New-York tribune., 1878-03-04
RELIGIOUS WORK AMONG GERMANS.
<6dcess ct ne Preslyf-ro Ctci u president hn'1
Pr0fssor S-iJcrt cId Dr. SttaC.

lr1f ffcI tJcft Clr ~. NttNI
The relation Of the churches TO the German
popllaion Of NcwYorll was the subject treated last
might al the West Presbyterian Church by President
Krox and Professor scibet of the German Presbyterian
Theological school u Bloomfield. n. j., and the Rev.
Dr. Philip scAaG. o.. this city.
President Knox considered the clements OF power
which lie in the German people. 81 found, sdld Me-
"uo; long siace in noted hcrIry review, IN three
different articles. The three following expressions Of
orrnon which refer u three OF the most powerful ee-
rers in the German nation. The first was. that as
in the 9ast fifty years SO in the future,
German universities would have influence upon
the collegiate Institutions Of tiS country ih1n tle @
Enelish seats Of learning Second, tiat III lAi.',l
rov-es every one must confess that Germany leads he
world. Among the book n0ce- ol ii't It'lcW IV'i,
among other things, that the end Of TIE chuieh was
merely u aid the cultivation of me huHlH td,C. :
Germans in tbs Land. Most educated men VIII agree
with the remark ab u the influence OF German unVeT,
ore more cultivated ;Ian our middle classes. Their
ideas on compulsory education and the Ike, feS' M
tie most advanced theories now slowly adopted ny
thinking Americans. They have. TOO. G0nscouHt i
ability and deicrmiuaton % use H. We an c'nttia
the Tem1rkao' military power "aai is -. ''C ! Il {!
that? large population intellectual power lh ~ most
practical foru the constructive energy OF great l''
pie. ana unlimited perseverance Ihe tiiid I'll'it
Is cxemplted in hai book, wAicA InG' asiue ft4'So'
The German people" continued the speaker "ore a
class that can be Influenced lv These elements oi
power must BE- controlled Jhat thcy VIII be found
lous conflict which approaohcs IN ts country between
evangelical Christianity and Cctbc icisrn.'
Proie SeibcT spoke Of the dark SIDE Of the German
nation. although he said he did not want 20 Do IL.
Among The principal reasons, hc affirmed, " why so
many Germans are ratlondsts. are these: TIE close
union OF Church and state secu!arized religious c!u-
cation which causes Christianity 70 be considered
science aud not life. Tie Government
approves Of the Church because il makes oheden sub
jccts. When the Germans come 10 America they throw
off al governmental restraint. Accustomed at horne 10
b. guided cveTythin here freedom dcgcuerdtes lntO
lie use. Then :hcre too many saloons here; too
many societies wuica take the place o. the church IL
deed the country Is only too tu Of temptations Tor the
poor German
" "Raiionai.sm. which is always called German CON
tiuUcd Professor SelbeIt, is not OF German origin. II
originated England in tie seventeenth century was
then united French wit finally II was otporatei
I'm Germany 10y Frederick The Great, who WAS a poor
German. He s, Ike poor German, aud lac wrote pott!Y
n French but De made r9tiJualisn fashionable. -ch
Ter and Goethe hcpod il Is u strange, therefore,
thai under such Influences the people grew l. be ration
aiistsF'
The Rev. Dr. Scfaf closed the meeting with brief re-
marks upon tAc necessity OF preaching CLrls, ,lGAty 10
the Germans in tnelr own language. English must
gradually absorb all the languages oi this country he
saiC, but untu Il does the Germans must have
Christianity Il en- 10 them ia their Owl Yernaeuar"