New-York tribune., 1878-05-25
THE PROTESTANT SPIRIT.
ITS MISTAKES AND SUCCESSES.


SIR: TO the average reader it may seem
strange that two men standing so far apart as Dr.
Ever and the Rev. Mr.. Baker be included in the
same church. BY one more familiar with the questions
which are raised in the lecture Of the and the letter
Of the other it may be seen that the principles repre-
seDed by these not of necessity antagonistc
but contrary, both necessary To the we'll
being OF church.
Dr.. Ever rests upon church authority; the Rev. Mr.
Baker private judgment. Is there no middle ground
Is still true that between Rome and
Reason canuOt these two men, both In ear
nest, both in the same church. get niue
nearer together. and that each holds
truth which only ete when supplemented by the
other At the risk OF such fate befalls man who
tries medde between aud wife, let us get between
them ana hold up a hand to each. DIR. Ever declares
Professionalism failure the Rev. Mr.. Baker criticies
such statement IA ludcrous. But DR.. Ever did not
mean. suppose. that Professionalism is total failure
failure so far as the Secular man Is concerned. lie
would acknowledge thal lucifer matches aud palace
ears good in their way. but he would probably say
that industrial enterprise successful, is not the
end OF fe that represents progress but progress
along low plane; that may and often does 20 hand
in hand with moral degradation.
Again. should Jesus return earth and ask for some
proof the of his gospel no one would dream
Of pointing to cOton-sin an ocean steamer, the Cen
teunial Exhibition, or popular government But Dr.
Baker seems disposed part admit, that industrial
enterprise and popular government not the children
but the parents OF PrOtestant and that the child has
become unnecessarily wild and headstrong. The re-
and the free cities before the Reora
tion popular government and inventive activity rose
from particular about religion or the church.
bat on the contrary foScred views prcudcal 10 each
Men began first TO loosen the bands OF ignorance, then
those OF the civil power what they called the fc
ters of religious opinion and Chur IA tyranny To point
10 popular government and industrial activity as the
results OF Professionalism, TO reply to charge that the
latter is n failure by rchearsing the triumphs oI
science, is to take the same false ground on
which the modern in1dcl stands when he de
clares that tbe elevation Of man is owing
not TO Professionalism but to gradual emancipation of
man from all religion Professionalism now, after three
hundred years OF Development is religious democracy
It s indyidualism in the religious sphere, 1t Is putting
a Bible into "A mans hand and telling him 10 find the
way to Heaven he can IL the same spirit that leads
men 10 struggle against ignorance aud false art and
tyrants and subservence to natures laws carried into
religion and it has led them to rebel first against the
Pope then against crocds, then against the Bible
finally against any religious sentiment whatever It's
a noble spirit and a true II kept within proper
bounds. Dr. Ever believes in the principle OF Protest.
autism, we suppose, as truly rs the Rev Mr.. Baker
Their difference here What shall control this prnc-
pie this vigorous spirit that begins by destroying ITS
tyrant and ends by destroying itselfi Look at what
this spirit has done for the re Ous world IL has rent
it asunder, it has covered Christendom with rival
camps IL has unduly exalted the pride OF man in thai
direction In vhcn he is most prone 10 conceit, den-ion
aud widuess wiz private Interpretation OF Scripture
1t has consecrated lay popes by the thousand It has
given rise through the divisions Of the church 10 Ia
mentabe waste money and II is responsible for
much unDeefsnce soon men feel that II matters
not TO which church they CO. they naturally, and with
but little help the Evil One, begin to feel that II mat
tiers not II they do not go at all. Thus Rev. Mr.
Baker seems 10 thuk that oil Will come out
right, and binding Professionalism and modern pro-
gress together, saws, in eject, to both, God,
speed" Dr. Ever brings forward church authority not
TO crush and bury but TO control this tendency In Po
estantlsu which has made II far mingled blessing
and failure 10 the world II has been blessing because
II has protected the OF man. has hidden him trust
his ethical and spir ual instincts and taken the yoke Of
ecclesiastical tyranny of his neck. II has been failure
because provided ny-whec no anchor, no bal
last-nothing keep this emancpated and speculative
creature, man. in some sort Of spiritual equilibrium
Now such anchor DR.. Ever ands IN the church. Mr.
Baker leaves us to follow ethical and spiritual in
stincts Here Is chance TO join hands. We believe In
one Holy Catholic Church. with definite mission and
definite TRUTH binding upon all men. We believe also
that man must be guaranteed his private Judgment or
viii become tool Of superstition But the church ana
private Judgment may walk hand In hand any man viii
divide his life between them Let us try to define the
respective provinces IN WhlCh the chuTch
Judgment are supreme. All real progress based upon
principles facts from which IL works upward and out
ward holding the principles Of It's life firmly, but
panding developing, giving freedom yet exercising re-
stran The church starts from certain facts IN the life
OF our Lord she holds few simple truths, which are
summed up her creed and her doctrine OF the ministry
and the sacraments With these she goes forth 10
and save the world Her truths few. fundamental,
simple her message is definite her mission clear.
When she delivering that message she authoritative;
il with positive assurance. When, however, this
sage grant frccdOmthc night OF private
Judgment Of speculation. There Is within her iod
great diversity OF opinions. hut there must be no
diversity about the fundamentals Of her faith She
allows her children liberty, but II must not be u
liberty 10 commit spiritual suicide. Her
sage not universal She has no authoritative decara-
There many religious questions about which she
permits speculation but she has few truths which she
pulpit and babbe OF Political economy, we have no more
authority than an ordinary Congrossman. When We
tain doctrines may have no more authority than
few commentaries and our own wit can give US But
when stand upon the ground OF the creeds and the
sacraments, when deliver tue message inrusled 10
the church for the salvation OF men, we speak or
with eighteen centuries ut our back; We speak
act with authority we are tie Instruments
world II Dr. Ever means by church authority
any special power, lodged we know not where, 10
pronounce Romsh fashion, upon questions Of to-day,
must part company with him, and II Mr. Baker denies,
which do not believe he does, that the church stands to-
day as she nus for eighteen centuries, holding
authoritative and saving truth. and divine commission
to declare IT, and is TO this restless. world
refuge and consolation because Of her power 10 declare
what IL true in all tnat mans highest and eter-
nal welfare, ] must part company with him. In thIs
world need authority and freedom, centrpetal ana
centrifugal forces In religion the church we have
described her gives the aud mans private 1udg-
ment busy with texts OF Scripture aud fascinated
with doctrines the other We believe PrOesanism
has failed In part because she has neglected the church
and trusted too much to mans ethical and spiritual In
stincts We have been grOanng little Of late some
OF the sweets OF civil liberty and have lost faith little
in fhe private judgment OF the average citizen. The
church has been gfOanng for three centuries over the
evil, and has lost her faith in the power OF the
average man. with New Testament and concordance.
cXpOund the Word and declare the VIII OF God 10 the
saving of the world Hence the need OF church with
l.. L. STODDARD