St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-24
COMPETITION IN RELIGION.
Every Church Body in America Is
Hustlins on It's Own Hook.
MAN CAN'T MAKE FAITHS.
Still the Average American Citizen
Generally Does as He
Pleases.

New YORK, Nov. 23.-At this morn
Ing's session Of the Episcopal church
congress the topic was ''What principle
should govern church extension in our
country in fields already occupied by
Others" Rev. T. r. Harris, D. D., of
New York City, spoke Of the democrat
izlng effect upon community of hav-
ing number of Protestant churches
where one or two would be amply suffi-
cient. This competition in Christianity
was ruinous, and what was needed was
cooperation. The term parity of
the churches" was much abused, as is
the assertion that all men are born free
and equal. He did not accept the
idea of parity of all churches. On the
contrary, he considers the Episcopal
church the best and highest type of
church. He looked forward to the time
when eXpediency would give way to
principle, and while the church fully
recognized work done by others, it
would not be satisfied until it had
reached every hamlet of the nation.
Rev. E. B. Boggs, d. d., Newark. n. j..
said careful survey of the whole field
should be made before new enterprises
are begun. Each bishop should have at
his command a few good men whom he
could send here and there where Seryl-
eeS were needed, no matter whether
that particular press of territory were
occupied or not. Rev. w. n. McVickar,
ID. D., of Holy Trinity church, Phila-
delphia. said the question was how the
Protestant Episcopal church could be
extended in places already occupied by
other church bodies. 1t was
A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE
all the way through. In this country it
was competition in business and politics,
and sadly, or badly as it might be called,
competition in religion. Not long ago
the speaker remembered leaning over
the bed of dying man who said: 1.-The
Roman Catholics tell me one thing, the
Methodists another, the PreSbyterians
something else, aud now you tell me to
do so and so. For Gods sake what will
| do? what will | do?" Bishop Hugh
Miller Thompson, of Mississippi, said
the average American citizen thought
he had a perfect right to make church
or preacher just the same as he had a
right to make state. Men can't make
faiths and he can't make churches, nor
creeds. If an American don't like his
cnurCU, SOI0eLilneS He anu HIS Wl1e start
a church of their own. They, as Ameri-
cans, thought they had right to.
Again. il an American does not like his
preacher he is liable to go home and
start preaching himself. Rev. G. Mott
Williams, of Detroit, deprecated the
idea OF having
s'PIETY HILL" IN EVERY CITY.
By that he meant favored spot,
where there are only few people and
where all large churches are built,
while Oh the other hand mean, little
seven by nine pine box would be erect
ed out among the densely populated
parts of a city. The first extension of
the church should be along the line of
least resistance; but because lot of
other churches were located in town
was not any reason why the Protestant
Episcopal church should keep out. Rev.
Ethelbert Talbot, ID. d., bishop of
Idaho and Wyoming, after speaking of
arguments against apostolic succession
that have been brought up in various
bodies, said that members of the Pro-
testant Episcopal church should preach
the Gospel as they had received it, and
as their conscience tells them to preach
it. The church must ever be aggres
sive, and go into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature"