imperial ANA tcelesiasuoai censorship
the Pres Of Continental Europe. The mcJropo'i-