Daily Republican., 1878-10-30
A THEOIIoGICAL FILr.
Bishop Lee Of the Protestant Epis.
copal, and Bashep Becker or the
Catholic Chureh-The Disputauss.


Catholic Chnreh Disputsuss
As matters now look It seems as II tn,
people Of Wilmington were to be treatet
to a religious discussion upon the re
spective merits Of professionalism ant
catholicism by Bishop Lee and Bishol
Becker. The literary ability and thu
nighstanding n Of each promise discus
sion Of no ordinary merit. The prom
issd discussion has been brought sbou'
by q sermon preached ON Sunday las,
In 81. Andrews Episcopal church by
Bishop Lee, who had just returned from
Europe, where he had been in atten.
dance at the Pan-Angelican Council as.
sembled at the Westminster palace.
In tho sermon alluded TO the Bishop
based his REMARKS on the following
text: "Watchman, what Of the night
The watohman said the morning com
eth" In the course Of his remarks,
and in drawing a comparison b-tween
the Episcopal and Catholic Churches,
he made a distinction against the lat
ter, which Bishop Becker has taken ex-
ception TO, and has given notice that
he will answer next Sunday st st..
Peters Cathedral. II is not known
that Bishop Lee will continue the dis
cussion, but 1t is reasonable to suppose
that he will maintain the position ia
ken in his sermon. The following are
a few of the Objectionable parsgra ph s
in the Bishops sermon, which Bishop
Becker proposes to answer:
We look over this world. 1t ia a world
for which Christ died, q world which
Christ claims, In one sense of the word
His own purchased possession and yet
what are the present condition and as
poets of this world 7 At least two thirds
Of the inhabitants Of the globe are in
ignorance Of the gospel Of Jesus Christ,
or have refused it. The Pagan and Mo-
hammedan religion embrace at least a
third portion Of the worlds population.
Then, when we come 10 those who pro-
fess to be the followers OF the Lord Je.
sus Christ, our attention is, in the frs
place, arrested by thst immense body
which owes allegiancs 70 the Roman
pontlff, . body which oonprehends per.
haps nearly ons-half Of the nominal
christian world. Now would not say
a word to hurt the feelings Of a sincere
follower Of the Romish faith, yet
in sps iking oil the subject from this
point of view, cannot but character
ize the church Of Rome as soul
crushing and soul blighting despotism
AS something which subs litutes for the
faith Of the Lord Jesus Christ, a spu
rious and unchristian faith, a paganism,
ostensibly in the name OF Christ, with
the Virgin Mother, saints and angels
substituted in his place; with con
science denied its rishtful place in the
breast, because men are by Il denied
the guidance Of their o0nscienees. |
will not dwell at this time any further
upon the peculiar features and charac-
lcristics OF the Roman delusion, but
call your attention to those Oriental
churches which toa greater or less de-
gree are involved in much of ignorance
and superstition, but which, unlike
the church Of Rome, have never declar-
I'D themselves infallible, which have
never taken up position out of which
they cannot retreat aud have never
all those who differ
with them.
In referring to the Pan-Angaican Con-
ference he said: III We compare it with
those assemblies which have been con.
vened in the city Of Rome we shall find
none to compare with it iu territorial
extent and certainly none TO compare
with il for moment in liberty ofspeech
anu action. This was voluntary as
selnbly; not constrained by the power
of any summons II was powerless to re-.
sist. ,.
II a Roman bishop attempted TO re.
sist the call of his office pontiff to Rome
he would iInperil his Office il not his
life. In this assem- blage there was un-
restrained freedom of opinion, nothing
was kept back that seemed of impor-
tance to the occasion; SO that it was a
body differing in the extent which it
represents from any ancient Council
and differing in its entire liberty of ac-
tion from those bodies which were COLI
vened at the city OF Rome; and it diff
f-red from them in another important
respect, and that was, it aid not un
dertake to establish any new articles of
faith or to set forth any new dognas,
but adhered to the faith a. embodied
IN the Holy Scriptures, to which nen
may add nothing and from which men
may take nothing away.
Dover ltenns.
The State Fair building were pretty
we'll demolished by the recent storm.
n. 4 N