The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-02
Drifting Apart.

1t. looks very much as if there were two
/ great religious parties in this country whose
differences were gradually but steadily be-
coming more marked. One of them Is draw
ing closer to dogmes and strict church gov
ernment, and the other is drawing away
from creeds and forms and insisting that
individual conscience shall be the only
standard of guidance. Ia some denomina-
tions the differences between the two parties
are much more marked than in others, and
in a few they are scarcely discernible. And
it is doubtful if any denomination is pre-
pared to admit that it is composed of two
parties. each holding views which, If per-
sisted in, will eventually bring about a
division.
But the differences which have cropped
out among the members of different
churches since the theological views of DR..
Briggs of the Union Theological Seminary
have become a subject of controversy, and
those which were expressed during the time
that Phillips Brooks was waiting to be con-
firmed as bishop of Massachusetts show that
there is lack of harmony in the churches
The party that desires to break away
AiOt4l pA0 NicCNo lOilS bSbdUllSubu lllS
of church government is securing new re-
cruits all the time. That is shown by
| the number OF protests that are being made
against clergymen of more or less promi-
nence for placing new interpretations upon
portions of the Bible, or departing from
practices which have the sanction Of long
usage. Only recently in OHIO a prominent
clergyman of the Episcopal church
was suspended for expressing opinions.
entertained no doubt by a large number of
people, which were not in harmony with the
teachings of his church, and within a very
few months complaints have been made
against two very prominent New York
clergymen of the same church for teaching
unauthorized doctrines and refusing to con-
form strictly with certain church regula-
tions. Their congregations were not dis
satisfied. The complaints were made by
other clergymen.
The attacks which were made upon Phil
lips Brooks Immediately after he was
elected bishop and before his election was
confirmed Indicated pretty clearly the ex-
istence of two parties in the Episcopal
church. And it is reported that there is a
movement among the High Church people
to obstruct the progress Of the Broad
Church. And strange as it may seem this
| movement is understood to have originated
in the west, the section of the country in
which the greatest liberality with respect
to religious opinions might reasonably be
looked TO-.
1t is not to be understood Of course, that
the two religious parties exist only in the
Episcopal and Presbyterian churches.
They are found in all Protestant churches,
but in some the lines are not very clearly
drawn. And one Of the evidences of their
existence is the growing demand for maya
zine articles which tend to show that there
is a marked evolution in religious thought.
Whether the differences between the two
parties will become SO marked that separa-
ton will become necessary is a question that
is well worth considering. At present they
are not productive of anything more than
discussion, which, as rule, is carried on
without much show of unfriendly feeling.