The New York herald., 1877-11-01
THE EPISCOPAL CONGRESS.
Thoughtful Essays on the Spiritual
Forces in Civilization.
THE PRESS AND CHRISTIANITY.
Views Of Mr.. John Jay, Erastus Brooks
Bishop Dudley and Others.
CLOSE OF THE SECOND DAYS WORK.

1.-THE Spiritual Forces In Civillzatlou was suo oSS-
Sect at the morning session OF the Epscopai
Church Congress- which continued It's deliberations
yesterday at Chickerng Hall considerable proper
lion of the audience was up Of ladies, who mani-
tested the keenest interest the proceedings although
tho papers and addresses were Of highly me'apnys-
cal and abstruse character Rev. !. & Ever OF o.
Ignatus' Church, this city; Rev. Francis a. henfy.
OF Stamford, Conn.,, and Rev. Percy browne, Oh
boston read carefully prepared essays, and addresses
were made by Rev. N. Abercrombio d. D., OF jersey
City; Rev. DR.. Membart. Rev. 5. d. Mcconnell ana
As Woodle In the evening. despite the rain,
large audience was present 'The Relation OF the
Popular Press to Christianity" was discussed John
Jay this city, the essayis, and Erastus brooKs
Right Rev. T. NJ. Dudley, Assistant Bishop oi Ken
lucky ana Bishop Clark. OF Rhode Island, and the
just consecrated Bishop scnereschewsky, mado ad'
dresses.
THE PRooEEDNGs
Tho morning session opened by Rev. Dr.
Wides, the secretary, who announced that the pres
ident, Bishop Potter, was unavoidably absent, and
that Bishop Wilmer, OF New Orleans had been invited
to take chair Until the latter gentleman arrived,
some time aterward, the Congress presided over
by Bishop Clark OF Rhode Island
DIX. EwER's PAPER.
Rev. Dr. Ever the first speaker, and he was
listened to with great attention, as hc Is re-
garded by many the representative High
Churchman He said thnt spiritual force came
into the world with the Holy Ghost and would
be by him considered synonymous with
Christianity. 1t mad not been drifting through the
centuries but had existed In an organized iorm or
ls00 years To Christianity, to the Church, then, It
belonged TO grappe with perplex!ng social problems,
moderate the passions and the baser i'm
pulses of the lower grades OF mankind. In
tne past tho Church had been tho great elevator
Of the race, had brought Europe out OF the
darkness OF ignorance and slavery into intelligence
a v..t franA fraad thoh hnp sna
marriage tie elevated woman, founded charitable IN
stuons, mitigated tho horrors OF and dothroned
brute force 10 give supremacy 10 thought as power
Whatever might be SAID about the vencraton OF the
Virgin Mary the ejaculation, "Hoy Mother, pray Tor
surrounded womannood and motherhood with halo.
Christianity had produced modern freedom. Freedom
alone would be simply license; authority alone would
degenerate into tyranny. 1t was the Church's prov
inee 70 see that they were not divorced rho spirit Of
this Dr. Ever said, was to destroy authority and
abuse liberty, and therefore there was need OF tho
Cnurch
Rev. Francis A. Henry read the Eext essay lie
said the supreme historical force in civilization had
been varously stated 10 DO nature, man and Divine
Providence There must be something more than the
force of nature the reverend geneman contended or
would not have risen above animal passiviiy Ho
thought those IN error who regard man as the sole
historical orce and he failed TO with the Others
who contend that Providence alone Is that force they
who maintained the later theory ieli INTO gross
error Tor they necessarily made 1t appear that God IS
not in the world but external 10 II, and therefore
HIS actions regarded as intervention. According
TO this theory would exist course OF act,ona
therefore they would have Two principles OF historic
sorce. or, really, no supreme principle at all Tho
mutual relations God had said II am the truth; 20
shal know tho truth, anu The truth shall make ye
Irce." This WAS the sum OF human history and tho
ultimate oud Of the world.
REV. PERCY BROWNIES
Rev. Percy Browne followed with an essay, in which
he contendcd that the essence OF civilization
mans capacity Tor organized as distinguished from
Individual lie This capacity was force which had
sxcrted powerful influence upon the race, and had
hfsed IRON higher TO higher planes through the
Ages The phrase "Church and world" now means,
he said Christianity civilization. and civillza
lion Is manifestation Of tho divine spirit the Two
could not be in antagonism The errors OF individual
men could councract annul the force OF God
srting itself upon universal mankind
Rev. DR.. Membart, Rcv. 5 ID. Mcconnell and Rev.
II. Abcrcrompie delivered brie addresses the same
subject Rev. A. 5. Woodlc, another volunteer speaker
took issue tho speakers WHO had precedeu him.
Tne tendency Of churchmcn he said, to ignore
the intellectual powers oi man, and 10 emphasize
what they call !hgpurey Spiritual. ne ne1 that CIV
THE PRESS AND cHRIsTlAMrY.
In tho evening Bishop Potter was well enough to
Mr. John Jay late Minister to Vienna, was first in
tr0duccd. He read paper oil considerable length In
which he remarked that The subject presented ques
lions OF great interest," the nation Is entering upon
the second century OF us existence The growth OF the
newspaper press shown by The statement that
1910 there were S76 newspapers published IN tho
United states, with issue oi 22 900 00o while
1870 the issue sos 600 00o This circulation had
since greatly increased, representing overy variety
0f opposing vews in religion anu politics. In
France the press proceeded from tho clique whose
moathpiece 1t was, In Germany from the ideas
II supposed to advocate but Eng
land, aud especially in America, 1t from
the people. st. Paul. living In Rome probably knew
far Of what going In tnat city than does
the New York mechanic VINO reads eacn morning the
events OF tho night previous In the Vatican and the
QuirinaL Mr. Jay dwct length upon the power and
enterprise OF the metropolitan pross which, not
tent 10 record from day 10 day the events In which
in expeditions into Africa or searching for the
North Pole. To tho mass Of the country was largely
aue the fact that we are to-day irec united people,
and destiny. (ADpause1 Good
work done by the newspapers by publ shing
ana political hondays There we're, Mr.. Jay said.
swo forces at work against Christianity In these days.
ana for aid against them It was not only desirable
but essential that the press should be depended
npon the hrst was inhdeity, which was pervading
historic clam Of ,he E,ms Court and Church to "x
ercise in all countries supreme authority the
State to employ external coalition and to condemn
ali who MAINTAIN the liberty OF the press, liberty OF
conscience and liberty OF speech" How can we raiso
paper and Will continue to be from youth TO the
grave the chief organ OF instruction all subjects
Of public to the OF the people.
the tone oil the community raised the press would
Improve, and 1t was necessary to educate the
prdor that 1t might rightly educate the people.
good and wise men use their personal in
1uence directly upon tho editors, aud also by
sending CON mmunications for publication upon sub
tects OF popular interest paper recently read he
fore the OHIO Editorial Association mace a sugges-
lion that chair for the teaching OF journalism should
be established IN cacn oi the colleges throughout the
land"
Montgomery BLAIR, OF Baltimore who also to |
have read paper, was unabed TO attend, and IN his
absence Mr.. Erastus Brooks was introduced Hc read
4 paper OF considerable length, in the course 1
of which he said:-"lt is my opinion that
Supportcd, when It follows that when IT leafs pubic
opnIon; and that 10 the of support whore II IS
most sensational vicious aud personal land in this
do not except so-caiied religious pTcssj IL most
Encouraged. The press may be terrible engine of
sytl as It may DO vehicle oi absolute good 50 far
sa ANYTHING human be onniscicnt " Is the
press Presidents, empcrors, kings and all ru-
ers may die, but the press lives forever, and
no power In the State has grown fast strong
as this II journalism IS SO powerful the question Is
well put--Who shall save us from such Journalism as
made the Commune possbl IN ParisY | answer Tor
America that is not possible here long as schools
atc free churches exist aud the people huk. But 10
mako II Impossible there must be the reign o. COM
mon sense ana common honesty, with wisdom IN
government, caution In the OF capital and
kecn sense OF Justice between those who 1.-Two by tho
-. ,hotvh tis and The