New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-28

ALFRED MOMER1E.
| this subject was for some years morning
preacher at the Founding Hospital The service
there of the most attractive in London
Sidney smith OF my predecessors All
foreigners visited the Founding. and | used to
nave occasionally among my audience statesmen
like Mr. Gladstone and Lord Rosebery, women
OF society like the Duchess Of Leinster; actors.
artists and celebrities OF all sorts. But. was
responsible for every Sunday In the year. found
the tie too great and / resigned in order to be
more free for my literary work and lecturing.
since then my best energies have gone into my
writing for the Broad Church cause ! am trying
10 DO away with dognas and make religion ra-
tonalstic My views are almost precisely similar
10 those Of Dean Stanley. AS matter Of fact. the
Church OF England. far as It's demands 20, Is
about broad it can be. But few people
realize this IL ~ almost impossible, FOR example.
10 drive "A clergyman out Of the Church for heresy.
since the change in the clerical subscription for he
IL not Obliged at the present time to subscribe 10
the crced-indeed to any Of the plural doctrines
ToLER,TIoN IL THE CHURCH GROWING.
Formerly the clergy were required TO give I'M
.eirned assent and consent to all and everything
contained I'm the PRAYER Book they are only re-
qur-d to give assent 10 the doctrine OF the Church
OF England the word doctrine being understood
in the singular. TO allow latitude in regard
law courts generally the decision in favor OF
the hereto because the lawyers interpreted the ar
tices In a broad way The House Of Lords IL the
highest court Of appeal. but this court Is not COM
pos.d Of the bishops. but Of five or six eminent
Judges 50. II were brought up before IL the
chances are tina, i, would be quashed. But DO
not know that there ever has been such an appeal.
Moreover the expenf-a and the difficulties OF eccle-
siastcal trials 90 great TINT they are becoming
very rare: consequently. the liberation in the
Church II much greater than II ever before.
The number of liberal clergymen and iaymen
Is certainly increasing with rapidly | get letters
from clersymen all over England saying that they
quite agree with the Broad Church movement. but
that they either afraid to speak out for fear
Of losing their lvngs they feel that II would be
quite useless. But In time this feeling will pass
away. In the north OF England have had great
encouragement I once preached there for a time
to a congregation consisting chiefly OF artisans. |
found them TO be fine fellows. earnest and ready to
hear what had TO say. The most surprising thing
70 their preference for my philosophical
sermons those OF q palmer sort. discovered
that they had a kcener appreciation OF these than
som. Of the smart people OF London TO whom I
had preached In England. the northern artisans
are superior the southern agricultural labor
crs Indeed the agticulturalists are many Of them
little more than animals
HIS EFFORTS To Simplify RELIGION.
simplify religion. to rid it OF all absurdites. to
make people that they can have faith that
is truly rational. don't mem by this that they
can understand everything that there is In religion.
We cannot attain n complete understanding OF all
It's mysteries any more than we can understand tn.
profound mystery In the formation of n blade Of
grass. Hut rid II of those features that
rep-l so many thinking people and drive them into
atheism In England great many young men
are turning away from religion altogether. because
what they have been ;susht has seemed to them
ridiculous II IL just this kind OF people that I
am trying to reach.
AS for the general state OF religion In England.
It seems to to be most encouraging. No. do
not think that. the whole, atheism and ag-
Mysticism are making progress there The philo-
sophica work Of such man as Huxley is wholly
negative. 1t Is curious by the way. that because
ccpted philosopher. Indeed he Is not a
philosopher at all; his work /. in quite another
theology religion. and when he talks abont these
things he speaks without authority But really
his process Of destruction-you know he Is always
!earng down. he neyr s"S up n" nfvsr Son
he is actually doing good for he Is looping away
ons mat a b TssnnI Of rrs a' arc re
whatever to atheism religion and science one has
to do with practice, the other with theory. In !
place OF the old God who created the world IN /
develops the higher from the lower forms In
regular succession OF progress. Surely. of the !
two. the second Is the finer conception. II IL !
perfect reconciliation Of fifth with evolution For
at first Darwins theory frightened people: 1t /
seemed to conflict with all their IDEAS about the T
Deity. Before long they will realize how finely 1t ,
corresponds with the newer and higher ideas !
Far from destroying religion, science eevates 1t.
EARNEST WORK OF ROMAN CATHOLICS.
DR. Momerle was asked what impression the Con- |
Yress of Religions had left upon his mind.
''Ah." he exclaimed. enthusiastically. ut was mag
nifcent There has never been anything like II /
before 1t was a perfect success. The sight of the
representatives OF all the forms of belief In the /
world meeting on common ground. inspired by ,
feelings OF amty could not fail to impress all ?
who saw H. In the discussion perfect franhness 4
prevailed II was really hnc To see a 8rahmr d
point out the mistakes made by Christians in +
he had taken his seat Roman Catholic Arch /
bishop went up him. acSno Nlr1ged the truth Of !
his criticisms and thanked him for having made /
them And let me say a word here about the way /
the Roman Catholics worked At the meetings.
They showed an admirable spirit OF earnestness.
They read more papers man any representatives /
OF the other religions did. and they acquitted !
themselves in every respect with the greatest
credit As for the Church of England, am sorry
to say that IN. Archbishop OF Canterbury did not |
send one official representative | was surprised
at this for the Archbishop Is broad man. ,
have heard OF several reasons for the Archbishops
choosing not to send representatives.. one Is that
he did not wish 10 have tho Roman Catholic
Church receive precedence over his and OF
course IL f. only natural that Cardinal should
be preferred 10 one OF lesser rank. Besides
must acknov,,ed0e that the Church Of England Is