The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-03-07
"LIBERALITY OF THOUGHT"

In an editorial which appeared in these col
umns last week on the Drift Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. we called the attention of our
readers to the noticeable leaning of many of the
bishops and clergymen of that church in the direc-
ton of 'fberality of thought" of broad minded
ness" of "comprehensiveness," that is to say to
negation of Christian truth, a mutuation of the
canons of the church and marked concession 10
the influences at work in the church to minimize
alter sweep aside the teachings of our Divine
Lord The Evangelical party of the Protestant
Episcopal church which, at one time, was an in
fluental and aggressive element in maintaining
strong ant-Roman and ultra-Protestant attitude
towards everything Catholic has practically disap-
peared. and the field of contention is occupied
by the forces of two opposing parties. These two
bodies, within the church, are known as the
Ritualist or Catholic and the Latitudinarian or
Broad-C Church parties. The Broad Church division,
among which the word piety is losing It's original
meaning, embraces the free and easy Hvers the
indiferentists and that large contingent
of good fellows who lean toward fashionable re-
hgion that does not trouble ones peace of mind
with appeals to conscience or annoying threats Of
punishment for sin. The other constituency is
made up of few bishops. considerable number
Of clergymen and of conscientious men and women.
who stand by the traditions of the early Church.
by the doctrinal teachings of Hooker and Andrews
and Laud and Taylor and of others who held fast to
many of the reformation doctrines. The last
act of qualification, perpetrated at the Richmond
convention has opened the eyes of large body
Of conscientious clergymen and Iaymen. who view
with alarm the drift Of the Episcopal ship toward
the cataract Of infidelity. Against the mass OF
unbehef pressing against and threatening the
sanctity of the church and the faith once delivered
to the saints there apparently no escape except
by the "Appian Way" leading to Rome When the
bishops the sentinels on the watch of Israel
are either sleeping on their posts or traitorousy
conspring with the enemy for the surrender of the
fort, the castle is doomed. In a recent issue of
The Lamp" the organ of the conservative party
within the church, the Reverend Paul James Fran
els. whose learning Is as profound as his sincerity
Is unquestioned. writes "All conscientious church
men know how needfu the existence of Catholic
party is IN the Episcopal church. if for no other
reason than TO serve counteractant to the de-
signs which degrade the doctrnal standing of the
church to the level of the Federation platform Of
the Protestant denominations and enter into pull
PIT exchanges and intercommunion with them on
terms of such equality as to make it impossible for
those who hold and practice their religion. to any
longer find an habitation in the Episcopal church.
The reverend gentleman and the 1000 within the
church who have not bowed the knee to Baal" are
conscientiousy endeavorng to arrest the disintegra
non Of the body spiritual and to invest once more
their church in the garments of dignity. sublmity
and the orthodoxy of other days. They are begin
ming to perceive that time and strength and the
talents which God has bestowed upon them are be-
ing wasted in contending with their clamorous adj
rersaries who have the wealth of the rich and the
passions of the multitude with them The Episco-
pal church in the United States is meeting with the
fate of all human institutions. The mortar of no
hticsI fanaticism which united ii as a compact