The New York herald., 1878-11-03
GLADSTONE.
THE FAMOUS PAMPHLETEER ANSWERS ABBE
MARTIN

In the October number OF the Contemporary Receto
tee Right hon. w. T. Gladstone PUBLISHES a paper IN
answer to one by the Abbo Martin in The August
number OF magazine entitled, '.What Hinders the
Rtualists from Becoming Roman Catholics" Mr..
Giadstones article is a study Oh the Reformation,
and is entitled s.rhe Sixteenth Century Arraigned
Before the Nineteenln," and twenty-seven OF
the Contemporarys broad pages. OF course the Eng
lisn statesman takes the opposite ground IRON the
French priest, and, as everything that Mr. Gadstona
says is entitled 10 respect as certainly receives con-
sideration, We quote some OF the most striking pas
sages lie begins by sayinR:-"rns fraction OF Roman
Catholics 10 The population OF this country. as CON-
puted from the yearly eturns OF marriages. has tor
generation past been between hvo and iour per
cent; and, out OF this small portion, by lar The
larger part probably nos less than dye-sixihs are OF
Irish birth. The slight variation observable has on
the whole, been rather downward than upward. The
fraction itself, which approached Ave per cent IN
1854, rises little above Jour- There s in short,
no sign that an impression has been made on tho
OF the BRUSH nation. This is especially remark
able on two grounds. First. thata new lodgment has
really been effected in the body OF the arstocracy.
Now high station is in tnis country capital element
Of attractive power. Fully halt score OF peers or
heirs apparent to pecrages have, within forty years,
joined the Latin COMMUNION and have carried
thithcr In several cases the weight OF high
character IN that OF noted abiii-
ties or accomplishments. But, secondly, these
years have. beyond all question, Effected an enor-
nous augmentation IN the arguing and teaching
capacity Of the Angio.Roman body. / 90 not speak
OF morely mechun unicai appliances, as buildings 1t is
probable that the secessions have multiplied at least
dveiold the stock OF educated abiity and learning
available for all lis purposes The aggreg tte addition
might perhaps claim 10 be equivalent IN force 10 the
entire body Of honor. oxford Cambridge for
several years. Tho zeal OF the seceders has been
more conspicuous than their talents. Yet this
great anlux oil missionary energy has entirely failed
TO mark the work OF propagaEdsm either by an IN
crease OF relative numbers, or, as every observer
mus. admit by augmentation OF civil, political,
social force"
He compares the Abbe and his friends men stand
Ing under whose bran ches bend under weight
OF godsn frut they shake the tree with all their
might, but the apples do not fall. The general prop
ostion announced by the AbDe in his article
nave been that portion OF tho English Church O
scmbles the Latin Church in ritual, usage and doc
trne and he rs therefore astonshed that ney DO
become one. Mr.. Gladstone argues that the Eastern
Churcn even nearer form ana ceremony, but
says that nothing is SO rare theological eccles
astcai conversion from among them TO tho Latin
communion. ''What tho Abbe does not understand"
says Mr. Gladstone, "is The iact presented rudely,
but substantially, by the statistics have cited; the
incompatby, be 1t Tor good or be 1t tor evil OF the
English mind with The Roman claims and the system
which those claims Introduce. New 10 this sys-
tenn, whether under the name OF Rome
OF ritual, whatever other name,
hold It perfectly certain that this nation will at
least until II has undergone an extensive moral as
we'll theological nation decline submit
And yet the ground which the Abpe Martin,
exnibiting herein want oil acquaintance with the
state oil opinion aud feeling among US, appears
agiEe. He thinks that people OF inis country N
general suppose the Roman Catholic religion 10 be
"a tissue 81 error and Iniquity' In TINS idea be.
licve no docs them great ipJustice. Among the ouy
admissible wituesses-nameIy, men thoughtful aud
lrainsd-lho great LAin Churcn as often perhaps re-
ceives more thaD justice as less No country, con-
tnuss ME Gladstone. ''has produced temperate
rsssoosrs ,sas than England, I. is true, Indeed,
OF almost ianaticai combatants against the
Cnurcn of Rome. and everything IN which
they can trace resemblance TO II. Brit their pro-
ductons are supposed pass with dc patch
INTO me waste paper oasket, and may truly be said
even % more h.ppy nsr fSemest than
prise OF Roman propaRandsm TO DO hopeless through
out Great Britain nevertheless Can also believe that,
between the bold and couiucnt ASSUMPTIONS OF the
Latin Church, the shock given many minds |
through The sceptcai movement, ana the real fauls
and shortcomings easy enough to DO discerued IN Tho
in every otner church, the Roman nshermen
VIII from !ime 10 time gather handful OF
hsh into their net The matter OF those
iaults aud SHORTCOMINGS requires more |
detailed notice In one branch Abuses properly SO
knowledged standard, have IN ne Church more !
rife and rank than they were IN Church OF Eng
land for several generations But these are IN great
degree things OF tue past; they are generally and
strongly renounced, at any rate, by the clergy, IN
spite oil whom tney exist, lar they at all.
But the deects, other than mere abuses, have u
deeper seat" During The last twenty years, he says,
reaction mas arisen under the force OF which a
crowd OF Protestants, and even many who deem
themselves 10 be OF the cream OF Professionalism,
adopted IDEAS oil trial ana purgatlon beyond the
grave when vastly exceed IN latitude anything ever
Taught the Church oil Rome. Mr. Gladstone warns
the Abbe Martin hat he VII, not all hands
the behcnt OF such admissions as he makes III TINS
article 81 waive, therefore" he says, .smuch
vantage, and iatner desire TO make every possible
admissIon." lie however limits himself 10 the Ro-
man Church In England. though he refers 10 II IN
otner countries.
He Considers that controversies would bo
solved could We see plainly IN which Of It's
rva forms our religion dealt with Its foes
most enee'uaiy "At the present moment,
indeed, oeiel IN the revelation oi the unseen
Is Undergoing, here as elsewhere, shock winch
is without paralei. at least in the history Q, this
country, ior the activity OF lis manifestations,
suffering sharp retrDution Tor all The errors Of all
ns professors But IL remains 10 DO seen whether
what W. witness 10 structural change ike those
which MI the record OF geologic time, or whether
is the wave OF cyclone, wnlcn wastes ana suDmerges
ana rs then Itself reabsorbed. We observe IN
the Roman Church most powerful organz ition,
great faculty OF action upon all those who DO Ia
borcusly think, or largely contribute to supply
kind with ls stock oil thought; Dut we observe also,
when LOOK 10 the countries OF her unDrokcn 40
minon, apparent want OF capacity to meet the a.
nd In us Questioning att,tudc SO tnat II mas
simply broken away from ner coutroi, and the
m munications between the Two are IKE the voices oil
severed this side and on that by a broad and
deep stream that neither OF them can cross. The
noD-beevng guerillas are busy Ia The held OF nee
OF archaeology OF Language, o prehistoric facts, OF
speculative philosophy oI bbiicaI and all archaic
crlcls ln every one OF these they challenge Cnris
TO the ngh. Wnat within last tniriy years.
the current gencratoI-during which the trum pct Of
defiance mas been souudiDg IN her ears--nave tnis
vast clergy ana Church elIecled answer TO the
challenger And why are rituaists, anybody el.c,
to be IN hurry to surrender their CnristIanity a
body that shows so small capacity TO defend lerr-
tory winch. nevertheless, CLAIMS exclusively to
cupy."
.'Among the Presbycrians of Scotland and tho non
cohformsts oil England says MI GLADSTONE In con-
clusion, "extIemcs oil oocirinc have been greatly
mtigatcd but theology Is on the rise and culture is
hed Ia increased esteem. No DOUBT the riucipies
called Anglican which nave also greatly ICED
positivcness and ~ practical vitality, EXHIBIT
ble distinctions IRON the Protestant system, IL
exists outside the Church OF the land But both
evangelical Protestantism anu tue Anglican system
have crossed tins oceans and sprung up tho
m mn Il VII