New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-11
THE PARSONS STUDY.
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND TALK.

a good Presbyterian elder whom know 10 yer,
Respondent about his Church. "Cavlnism IA golns.
no says, and Will be gone The young men AZ.
coming 10 tho front with their newianged soho,.,
ship and their schemes 30 adjust the infaable tuts
to the itching OF men, and the old men are b.n,
pushed aside. See how all the big churches arc gsn
ally getting lstitudInaTians In the pulpit men WIN
never preach CllviDlsn, and some o. whom sco9 :,
IL. And then this Briggs matter. Why, there A.,
hundreds OF ministers who believe the same AZ n.
does. n We should try to pat them all out the churea
would be split In two. And II We let them remain
they will soon turn the people aside from the trun
Verify the prospect is gloomy. and | can zee nh
disaster for the grand old Presbyterian Church TIA.
has weathered so many storms. Why, even the Ipa
copalans arc beginning TO patroniIe U.S.
Far otherwise spoke "Briggsite' Presbytea,,
minister whom afterward met. DO you know.
he Gaid, that good old Dame Darlington Is nov /.
the employ Of the Presbyterian Churchi Fact "A.
has been engaged TO push back the ocean Of truth viii
It's tremendous tides Of lfeeiyiag thought actually "a
push IL back, so that IL will be heard Of sng
And she is using that same old ecclslsstlesl
mop that she has always used for such work. Go n
any OF meetings nowadays, and you will $50 N.
good old soul wording away for dear life, the vhis
uttcng various CALCULATIONS, artlculae and inartieu
late, expressive Of her wrath and anxiety sometime.
we rrevcrent young prOgressves are inclined TO saSa
at her, Just as might laugh at those who beIeyd
thai the tides would rccede at the bidding Of Kin,
Canutc. But, really, there is something pitlfaay
pathetic in the efforts Of the old lady. She SO veal
so helpless ridiculous and so unconscious Of il an
don't feel Ike anwcring back when she gets mad ad
begins TO call What's the usei II.
present is largely ours and the future Is wholly oua
And knowing do that legion Of Mrs. Parurs
tons could affect the inevitable result why feel any
irritation at their puny efortSi Never before Wa
the outlook Of the grand old Prebyt terrain Church "a
hopeful
Bishop Potters admirable ard statesmanllks "A.
ennia charge TO his clergy Will settle good nany
burning questions in the New-York diocese. II viii
clear the air Of the vague Of terrible taeolo11
cyclones that were expected to break out at scy
moment. While the Bishop is revealed as staudns
like adamant In defence OF fundamental truth 10
takes occasion to disavow any sympathy with merely
blind and stupid ecclesasucism. lie IS for Lawful
liberty and healthy progress and will lend himself 70
no movement to curtai the one or impede the other
1t isl he says, "a very natural instinct d
human nature, and 1t has been. alas, a very pre-
eminent distinction Of people who have supremey A.
rogated to themselves the title Of theoogans 10 crush
out opinions that, upon whatever question, DO no,
happen 10 accord with their But 1t Is an IN.
stinct ignobe 1t IS common and, more than that
1t is the triumph OF which would be scarcely
less fatal to the life and growth Of the Churh
than the widest prevalence of error. In q BODY
which, while, as we relOlce 10 DeIcVe, unuer clslne
guidance and inspiration is still made up Of very l
and faulty members, led by very fallibe and often
very imperfectly formed guides, graver or more
perllous situation could come to pas. than tha. "a
which the due proportion OF the faith and the de
balance Of opposite aspects OF the one truth were
longer maintained by the differing and sometimes ap-
parenty dissonant voices Of It's teachers. The
moment we have affirmed the one truth we are bound
to affirm that there are, and rightly ought to b
fron, ,uhioh 70 Ionk ut
are those to whom consttutonaly such statement
Is intOrable but that does not alter the fact And
because II Is the fact the Church's duty 10 time
clear. We want defenders of the Church's liberty
as we'll as OF the Church's orthodoxy, and We
want on this point, on the part Of the episcopaie,
a candor In leadership which honest men have, from
those who over them. right 10 look for
1t has become a by-word among the dgnaha
Of the Episcopal Church that II IL Is desired perm&
nently to anchor clergyman in New York, the way
TO do is not to give him parish In New-iork but
to elect him bishop of some remote Western diocese.
and then New-York will irresstibly draw him Ike Q
magnet. Hardly a week passes In which you viii
not knock up against Of these excellent pioneer
bishops, and not always around the Bible House ehes
The other day met one Of them In
Wall Street looking very clerical and Just
little Western in a soft hat: what arc
YOU doing In this stronghold OF SIM inquired.
L
iti have been begging money for my missionary
work, and, like the refreshing rain came down on
the Just and unjust. In fact, II you will be QUOT
about it, will let you into little secret mostly
avoided the good Churchmen, because they have been
so frequently worked for all sorts Of worthy causes ta
even the most generous Of them occasionally ses
little tired, and went for the real so-called bad
Of the street. tho who have been identified
with religion In any way. The results Well. now.
/ am not giving any figures, but Will say that In
nearly every the response was most generous.
One big hearted fellow, who frankly told me he didn't
believe in Christianity at ali, after learning the prse-
good sum, and as he did so, he remarked Now,
bishop, 1t would really do me good II yol would cone
and have a little champagne luncheon with ME. You
needn't do than taste glass, you know, but !
want TO drink to the health OF man who has so,yed
No. didn't get hufy, but went to luncheon with him.
excusipg myself from the champagne, however. Oh,
Wall Street is an interesting place for the clergy
they know how to take H.
This week we have all been looking at the Methods,
though, the same time, Ii the truth must DO tod We
have been keeping a corner of eye the heretics
Not that necessarily sympathtze with the heretia
either In esse or in posse, but we hid them vasuy
Of good orthodox Methodsts, who, to our certain
knowledge, couldn't be heretics they tried ever 80
restrictive rule in the Methodist church which Tor
prohibits any General Conference from changing
or modifying any article OF the Church's faith 20
there they are with faith for all delivered TO s
saints and with the certain prospect Of eAcommuhht
cation before them IL they kick at any clause pOuo
less the modern liberals consider this most ao,un
and tyrannical restriction But as a matter OF fae
seems have worked we'll, and - kckeI> ever ap.
pear. II they feel inclined to KICK they Just step wv
side, where their kicking attracts no attention
"The Methodists.- says kindly critic in the West
are remarkable for their mutual admiration ana anev
ton, and their loyalty to their common lnteressts'
some religious denominations live in perpetual az
sensions and mutual antpathies But the MethooiIss
Church is as compact bullet ANY one VIZ
touches one Methodist touches all Methodsts. -
Methodist Will walk mile other things being eqdss
to trade with Methodist To Methodist even h
Methodstic Is perfection His preacher IS me ~
Of preachers and his bishop is the greatest oslop "a
the world; his church IS always IN hoarsmhhs Ss.
dition and the last meeting he atended was ths 80
he ever attended. During the war nc though, ~
Methodist generals the greatest and after"afa us
Methodist President the climax In Pre,ldcnts. bNssy