The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-04-07
DEFEND NAMEOF THE
PROTESTANT CHURCH
Dean GrOsvpnOr and DR.. Leigh
ton Parks Devote Ser
mons to Ii.
ALL FAITHS LOSE HOLD
ST. Bartholomew Rector Says
Puritanism Is to Blame
Most.
ALI. FAITHS LOSE HOLD

Dean Grosvenor of the Cathedral OF
ST. John the Divine and the Rev. DR.
Leighton PARKS at st. Bartholoinewf
devoted their sermons yesterday morn
ing TO the much discussed question or
/ changing the name OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church OF America. Both
clergymen expressed strong opposition
to the movement. Dean Grosvenor said
There has been published lately Il let
ter to the presiding Bishop which signed
and which was signed by a number OF the
clergy OF this city giving reasons why We
depreca,e and oppose any change IN the
name Of our church.
There are many reasons that might he
given. but speaking for myself there is
one controlling reason and that briefly
! IL this that to drop the word Protestant
would seem To proclaim that we were try
! ing to get rid OF the great principles OF
| Protestant!sm, as those principles were IN
volved In the English Reformation
In my opinion the only catho!icity of
the future that is worth having Or that
can abide must hold within /: those
Reformation principles because they are
tru. expressions OF the Gospel OF Christ.
The question before the thurch or
Rome IN the sixteenth century waA whether
or not 4 as able 10 enter with sympathy
into the new learning. the marvellous
/
toward truth for which that great epoch
stood. II was the age os intellectual,
b ethical and spiritual awakening, the age
OF tn,, discovery OF America. uf tn. art or
, printing. OF new science rnd philosophy,
OF a moral consciousness that looked with
in ot spiritual tumult with the emerg-nce
/ " an !ndy!dual!,n that a. last would
flower furth !nto democracy.
! Rome stood Impas.i,-.
"ru- Church tuinrd IT, face away r.om
j. all and stood ,nmovabl. and impass've.
! The Churcn having once committed itself
10 the fatal principle that what II once
| sanctions becomes !rrevocabe there Is no
I retreat for IL from the accumulatins ar
g-lr- of Dlunders, Its fatal attitude to-
ward the who!" spirit of ,nat great epoch
has made it iupuss.hl" fOr the Roman
Church - It"utri the common In" or
modern progress.
The Reformation was an attempt to re-
| stor. the equilibrium Of science and re-
! ligion. pr,tostautism does not set up
! reason against faith, but proclaims the
unity ~ al knowledge. human and divine,
prpclaims our .,ght To- examine the de-
/ c!siuns ~ the past generations OF the
. churCh and N!ndicatcs the right OF each
/ generation OF Christian men 10 deal with
/ the experiences OF the past In the light
OF the facts and the truth OF the living
I present
"
/ the very meaning ~ the word Is to wit
! ness for Pro s. for Il was and IL the
spirit "f freedom waiting upon the Holy
spirit of tod 10 guide men into all truth.
/ II wuuld prov" all things and hold fast
/ to that which is good. Catholic theology
- compact, harmonious legislative
dogma. parallel 10 imperial civil law
protestant theology. IN appealing 20 the
Rble appeals 10 the whole spiritual ex-
per!cnce ~ the human race Whenever
/ either OF these modes OF thought appeal to
. the letter and forget the spirit We have
ON the one I'D" ultramontanism and ON
/ the other Protestant liberalism. the In
fall!ble Pope and the in!allble book. but
the difference Is this. mat the iufallio,e
Pope can only add new rites and "ere-
monies. can only accumulate more dog
mas while the spirit OF freedom leads
those who believe iu til" infall!ble nook
to abandon ,he!r liberalism IN the interest
OF the!r own fundamental principle, oc
spiritual freedom
Insists t'pon Freedom.
+ 'Now the dlTcult problem OF tho An
gl.lau church and uur own American
chu.,a always has been and always Will
Oe tbs mat she is 81 broadmnded that
she sees the value Of authority and insists
upon spil!tua, freedom. she has en-
deavorrd 10 hold In hey wide embrace
things new and Old
Was 10 &, back 90 the sources OF her new
. NE, to stand once more In tn" presence
Of the master, To- llstea 10 His words and
to follow HIS VIII. - she took her stand
upon primitive Christianity. She denies
al! human infalliO!l!ties. the infall!ble
man, the intallibl. church. the infallible
| book
The real ISSUE rests directly IN this
Are We open minded. large hearted
tolerant, loving men and women Do we
care for the brotherhood Of man? no We
praise all seekers after truth Do We
sympathize with all sorrow" DO We re-
jo!ce IN all r.shteousness' Are We living,
really living for the upitt and salvation
of the world
g., DR. Parks not rnly criticised the
! "Catholic" party OF his church. but the
Puritan element in and out OF New
England. He declared Il 30 be Puri-
tanism and not Protestanism that Is
failing on trial involving the religion
of a nation.
He said in part:
II cannot comprehend how any men or
set OF men can study serioualy the his
tory OF Professionalism In Europe and
America and say other than that such
| religious life as America boasts Is due
to the Protestant churches. Consider for
a moment their vast contribution 10 edu-
cation. TO missions at home and abroad,
|
counts for uplift. There Is to-day more
faith IN the love OF God. more devotion
of Jesus Christ, more practice OF the
Golden Rule than ever,
1T cannot be denied that many youth
forsake the church. II IS due in part to
the war between theology and the State
in public education, Some way must be
found to end these differences Nor can
II he denied that In many quarters Chris
tlan faith Is losing its hold upon millions
OF men and women
Tells Of Catholic Losses.
Because this may be so why offer
Catholic doctrines. either straight Roman
ones or those held TO by the Catholic
party that would change the name OF the
Episcopal Church? The Roman Catholic
Church has lust Issued official figures
giving a Catholic population oS 1900 E
00o in continental United States But
consider what its population might have
been had 1t held the immigrants coming
into the United States. who were good
Roman Catholics when they left home.
The loss OF the Roman Catholic Church
IS enormous. For proof see Catholic
authorities. Some come Into Protestant
churches, but the millions OF them In
America as in Europe go nowhere,
1T Is not Professionalism that on its part
Is failing in America, nut Puritanism
There Is a falling away OF people from
all churches, Roman Catholic and Protes-
, tan,, due to disgust with all kinds o!