Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-17
TENDENCY OF PRoTEsTANTIsM.

Rev. Joseph McSorley, q Pauist
priest, in The American Ecclesiastical
Review for October maintains that
modern Professionalism has a tendency
towards the denial Of the doctrine OF
the divinity OF the Redeemer. lie ad-
mits that thousands OF Protestants 10y
ally worship the Son OF God, but he
contends that the very nature Of Pro-
testantism Is such as 70 make It's pro-
fession "a mere preface TO bold denial
Of what Chrlst's true disciples hold to
be their dearest treasure-the literal
truth Of Gods incarnation"
This is a sweeping criticism on the
numerous bodies OF christian" asso-
Citations that pride themselves on the
orthodoxy Of their creeds. and the i'm
maculate conception OF their doctrines.
But Is 1t not just to a great extent?
Rev. McSorley looks at the religious
currsnts in the world and finds these
conditions;
In Germany where there sim thun-
ders the echo of Luther's proClama-
ton of religious freedom. the pure
Gospel has given birth IN succession TO
pietism, mythism, ratlonalism, IDEAL
ism, sentmentallsm, pantheism. In
Geneva, the Rome OF Professionalism,
where Farel preached and Calvin leg
lslated, Protestant Christianity has de-
veloped into a sort OF baptized deism,
too little Christian, / might almost
say, to meet the appreciation OF
Rousseau or q Yoltalre. In Holland
and France, with insignificant excep-
tons the Reformed churches have be-
come unevangelical and rationalistic In
fact whatever they may be In name,
In Norway. Sweden and Denmark there
are decided indications Of a revival Of
Odnisn, or the old scandinavian
heathenism In England and Scotland
the older delsm OF the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries Is succeeded by a
meager spiritualism which Is only
miserable humanlsm. and in this Coun-
try Professionalism tends TO reject all
dogmas, To make Christianity mere
scenic display and 20 settle down IN
revived necromancy and demon-wOr-
ship. when, some few years since, your
Protestant delegates met In a worlds
convention az London, 10 devise and
effect q Protestant alliance for the
overthrow Of Catholcity. they found
that there were no common doctrines
on which they could agree, not even
that of the immortality Of the soul and
were Obliged to separate without draw
Ing up common confession A creed
embracing only the principal articles
al ra..IIH az tH,H H
question even by heather nations was
found 90 embrace too much 10 be ac-
capted by an who claimed 10 be good
Protestant Christians
with the revival Of Odlnism' IN the
scandinavian countries. the author re-
fers. we presume. TO the religious ten
dency originated by Bishop Grundtvg,
and which has many open followers.
In this country Mr. Mcsorley points
to the influence OF Unitarlanlsm and
Unlversallsm upon the Protestant
churches. He quotes, by way OF Illus
tration. this editorial paragraph from
the New York Sum
MANY Of the old Unitarian families
of Boston are now attendants upon
Episcopal churches Episcopalians and
Unitarlans may sometimes be seen Join
inc I'M memorial exercises and speaking
from the same platform. Unquestion-
ably the barriers between the different
branches of Professionalism are being
broken down. but Is not the hammer
with which the work OF destruction Is
done rather agreement in unbelIef than
In belicf?'
Il Is dimcult 10 escape the conclusions
10 which these facts lead Protestant
lem I'm drifting away from divine au-
,bority IN matters Of faith and practice,
has been an aid TO inhdelity. We may
not admit that Professionalism itself is
akin TO disbelief, but 1t cannot be de-
MED that II has placed itself on the
same level with Il. They are standing
on the same platform rs 30 authority
When private judgment Is supreme,
stravss and Renan have as much claim