The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-19
AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY ESS,
TALLY CATHOLIC.

To THE EDIToR THE HERALD:-
In no less than four issues of the HERALD the past
week has this noteworthy fact been demonstrated
American citizens are disposed to bury Old Country
issues the dead ought to be buried out Of
sight" as old Abraham said. American Christians
not only ought but will il they what they pro-
TESS to be- cease rake up the ashes of old contro
versies so long buried that they resolved into
nothing but ashes.
In Tuesdays HERALD there was areport Of paper
on the Beast Of the apocalypse" Christians
were ever catholic it in the century next follow
ing the apostles. An intelligent and devoted mis-
sionary to France. then Gaul. born at Smyrna.
nigh the apostles home at Ephesus, and
only forty years after John wrote, states
distinctly what he heard from those who had listened
to Johns own explanation of his book and such tes-
timony as to fact is worth, of course, with a mind
that seeks truth than all the fancies put forth
by warning sects from the tenth to the nineteenth
centuries The beast that "came up out Of the sea-
enriched by its wealth. that ''sat seven noun
tains' and that "reigneth over the kings Of the
EARTH" the civil power" that by force inter
fered with the freedom Of religious worship. OF
course Babylon in the Old Testament times, as seen
in the Assyrian Nebuchadnezzar commanding the
worship of his image. and in the Persian Darius
tricked into edict that should worship any
god himself, the type in that ancient day In
would have been treason to utter. This power under
Tiberius martyred Jesus; under Claudius it mar
tyred James, Johns brother; under Nero it mar
tyred Paul and Peter; under Domtian it banished
John to Patmos and under Hadrian IL built temple
to Jupiter on the site OF Soomons Temple IN devas
tated Jerusalem and raised insulting shrine to We
nus on spot where Jesus crucified Certainly
when Irenaus living at that very day stated that he
had learned from hearers of the apostles that the
anti-Christ," who Paul declared was Ito sit in the
temple of God" and to claim that he was God.
and the beast of Johns revelation were the same
| power-whose identity in the day of Ireneus
illustrated ut Jerusaemit was not fancy, but fact
| that was stated. SO the best scholars OF the Old
| Catholic Church-as John Of Vienna. Austria, and
Hug, OF Constance observation-disclosures by Gese
| MUS. the German Protestant; by Drs. TURNER and
| Nottingham, of the Episcopal Church OF New
| York, and by Professor Moses Stuart and count
less other Bible scholars of various demon.
nations have agreed and are still coming more and
more to agree. OF course, when the Roman Church,
the English German, Puritan or any other State
Church has assumed that authority and has represscd
by force freedom of religious worship, they have
cepted for themselves the nask II not the name
of the beast But the people of America first. then
of England, France Germany and Italy successfully
have taken away this power from Christian churches
| demonstrated TO be true catholicity.
The HEiALp has held the balance certainly in this
| controversy between General Grant and the Irish
the scales. 1t is only in America that party spirit
! could triumph in such q controversy. II any Ainer
preference to the Church Of his own choice the peo
pie will indicate the depth of their convictions
| the distinction between political ana rellBous
prerogatves. Tins IL crucial test that American
| Chr stianity is catholic.
| That certainly graceful tribute from true
Presbyterian true Catholic that appeared undor
the name OF "Ireneus, in the New York Observer Of
last week II was more graceful thing. 1T possible
that the HERALD should copy IL the very next morn
ing after it's appearance. The most promising, the
most truly testing, proof that American christianity
IL truly catholic IL that the secular press is among
the first to appreciate any real exhibition OF this ma
ture The Nestor Of the American religious press be-
| longs to the age of his namesake, the "lreneus of
hnsa reel
| broadeued among mis- Celto-Gsllic associates
The HERALD on Friday morning copied Pope Leo n
Christmas encyclical aIlocution. II II, fur as
quoted, such ~ to awaken echo I'm response from
| every true Christian mind and heart The ''rule of
| reason" instead of ambition for power, place and
fortune to the sacrifice of the interests of others the
triumph of 1.-THE Christian spirit Church an
tago nslns, which among the most unlovely; the
return to Christ, i'll place of rites doginas the
| peace with the Church." IL 1t include the general
assembly and Church of the spiritually born" spoken
1 of by John and Paul. and the recognition that "the
Churcn is the guardian Of social and national NOR
| ality--these the rally notes Tor world wide
| catholicity. The American secular press, in which
the HERALD is leader. will fulfil the highest mission
TO which be called II II continue ~ second such
appeals reporting also that they may he met by the
! sxiaplonal utterances of doubt and dissent. THE