New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-15
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
TALK ABOUT MEN AND THINGS.


therefore to relate following incident which comes
from Chaplain McCabc Says tho chaplain:
One Of the most successful cavalry officers In the
army said to me one day ." look upon John p
Newman Of splendid courage , asked HIM
to explain lie sad' After Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated and Andrew Johnson came into power,
had dark days In Neworleans; Dr: Newman T 1is
there charge OF the interests of your chuIcn Ills
life was threatened. lie received many letters warn
ing him to leave the city, Instead OF leaving ne went
right on with his work. lie was caled SneIluah
cardinal There was reasonable organization IN
New.Orleans whose deeds of violence and bloodshed
very many and always unPun'Shed peTeiyo We.
to be The next victim The tragic affair at Mechanics
Institute had occurred went TO see the doctor anu
requested him to leave the city til the exclteIneht
he said General, 1t Is as near 10 heaven no'n 10
Orleans rs from anywhere and Will not run AS
sasslns came to hts house at midnight and tned 10
enter and had It not been for the guaiu "nch
patrollcd that street all night unknown TO tho doctor
they would have accomplished their purpose. 20 lar
from fearing these men, tho doctor by some n b,
mentioned organization, and published them in his
paper. IL bravo deed nave "ohdereu "
last summer. continued the General, We had
drcary tlmo in Ncw-Orcan The yellow fever pre-
Ills reply was THE Methodist Church put me here,
and here Will stay. lie took the yellow ever We
ncnynred heads in the streets praying for him They
crowded into the house and forced their way into THO
INTO death TO the surprise of everybody, be said
Let them como in Seven OF them crePt soy H.
told me about 1t, and he said. About midnight we got
de Sign"
During the last few years the battle between or
ganzcd and unorcanizcd Christianity has been waged
and organized Christianity has como out on top.
There was nothing surprising In tho revolt against
organized Christianity. twenty-five or thirty years
ago the denominations appeared 10 many earnest men
TO bound hand aud foot in dead Journalism From this
/ institutlonasm and Journalism they turned In I'm
agnatlon to the free, joyous, inorganic Christianity
OF the first century and they asked themselves why
this Christianity could not be reproduced Then
many Of them made tho attempt to reproduce IL.
Creed dogma and organization were eliminated from
this new Christianity and these later Apostles went
forth to cynical, Indifferent world with Gospel OF
pure ethics But the world did not take kindly to
the Idea Some how other the old message OF the
Churches. with its realistic gllmpses OF Heaven ana
He'll was much more active to the people Promis-
Ing az have been the attempts to found unorganzcd
and undogmatIc Christian societies they have all ended
in failure The fact Is organ zaon IS Just "a essen
taI to the existence of the Church IS the shell to
the existence Of the turtle. naked idea cannot be
kept alive the waste Of years IT must be covered
with the flesh and bones of mems thoughts about 1t.
Moreover tho organized Church by the sheer force of
its organism goes with It's work In periods OF
Indifference when mere emotion would fall 1t Is
the bank in which the latent zeal and enthusiasm OF
its members arc kept on deposit when for
any reason they are withdrawn from active
circu latlon. UnorganZcd Christianity IS like
an explosion of gunpowder, powerful for
moment, but transient. Organized Christianity
IS continuous force, sometimes weak and sluggish
1t may be- but never wholly destroyed, and always
holding within itself the possibilities Of resstless
energy.
The Collegiate Reformed Church ard Trinity Parish
in this city are good examples of what wise organi-
zation backed by money can do The history OF
these two churches is in which every New-Yorker
can take pride. In recent years Trinity Parish has
been especially active in developing and maintaining
religious work in the more neglected portions or the
CITY, 1t has not only erected noble churches In many
of these localities, but has given generous assistance
to other struggling parishes. 1t IS about to take
a departure by building chapel on the West
Side near Ninetleth-st The step IS wise one, as
there few strong Episcopal churches in that part
of tho city. Trinity Parish and the Collegiate Re
formed Church are a standing refutaton of the old
saying that corporations have no souls
This IS an age OF religious association and dis
cussion. AS soon as a Christian denomination does
something, its members forthwith proceed TO get
together and talk about what they have done and what
they may do. There are also congresses and con-
vcntions Of different denominations in which the work
of Christianity its wider aspects is discussed This
tendency is responsible for three great gatherings
which have just been held in London. The Pan
Anglican Conference is voluntary meet
ing of the bishops of the Anglican
Communion throughout the world. 1t has
no power legislate, of course, but It's opinions and
discussions will have great weight with the members
of that communion And it is pleasant TO know that
the bishops of the American Episcopal Church are by
tho least conspicuous or influential members
of that body. The Pan Presbyterian synod which has
also been meeting in London similarly represents
Presbyteransm. In that body also the delegates
from American Prcsbyteriansm have been taking an
honorable part. DR.. John Hail. of this city, made
NJ ~ nj IN
order OF Presby dcaconcsses,' proposal which
shows how practical and catholic modern Prcsby-
terianism Is. Another important meeting which has
Just been held in London the International Con-
ference of Missions, which was sort of clearing house
Of missionary thought and cndeavor These and
similar gatherings not only promote the idea OF
Christian unity, but give all the churches wider
outlook and thus enable them to do more effective
work. Not long ago distinguished Jewish rabbi
wrote an article advocating congress of all religions
The time may not yet be ripe for such congress,
but certainly the tendency seems to be leading In
that direction. And If any organic union OF Christen
dom is effected 1t will be through this tendency
rather than through any artificial efforts Of individual
churches
A CORES pondent who knew tho late DR.. Morgan Of
ST. Thomas's Church, boy, sends me somo inter-
esting "reminiscences Of him. DR.. Morgan he says,
"was always a true type of a gentleman,
81 What eer he did done with so much case,
In him alone twas natural to please
al knew Dr. Morgan I'm his native town, Hartford
Conn, and the boys little thought that B' as no
was there called would become great divine.
Hc forgot his old chums, and some are now
living who remember tho morning he left homo to
enter college, when he shouted to us: Boys. am
going TO be a preacher and l shall get the top,
you bet He got there, but he always the same
VIII Morgan. l shall only relate one incident TO
show that he considered that his position lifted
him above the people. During the building OF the
church he was daily walling, as he expressed
It, lions walls lie knew every mechanic by
namc-ard at times there were over 1OO-and tt
always Good morning Jack, or Good morn
ing, jerry An old lady who lived opposite the
church during its construction pleased at the at
| tonton he showed the men. and said he always had
a cheerful word and a little book tract for thcm
for he always carried bundle. But she was after.
ward very much shocked to learn that the packages
which he r,anentlY handed 10 the were not hing