The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-13

courage when we call to mind the won
derful work now going on IN every
diocese of the American church by the
Woman's Auxiliary, both in the original
organization among the grown women
of her communion and in the Junior
Branch? What ample cause have we TO
hope that this very remarkable move
ment is as yet in its swaddling clothes,
and that we will not have gone beyond
the first decade of the 10th century be
fore such will have been the growth, both
in numbers and in quickened consecra-
ton. it may appropriately be said of the
thousands and thousands of American
church women. they have done what
they could. See what marvellous re-
suits the Lord has wrought by frail,
feeble women, by strong and vigorous
church. And then we can point with
grateful pride to the Woman's Auxili-
ary's correlative organization among the
men in the Brotherhood of st. Andrew.
How often in the remarkable aid render
ed, both diocesan and parochial wrok, have
both bishops and priests of the church
thanked God and taken courage when
remembering what the men of proml-
nence and the brother of low de-
gree are doing to advance the true inter
ests of the church. Surely the time
seems to be near at hand when the Epis-
copal church can point with pride and
joy to what men and women. proml-
nent in social position, are doing for
Christ in her ranks; but when also
the great work of claiming the
kingdoms of this earth for the King
that is being rapidly pushed by lodg-
ment of her great saving truths of the
GOSPEL in the hearts of broad chested
brawny yeOmanry.
NO HOLD ON THE MASSES.
Heretofore it has been said Of the
Episcopal church that she had no hold
ON the great toiling masses. To-day
there is very much truth in this state
ment We do not get hold of the great
body of the people. Out of the centers
of our large cities and towns, there are
counties upon counties where this church
has no altar. Why is this? Presently
we will inquire into the causes of this
state of things and seek for the remedy.
1T may encourage us all to note the
fact that the signs of better state OF
things now to be discerned. Again We
have occasion to rejoice over the fact
that this church in her broad and broad
ening cathOlicity, in her freedom from
narrowness is growing into freedom
from specialists, for in law, in medicine
in science, in theology specialists are
the producers of narrowness and lop
sideness and antagonize the full orbed,
enlightened view of the roundness of the
truths as freed from petted crockets,
favorite dogmas and dangerous angulari-
ties.
1.-The American church man is not
obliged to go very far back to find the
causes which still retard the growth of
the church in this young, vigorous Re
public. Prior to the revolution, which
resulted after seven years Of war in the
freedom of the Colonies from the moth
er country, the truth of history justifies
this sad statement that for long years the
Epscopalians who had come to America
were denied the help and safeguards OF
one important element in the autonomy
or organism of the Apostolical church.
Our forefathers were depressed by
their failure to secure Il Bishop. The
war continued quite long enough to
deepen the prejudice of the American
people against every thing that sayored
of the scarlet uniform of England. HUI
man nature is a queer tumble and
medly of perplexing contradictions. The
same people, who. prior to 1176. had
fought fiercely around the battlements Of
Quebec, under the cross of ST. George,
in 1873 had learned to hate the English
flag. and almost every form of English
institutional life. We began the century
with deep-seated prejudice against the
English church, because the great
body of the people of the
United States, in their far
reaching love for the Republic and popu-
lar government, readily imbibed the
teaching of the Romanists, the Baptists
and the Quakers that the Protestant
Episcopal church was under the sanity
White was in full sympathy with and
natural outcome of English aristocracy.
SOME FALSE NOTIONS.
NEARLY century has passed away and
yet SO amenable is poor human nature
to any and all forms of false teaching,
that, here in North Carolina, to this very
day the great mass of the people are
very much prejudiced to the Episcopal
church. They have been industriously
taught that as Episcopacy came to
America from England during the god
less 18th century, the church stands for
everything like aristocracy that one dares
maintain and that the standard of per-
sonal piety is very low in her commun-
ion. Radical Professionalism failing fair
ly to differentiate goodness from god
illness, prudery from piety, righteousness
from religion, slopping-over emotionalism
from emotion, the great body of their
rank and feel fatty affinl
that the parade religion
lists have and indefensible pre-
empton on the kingdom of Heaven.
Is it any wonder, with these false views
so prevalent among the great body OF
the population of the United States, the
growth of the Episcopal church should
be so slow. The suspicion Of Anglican
ism in some form or other accounts for 1t.
Coming from ignorance it seems to have
come to stay, for with the ignorance
comes prejudice and from such parent
age as these two comes the numerous
progeny Of envy, hatred and malice.
Comparing the Episcopal church with