Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-04


even with spano of native honor in him he
should himself leave her. She, If her authority
Is not vain word, must force him to 20.
And it matters not to Gods spouse what honor
ed name he bears. Gods truth is all her treas
ure, and him who violates truth, be he an en-
peror on his throne, or a geuius among her
scholars, she strikes with her anathema. 1t
was the lesson of her master. ''He that believeth
not shall be condemned 1t was the lesson
of st. Paul. "If an angel from heaven preach
another gospel-let him be anathema.' The
Protestant Episcopal church would not excom-
municate the honored Dollinger; she has no
authority, and the rebel would laugh at her
pretensions. She does not value truth and why
should she war in its defense? She would fear
the human loss Of potent churchman, because
she does not draw her life from Christ. She
has not the spirit of the Master and consequent
~ does not obey His injunctions Her usual
language Is sarcasm on the gospel-belieye
what you like, but stay with me. l am '.the
roomy church.
II had rather" says Dir. Thomas, ''see in
the rival bodies of Christendom the note of
holiness than the note Of unity" What he
cannot have he disparages even if it be Gods
appointment. Christ made holiness to depend
on truth. .'Sanctify them in trnth.'' And
His prayer at the last supper for the church
was and not for them only do pray, but for all
those who through their own word shall believe
in That they all may be one that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent me-"
pass over some points in Mr.. Thomas dis
course which have no bearing upon the present
controversy, authority versus communism, and
will now take up his defense of the Protestant
Episcopal church.
Mr. Thomas is as opposed to communism as
Dir. Breed. True Liberty he says, whether
IN thought or action, | think all Will concede,
Is regulated liberty, Or liberty restrained by
authority. Furthermore Mr. Thomas is clear
ly with me, while | am attacking Dir. Breed
to prove that the Professionalism of the House
OF Hope Is religious communism" In his SER
mon OF February 10th, these words occur: THE
answer which makes the bible the sole author
lty In matters of faith, but at the same time
comedies the unlimited right of private inter
probation, has gwen us every variety Of creed
and sect which the human mind can conceive
1t has proved most utterly destructive of or
ganic unity in the church of Cod Nv thesis is
that MIR. ~homas' Professionalism is not only as
bad as MIR. Breeds, but good deal worse.
Mr.. Breeds limitation on the Individual
reason is the bible. The whole difficulty 1
said, Is III the Interpretation of the bible, and
as the single individual is supreme in this mat
ter of interpretation the Limitation is not in
point, and communism reigns Mr.. Thomas
gives us the Protestant Episcopal limitation.
The branch of Gods church to which we be-
long, believes in the coordinate authority of
the bible and the church and right reason"
The three, he adds must harmonic. He de-
formulate creeds and symbols, which, if not
contrary to reason and scripture shall restrain
the license of private opinion His appeals
are; not to the fathers as judges, but as wit
nesses; not to single declaration, but to united
testimony; mot to the church as an infallible
Judge, but indefectible witness; not to
the church at one time or in one place, but in
her universality in both regards What have
we after all! The individual reason in a worse
plight than ever before in Professionalism, With
Mr.. Breed we have but the bible to quarrel
over. There Is matter enough, of course, for
differences and combats, between the first
chapter OF Genesis and the last Of revelations
and no wonder that ten thousand conflicting
voices fill the air, and that the mind grows
dizzy before the task of reaching ultimate re-
llglous truth and gives up in despair. But
what will it be, when to the bible you add three
hundred folios OF Fathers, and ponderous vol
umes OF llturgies and DEGREES of councils
Yet this is the position in which Mr.. Thomas
places you. The church must be consulted
Not the church In one time or in one place, but
in her universally in both regards Then the
testimony OF the church must be proved not to
be contrary to reason and Scripture, and the
whole work devolves, finally, upon each indi-
vidual Christian, be he poor or rich, ignorant
or learned Now it men disagree in inter-
pretlng, according to what each one deems
right reason, church and Scripture who will
decide! Where will there be a limitation to
individual license! Have we not absolute
ommunism--communism all the more inten-
stied that there is more extended field of in
qulry subjected to debate.
The Episcopal church has no power. no prjn-
clplc, TO restrain license Of thought among its
adherents. 1t processes it's liability to err as a
judge, and tells the individual that it is his
duty to examine It's testimony and its decisions,
and to judge for himself. In his sermon of
Feb. 10th, where he terms Professionalism out
fhu &C
unity, MIR. Thomas finds safety for the Episco-
Pal in the creed. But if the individual church
man discovers that the creed is contrary to
reason and Scripture, on what principle can the
church rebuke him? The VII. Art in the
English Book OF Common PRAYER enumerates
three creeds, the Apostles creed, the Nicene
creed, and the Athanasan creed, and adds that
the three ought to be believed, as they NAV be
proved by most certain warrants of Holy
Scripture The American Episcopalians who
met A. D., 1889, to organize the Protestant
Episcopal church of America did not believe
that the Athanasan creed could be proved nv
Scripture, and refused to allow it into their
Book Of Common Prayer. fierce battle is
now wag ing i'll England to exclude it from the
English Book on the same principle. The Nj
Gene and the Apostles can, and perhaps yctIwill,
be dropped, or at least altered, and what then
will be left? What logically there should be-.
nothing. The conference of the Reformed
Episcopal-church did, a few years ago, at least
propose to alter the Apostles creed. On what
principle could the mother church--the Prot
cstant Episcopal-condemn their action?
Indeed, as a fact, there is no other Protest
ant church within whose pale there exists SO
much religious communism. The Episcopal
church Is very bedlam Of conflicting opinions
Mr.. Thomas tells us it has been properly called
tho roomy church, multiplied the opin-
ions it has to hold within it's embrace. We all
know the names of a few Of it's sections, divi-
led fpfr tha1 th oil
religion--Ritualism, High Church, Middle
Church, Low Church, Broad Church. Some
ministers hear confessions build up affairs
| upon which they affect to say mass. and adore
their consecrated elements, protesting to be-
lieve Christ to be really present Others de-
| nounce such practices idolatrous abomina-
| tlons. In one church baptismal regeneration is
taught; in another the people are told that
baptism IS mere outward ceremony. These
venerate the Scripture as Gods pure word
those-high in dignity-tell of the fables and
mistakes of the bible. Some adhere strictly to
the MINK Articles; Others declare tiem
damnable heresies or worthless speculations.
There churchmen are most exclusive
| in their religious associations;
there, the Swedenborgans are allowed
the benefit of temple and church choir, and
Congregationalists and Presbyterians are in
est thing yet authorities of the Episcopal
church recognize this communism as the nor
NAL condition of the church. The Bishop of
Ely, in England, said in convocation, A. d.,
1868: II agree with the words Of the Bishop of
Oxford, that it is most undesirable to limit the
comprehensive character Of the church of Eng
land-that in all times since the reformation
people have been allowed to hold extreme doc
trines on the one side and on the other and
hope most earnestly that the time will never
| come when members Of the church of England
will not be allowed to hold extreme doctrines
on one side and on the other. II clcrgymen in
| my diocese were to write to me and say, There
is a layman in my parish who holds transub-
sanitation, the immaculate conception, and has
tendency to worship the Virgin; can admit
him to communion My answer would be,