The sun., 1903-07-14
Protestants and the Pope

PrOtestants and the Pope.
On Sunday prayers for the dying Pope
were offered up in several Protestant
churches of whose services we have par,
ticular reports and, probably, in many
more as to which we have no such in
formation.
They were indicative of a change ir
the attitude Of Professionalism toward the
Roman Catholic Church which is one OF
the most remarkable religious develop
ments of recent years. Even not more
than quarter Of century ago that
Church, by far the greatest in Christen-
dom, was usually excluded from consid-
Grafton by Protestants when they were
discussing the means and agencies for
the propagation of Christianity. The
article on the Pope in the Westminster
Confession, in which he was described as
that antichrist, that man of sin and son
of perditon, represented the prevailing
Protestant belief
twenty-five years before this whole
agitation against the Roman Catholic
Church which seemed to some prophets
ominous OF religious war. That Church,
then comparatively feeble, has now
grown into thn strongest in the republic,
yet, instead of the bitterness Of hostility
against it proclaimed and predicted by
the old Know-Nothingism, there have
come harmony and respect. In Prot
estant churches prayers were offered up
for the suffering and dying Pope. The
Roman Pontiff has become a Christian
brother, and Protestants join with Cath
olics in celebrating the spiritual exalta-
ton Of his character and the services he
has rendered to Christianity. He was
described by a Methodist preacher Of
New York on Sunday as a leader of the
great army Of the LORDS hosts, l" spir-
itual ommander-in- chief" cham
pion of the faith who has never wavered
from the Catholic position and the the
ology of THOMAS AouINAs," who has
done much for the progress Of civiliza-
ton" who has restored the golden age
of the Papacy in its best sense.
Such tribute to Pope from a Prot
estant pulpit would have been impossible
when LEO XIII. assembled the Papal
throne. The bitterness of the old Prot
estant controversy, az expressed in the
article of the Westminster Confession
TO which we have referred, had been mod
Grated even then, but it had not been
mitigated TO an extent which would have
made possible such expressions in a
Methodist pulpit. or in any other Prot
estant pulpit. Even then Catholicism
was looked upon by Professionalism as
apart from Christianity.
PRAYER for the Pope offered in an
Episcopal Church of Brooklyn, however,
was in terms which suggested an old
time controversy, for he was described
simply as the Bishop of Rome, and
in n sermon preached by the rector. as
the head Of the " Italian Church" That
is the Rev, Mr.. SwENTzEL took pains to
emphasize his rejection of the Papacy,
though he looked on the general interest
in LEO XIII. as happy omen for the
{, tire. as showing how people come
together" The old furious cries, No
Papacy and Protestant heretics, he
s,id, will find no echo to-day
This leads us to say that we have OBJ
served steadily growing spirit of tolera-
ton and respect in the many letters of
religious discussion We receive from
Catholics and Protestants. The time
v.as when they flung the most offensive
epithets at each other. Now, rs it must
have been observed, they reason together
calmly and respectfully, and even leave
IN each other some chance of escape from
the wrath to come.
1t cannot be denied, however, that fire.
qlently this new spirit of tolerance is due
TO lessened partisanship because of les
sened religious conviction. When men S
religious faith was strongest it was
most inflexible Professionalism divided
up into warning factions for conscience
sake. Baptists pursued Methodists with
reproaches and Episcopalians spoke con-
temptuously of Presbyterians, but they
all united in denunciaton of the wicked
ness OF the Papacy. Now there is a
strong tendency in Professionalism to
get together for differences which once
provoked bitter controversy are now in
differently regarded. It significant, too,
that the Methodists have just adopted at
Asbury Park ritualistic form of worship
which once would have been rejected
by them with loathing as Romish
device. and Methodist minister lauds
the Pope before an approving congre-
CATION as leader Of the great army Of
the LORDS hosts
Cooperation or Competition?
Whan tho fuII returns are mazda I'm