New-York tribune., 1878-05-25
HJGU And low CHURCH.

An areumentative and speculative world
still bankers after the dry bones of theology.
Although DIR. Ever i'm his recent lecture merely
reafirmed views respecting Professionalism and
Cathoicty which he had expressed with even
stronger emphasis ten years ago, his utter
ances have startled many sober-minded Prot
estants of his own and of other denomina-
tons. A prominent Low Churchman joined
issue with HIM at once, Mr.. Beecher
devoted two sermons to the defence
of Professionalism, and the religious press
has brsted with hostile criticism In our cor
respOndence columns this morning the Rev. E
l.. St0ddard makes a gOOd-natured and in
gcniOus attempt to open via media between
the positions where Dr. Ever and Mr.. Baker
are each so strongly intrenched-one on the
narrow heights of Ritualism, and the other on
the low levels of Evangelical churchmanship.
His idea seems to be that one means good
dead less and the other good deal more than
either of them is ready TO admit and
that, although they stand so far apart, each
in his own place is sheltered by the broad
roof of the church of which they are fellow
members. We should be sorry to believe that
there was not room enough III the Protestant
Episcopal Church for earnest workers, whether
they are High or Low Churchmen. DR.. Ever,
mt ST. Ignatius, and DR.. Tying, at the Church
of the Holy Trinity, are long way apart
in theology, but in parish work they
are two of the busiest and most ener-
getIc Christian ministers on Manhattan
Island and if the religious communion
with which they are connected has sufficient
hexibiity to enable them to find standing
r ,.t.,, ifr wall
so much the better for them and for Chris
tianity. The elasticity of this ecclesiastical
system has been tested during the past
twenty years in our city, where Bishop
Potter by the exercise of a wise and far
sighted tolerance has allowed free range OF
opinion and usage III matters which he re-
CARDS as non-essential. If the Bishop had
been n man of different temper dissensiOns
would have sprung up and the denomination
would have lost instead of gaining ground.
Whether authority and freedom, as MI. StOd-
dard seems to IMPLY are centnpetal and CEN
trifugal agents, which are brought into har-
mony in the correlation of forces IN that
church, we do not venture to say; but we are
confident that in the judgment of the main
body OF that most conservative Of religious
communions, there is room enough for all who
accent the fundamental doctrines of faith as
embodied in the creeds.
Concerning the theological points Of this con-
troversy we have little to say. We doubt not
that when ConstantlnOple fell there were
tmd monks who shook their heads and scarcely
dared to look to the future. The zeal of the cru
sades had burned out, and the Prophets religion,
though scarcely half as old as Christianity,
already comprised a much larger area,
and numbered many more disciples. Yet be-
fore the century closed the MoOrs were driven
out of Spain, a new world was discovered for
Christianity and by the rounding OF the Cape
OF GOOD Hope a way was opened for the
cvangcizatiOn of the East Indies and Aus
tralia. History has long reaches in which di-
vine results are wrought out, and it is pre-
mature to condemn Professionalism as Il failure.