The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-22


satisfied with the forms of the estab-
lished church but with the modern
growth of England's wealth and arts
tocratic feeling has come a desire for
the greater pomp and glory OF the
Papal Hierarchy. The German anaIys,
finds a second reason in the expansion
of that Hierarchy on English sell
which has furnished the RituaIists.
who have brought down the traditions
Of Archbishop Laud, with a model to
guide them in their work \ third
+ reason is the inactivity and very
( great patience of the other parties in
The established-ohurca 1o,d" The
final reason given is that the anti
ritualistic movement has been poorly
/ organized and that its leadership has
been entrusted to men who are more
jealous than wise.
Probably the growth of wealth and
luxury has much mere TO do with the
desire for ceremonious worship than
anything else; for the inevitable ten
dency of the rich to surround them
selves with the pomps and vanities'
of secular life cannot be expected to
pause at a religious opportunity. Be
sides there is a feeling, by no means
confined TO England, that the worship
of the Universal Sovereign cannot be
fttingly carried on in the bare halls
and through the stark simplicity of
the political meeting which SO many of
the Puritan church assemblies came to
resemble. God is not a democrat;
He is a King" As a King it is His
privilege to command all the respect
which solemn ceremonies can provide.
One cannot but note in attending the
Episcopal and Congregational church
es of the Atlantic seaboard OF the
United States that the last twenty
years have developed a marked spirit
of ritualism in both. The ancient sim
plicity of the Episcopal service has de-
parted. There are now candles on the
altar; sometimes there is incense in
front of it. In the higher" churches
the rector is q Father" and now and
then a Father Confessor. AS for thu
Congregational churches, Cotton Math-
er and Jonathan Edwards, were they
to revisit the earth at the meeting
hour of Sunday, would hesitate ON
their thresholds. The walls Of such
houses are no longer bare; the pulpit
is almost an altar; there is trained
and not infrequently supplied choir
The congregation repeats the Apostles
creed and there is responsive reading.
Between the ornate Congregational
service of today and the simple Epis-
copal service of twenty or thirty years
ago there is but little difference,
though we believe the good pastors |
have not yet taken on the white gown. |
And what is true of me Congregational |
Is also true of the Presbyterian and |
some other evangelical bodies. Can it |
be said that the Episcopal church is |
becoming Roman and the Evangelical, |
churches Episcopaliam? II is a most |
interesting and pregnant inquiry.
But another tendency must not be |
overlooked Cathoi4c countries are be- |
coming less Catholic. Witness the |
warfare of the Filipinos on the friars |
and the appeal Of faithful Cubans for a |
Papal embassy to save them from the |
Professionals. Note the Away from |
Rome" crusade in German-Austria, |
which has led 5000 Catholics to en- |
brace the Protestant faith. Observe the |
troubles of the church in Italy and |
France. In all these countries the
pendulum is swinging away from the |
Hierarchy with its impressive ritual to |
the less dazzling form Of worship fol-
lowed by the dissenter. What does all |
this mean? That Catholicism is losing I
TO the Protestants in Catholic lands
while Professionalism is tending to-
wards the outward semblance of Cath
olicism in Protestant countries? And |
II so what new alignments of relig Gus
faith and custom will the twentieth
century, which the Pope has so SOL
EMMY consecrated, finally evolve? !