New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
TIE CHTPCH AND DISSENT.

7, 10 q curIous and suggestive fact that tho !
Anglican Church appears to be not only hold
ing its own but Is growing in strength ana
numbers At least this IL the Inference TO be
drawn from recent article in 1.-THE Christian
Commonwealth" an influential Nonconformlst
journal published in London. After referring
to the decay Of Dissent which 1t declares to
have been brought about by Dissent Itself, it
says:
The English people rave never been -
"churchy" az they at this hour, and Nom
conformity is making very poor strides In com.
parison with the progress OF the ESTABLISHMENTS.
Indeed. hut for the great revulsion created by
the mountebank spectacle Of Anglo-ritualism.
the trumphs Of the clergy would have been sun
moro astonishing. II any reader should doupt
the accuracy Of our generalization; ne sno ei.
study comparatively The Church Year BOOK
and the year books OF tho great dissenting de.
nominations He would speedily be satisneo
that Mr. Gladstone has always been correct IN
his assumption that the great majority Oh tne
nation either prefer the Establishment, OF are
Indifferent to the attacks OF Its opponents. D's
sent is n comfortable. middle-class ihsutu'ion'
the upper and lower CLASSES kho" anu '''o ~
ing at all about H.
Nor Is there on the other hand. any evidence
that rltuallsm Is driving large numbers OF An
c,icans into the Roman Catholic Church. al
though it Is frequently said that such IL the
England forty one are Roman Catholic, about
the same average that OF ten years ago
| English Roman Catholicism numbers among IFS
| members some eminent and respectable people
but so far as the overwhelming mass or the
| Enclish pcople Ia concerned. II is An alien ana
| exotic BODY. having little influence on the HE
Of the nation In truth. rltuallsm. even In its
mos, cx,ravagant form. Is not likely 10 LEAD
| many OF It's adherents 10 the Church or Rome.
| For ritualism has little papacy OF It's own,
a mosaic OF doctrines. traditions md pions opin-
| ions carefully culled from ancient authorities
| ny ia blgh prie4ts In the last analysis. there
fore II IL. IN a sense founded on private Judg-
mont, and so IL unprepared to surrender the
| right Of private judgment at the behest or the
| popc OF Rome. or course. ultra frotestants
can see no good In rltualism; yet speaking
broadly. the ritualistIc movement hns been most
helpful 10 the Anglican Church while the marin
II has done viii prove 10 be only temporary IN
It's character and effects.
Bu, not TO dwell on that phase Of the pues-
tIon II IL somewhat startling to ind Nohcoh-
formlst organ acknowledging that Dissent i
not holding It's own against the Establishment.
We, the reasons are not far 10 seek FIRST Oh
all the fact that the Anglican. Church Is estab-
lshed gives It an enormous social prestge' 'h"'
makes nominal churchmen out Of all who want
70 ion church but have no denomlnhtonhi
nredIlcctlons Mere social eclat however, does
M, fell the whole story. During the last TWEEN
| ,vovc wears there has been a renarkable IN
crease I'm the vitality OF the English Church.
7, has not been content simply to perform IT'S
-ou,,ne du,v as n creature Of the State. 1t has
cor,e largely TO realize It's duties and respon-
| sthuI,,cs "a n Church Of Christ charged with
tho prcoching OF His Gospel TO all the people.
n,ub,less Il has failed in many respects TO
reoIze this lofty ideal II Is handicapped with
MANY old abuses that are fastened on 1t. 1t Is
IN some WAYS weakened by its connection with
IN. STATE and suffers here and there for the
sins and shortcomings OF its clergy in the eigh-
| ,oortb century IL has not been able TO retain
.hol,v the intellect Of England. and, as the
solvo,,on Army shows It has allowed to slip
away from II many OF the humble and the poor.
IN, In splte OF all this. candor compels the ad-
mission that the Church Of England to-day IS a
thoroughly live Church. striving earnestly to
retrieve Its mistakes Of the past and, accord
inc n ia lights, to preach the Gospel to every
creature Animated by such spirit as this
and backed by It's wealth and official position,
i, ,s not Mt all wonderful that 1t Is growing not
or,v in numbers but in influence. St. 1t must
no remembered thar about half Of the English
people are Disorders. and that the Nonconforh1-
,st conscience. In spite OF all the sneers uttered
against IT, has been the moral savior OF Eng
land Tho success Of the English Church gives
II no right TO ride roughshod over Dissent, hut
rather laws upon 1t the solemn duty OF REFORM
ing the abuses and mistakes which made DIS
sent possible