The Irish standard., 1917-09-22
IS Professionalism
Breaking Down?
ENTERTAINERS ARE DISPLAYING
PREACHERS IN THE PULPiTS.
Dogma Has Disappeared-Fruits Of
Lutheranism and the "Reform-
ation."

regard II DIS ZIG 0AOSs VI S0A toAA VIZ
finite causes one or more of which
are considered, by most religious
historians, to be invariably present.
Thus, the religion in question, may
have been possessed of SO vast de-
gree of wealth that its ideals were
lost in worldliness. 1t may, too
have been invaded by moral corrup-
ton, either in the persons of its min
listers or it's members. Again, it's en-.
ergies may have become dormant
from lack of active opposition or
paralyzed from it's close connection
with an Indifferent or hostile State.
These are what one might call the
conventional prerequisites in the
philosophy of religious decline. The
philosophy, however, is but partial,
for if the above reason be ever so
briefly analysed, they will be found,
without exception, to be external.
The remnant of the religion which
survives it's breakdown, if any does,
will survive intact, says j. d. Tibbits
in America.
Now, the breakdown of Protest
antism furnishes a typical illustra-
ton of the incompleteness of the cur.
rent theory. All the conditions, COM
monty regarded as essential, are con-
spicuous only by their absence.
Although the many denominations
have seldom been lacking in the goods
of the world, yet their wealth has
been rarely so vast as to arouse the
cupidity of politicians. Competition,
friendly or unfriendly, has been their
fnvariable and inevitable portion.
Their relations with the civil power,
whenever any real Intervention has
occurred, have been, in the main,
favorable to themselves. And no one
can justly charge either their clergy
or laity with anything approaching
moral corruption.
The reason, then, for the almost
spectacular decline which we are now
beholding, must be sought within
rather than without; and in order to
understand fully both the reasons
and their significance, it will be un-
profitable to take rapid glance at
the contrast which is presented by
the Professionalism of our time as COM
pared to that, say, of century ago;
for in the very nature Of the change
which this religion has undergone
will be found the key to one Of the
most important phenomena in the
theological world Of today.
Every student of history is obliged
- to admit that the Professionalism Of a
hundred years ago was q religion
both of force and power. To this
fact many causes doubtless contrib
uted; but it can hardly be questioned
that the primary cause was to be
found in the. note of positiveness
which was then universally charac-
teristic of it's teaching. 1t stood for
q definite idea, both as regards this
world and the next. That it was
erected upon foundations which had
no support in reason is not at all
to the point. It was definite and
positive none the less, and as long az
its foundations we're unquestioned
or were explained with some meas
ure of plausibility, the power and
force remained. It is true that the
various sects differed among them
SELVES upon many points of doctrine,
but there was much larger body of
+. doctrine which practically all re-
garded as fundamental. Thus one
might or might not believe in Infant
Baptism; but to deny the Trinity, or
the Divinity of Christ, was unthink-
able.
The ministry of that period re-
Elected the force and power Of the
religion: The clergy were, as a rule,
4 men of character and authority; and
their authority was derived, first, from
fession more or less sacred, and sec
ond, from the superiority of their
education. They controlled the seats
Of learning and directed its course.
The average minister of that day
was at home in many fields utterly
unknown to the average layman. He
knew, at first hand, the classics of
Greece and Rome. He knew some.
thing both of physics and metaphy-
sizes. The texts from which he
preached he could quote in the or.
iginal tongues. And he was not in.
frequently man of practical things
To these conditions, the Protestant
ism of today offers a most striking
contrast. The history of the last cen
fury is a history of the gradual fad
ing away of positive religion. The
field of dogma, heretofore consider
ed essential, has steadily contracted
before the constantly widening field
of speculation. The process has beer
described by various terms. "Liber
alism," Breadth" Modernism" are
but a few of them. At length the
speculative has completely triumph
ed over the positive, while the ides
that one religion is as good as an
other has been carried to its logica.
conclusion Of general indifference tt
al. It is q remarkable illustration Of