Litchfield enquirer., 1878-11-14
Religious Federation.

r 1.-The remarkably catholic hospitality (which has been extended to Dean Stanley received it's I eliminating illustration on Friday. A man so lemihent would be sure of generous enter ttainment in asecuiar sense but we use the 1 word ''catholic" as descriptive of the hearty feeling which has been shown toward him by representatives of various religious denomina- ltions sA clergyman of the Church of England, l be has appeared in the liberal Holy Trinity of 1 Boston, the more conservative Trinity of New ! York, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary and St. PauPs Methodist Episcopal Church in this city. His visit to Ralph Waldon Emerson twill be eregarded as something more than per- soRally significant, and about his breakfast | table at the Century Club on Saturday gather ed clergymen who are usually supposed to be at opposite poles of Protestant opinion
 Of course this widely representative sympa- thy is largely to be explained by the catholic nature of the guest himself. Among the many liberal men to whom the comprehensive En- glish Establishment gives accommodation he is recognised as one of the most liberal It was necessary for him to prove this during his visit to the United States but he has proved it, especially by the sermon and the address which he delivers on Friday. Preaching in the morning in Trinity Church-the mother church here of the Protestant Episcopal branch, the church which stands for ecclesiastical author ity in that branch, and therefore the church where the lines of separation perhaps might be supposed to be strictly drawn-he gave a broad meaning to the calender day-All Saints Day. A clear inference from his discourse is that all the saints areHnot in one Christian de- nomination that saints may be found in all denominations and that wherever they are found they are worthy of honor for their char acter and their works. This is the spirit in which he spoke of the several divisions of the Christian family-the Greek Church, the oldest of them all, the conservator of valuable creeds and customs the Latin or Roman Church, self-denial and benifcence in deeds of charity and mercy; the German or Lutheran Church, which may be regarded as the parent of Pros estantism; the Calvinistic or Reformed Church which he described as the 'inquiring younger brother" the stubborn, conscientious youth" of the household-who by the way, has sum- ulated independent thinking with results the reverse of Calvinistic. In this venerable Epis- cepal edifice Dean Stanley named Wesley, Cal win, Edwards and Charming, as saints who de- serve niches in the English-speaking church.
 The scene in the evening in St. PauPs Meth odist Episcopal Church was more remarkable surrounded by the bishops and clergymen of the denomination, and before great multitude of itslay members, Dean Stanley offered to the founders of Methodism tribute which for emphasis and sincerity could not easily be sur W Methodist Episcopal Church is the new denom- ination which directly cut itself loose from the Protestant Episcopal Church. If the rule con- corning many quarrels holds good in respect to sectarian differences, we might expect the sharpest hostility to show itself between these nearly related societies of Christians. The fra ternal influences which prevailed were fhere- fore all the more impressive
 We say that the well-knOwn iberality of fo fTo lotV fh0lih hospitality but perhaps it has broader and deeper significance. It may suggest the growth of religious toleration in recent years. We need not to be surprised that there was room for this growth, even in countries where relig- ious toleration by law is maintained as of course, when we remember that burning at the stake, suppression of conventi- l cles, test oaths and other legalized methods of oppression are not the only forms of intOler- ance. Religious freedom by statute and con- stitution has not always prevented ecclesiasti- cal inhospitality, uncharitable misrepresen- tation unworthy suspicion of mUtives and other varieties of persecution for opinions sake, which have illustrated what we'll known clergyman of this city has described as Prot estant Infallibility." Of religious toleration of the more radical sort Dean Stanley is an ener- getic apostle, and he has many disciples in all churches. Perhaps this tolerance is the sub- stance of the Christian unity of which we hear SC much. Perhaps more than this is unat- tainable. We doubt that Dean Stanley him. Self looks for nominal union in one ecclesias- | tical organism. With all his liberality he holds fast to his own communion and does not expect all other Christians to go into it. B