Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-18

Ihe announcement tnat BISHOP Ireland
would reply to the Rev. D. r. Breeds SER
mon of last week brought to the cathedral
such congregation as is seldom gathered
in one edifce. Every pew was filled to more
than its ordinary capacity, and every aisle
was crowded with a double row of seats.
The galleries were filled; the space in front
OF the sanctuary, the chapels on either
side the high altar and the vestibule were
thronged by those eager to hear what all ex-
pected would be one of the ablest contro-
verslal discourses ever delivered in St. Paul:
Nor were those who were fortunate enough
TO get within the cathedral disappointed. It
is safe to say that at least one-third of the
immense congregation were professionals
members of House of Hope, and other
churches. During the delivery of the dis
course there was breathless attention, and
often murmers of applause and sensation az
the most silent points we're made. For
text the learned Prelate took the Goth verse,
of the 9th chapter of Isaias:
To the law rather, and to the testimony And
if they speak not according to this word, they
shall not have the morning light.
He also read the 18th chapter of Deutro-
norny, the significance of which to the sub
ject will readily be seen.
Dear brethren: Rev. D. II. Breed preached
ser1non some few Sundays ago on Religious
Communism Religious communism, he said
manlfests itself in a contempt for religious
authority, and rejection Of religious restraint
Dogma is ridiculed, creeds are despised, disci
pine ls dlsregardcd, and men believe them
selves to be coming out into liberty, and
religious mob-law prevails-the law of
communism In opposition to such communism
be laid down the following principle: 1t will
not do to withdraw from the race the restraint
of law and retribution. The legitimate out
come OF religious restraint is civil and social
license. irresponsible religious teachers exer-
else pernicious influence, since religion
which is amenable to no law and denies
retrlbutlon leads to lawless citizen
ship. Those who speak of the discipline
OF an organized church as bondage"
and submission to its creed as servility and
who on tho contrary extol the right to
think without limitations, and to
1--WE according to no formal authority. are either
very foolish or very criminal, or both. Mr.,
Breed arralgned in special manner as guilty
OF rellglous communism, those preachers who
cha1lng under the fancicd bondage eff the pull
PIT, cut loose from all dominion, form indie
pendent churches and are answerable to no one
things.
termed an unmieed evil"
| made the following comment on Mr..
Breed discourse: Religious communism-it
is not possible to give a better definition Of
Professionalism. And religious communism,
professionalism, must remain denial of authors
ty Is the very essence of the system, Principles,
true or false, always work out their logical con-
sequences, and the effect in Professionalism to
impose restraint upon license, to arrest the
constant development Of independent churches,
of irresponsible ministries, will ever be as the
effort to arrest with the hand the precipitous
waters of the Niagara
This discourse, last Sunday evening, was Civ
en- In answer to my comment and in defense of
Professionalism.
Mr. Breed in delivering this DISCOURSE has
done service, for which, am
sure, we are all grateful A contro-
versy has its two sides, and a presentation
of both is necessary for the full statement of
the case. l had done my part in arguing for
the Catholic church against the theories of
Professionalism. Short notes through the columns
OF the morning papers were the only replies
made IN favor OF Professionalism. This silence
on the part OF It's ministers, the public inter
ested in the great ouesti on of the true form of
the Christian religion had occasion to regret.
Not few deemed the silence ominous Mr..
Breed has, at last, taken up the gauntlet as the
champion Of Professionalism.
He looks upon the task-the overthrowing of
the catholic argument and the defense of
Professionalism, az very easy one. 1t can be
done, he says, in sing lie effort One discourse
on his part, he declares, will fully
suffice, and nothing will be able to
induce him to give another. His
expression of confidence is gratifying; it al
lows us to conclude that he has done for Pro-
testantlsm, IN this single effort, as we'll as he
possibly could, The strongest arguments with
in reach, were Numbered forth from the House
OF Hope pulpit one week ago, and the lightning
flashing from that one discourse, we can safely
assume, is all the lightning that entire Pro
testantlsm can give forth. His discourse from
this point of view, is most valuable one: and
l will be pardoned, if l enter upon the duty of
replying to 1T with relish which other coca
slons upon which have spoken to you on con-
troVerslal subjects were not allowed to afford
me.
will first review the principles in tho alb
stract together with their logical consequences
or the two theories, the Protestant and the
Catholic, and afterwards, I will examine the
foundations, in fact, upon which the two
theories rest
This division Of my subject will enable me
to cover the full ground Of defense, and at
tack occupied by Mr. Breed, and at the same
time to place before you sufficient data to . enae
Die you to form conclusions of the full merits
or the controversy between the Catholic
church and Professionalism
MY charge that Professionalism is essentially re-
Hglous communism, it is admitted, would, if
allowed, be fatal to the system Mr.. Breed as
sures us that he is as staunch as ever in his on
POSITION as to religious communism He, then
repels my charge and makes this one against
the Catholic church, that she, is depotism and
Tyranny.
Mr.. Breed defines the Protestant position:
Our right to liberty as against TYRANNY
All right, Mr.. Breed: cheerfully from this
Catheora! pulpit re-echo your words: '.Our
right to liberty as against tyranny
Mr.. Breed builds up from Scriptur an elab-
crate defense of liberty. He pays us the com
pllment OF quoting from the Catholic version,
proving thereby to his audience, that whatever
other black crimes she may in his mind
have been guilty of, she never sought to
pervert or cover up the inspired words telling
Christians Of their God given rights to liberty.
The whole import of the New Testament MIR.
Breed says, is freedom, and it cannot be ration
ally interpreted upon any other theory. From
words Free" Freedom and LIBERTY"
1t sounds like grand Masna
charta an emancipation proclamation, Bill
of rights. There at least twenty PASSAGES
where liberty Is directly mentioned in the New
Testament. The argument is moderated. I
am sure thirty, evsn more, such passages
could easily be marked out.
MIR. Breed quotes some passages, a few out of
many. In First Corinthians. 7th
chapter, st. Paul tells his dis
clples, Whatever ne their social condition, be
they bond slaves or freemen, that in spiritual
things they are bond slaves of no human beino
no mere custom or dictates of men must they
in such matters follow-but they are the bonds
men of Christ, who had purchased them with
his blood, and who alone has the right to work
out for them rule of life In
Galatians ~. the same Paul, writing against.
heretics who preached the obligation for
Christians Of the law of circumcision and other
ceremonial precepts of the Old Testament,
terms the Old Testament in comparison with
the New to have been bondage, and that no
one should dare to deprive Christians of the
freedom by which Christ has made them free