Year: 1874

Whatever the members of q religious body
may see fit to do is matter of indifference
to us except so far as such action becomes
Trivial events are, however, sometimes pro-
phetic, and indicate tendencies as q piece of
driftwood tells the ebb or food of the tide.


What the Episcopal Church has left undone
and what an important branch OF the Baptist


communion has lately done are equal proofs


that Professionalism is at present. and for some


time in the future is likely to be, in state


of unfraternal strife and that the various


bodies of which it is composed must needs


meet at stated intervals for the purpose of


general tnkering Their sole aim and pur-


pose seems to be, if we judge by their action


during the last week, to stop up holes where
good material is running out and to make
holes through which bad material may be
forced out. These two conventions have given
us o somewhat lively and novel interpreta-
ton of the beatitude, BLESSED are the peace
makers


sion of the merits of the problems which have
touched these bodies In CALLED spot and
made them vince, we have right to say. IN
the interest of order and social economy, that
such exhibitions, however worthy of an
earlier age, are in distressing contrast with
the demands of our own. If the Catholic
Church of America in any of its convocations
should indulge in such o hot-headed and hot
tempered debate as that which resulted in the
forcible exclusion of q prominent member
from the Baptist churches of Brooklyn two
weeks ago, it would be denounced by every
pulpit of the land as an act Of uncalled-for
tyranny, and thunderbolts Of flaming rhetoric
would begin general condagration.


To the man who is somewhat disinclined to
the worship Of the sanctuary, an irrefutable
argument in favor of his Indifference is pre-
sented by the quarrels, the sharp criticisms
and the apparent ring" diplomacy which have
lately characterized the meetings of ministers
Why encourage in any way this everlasting
wagging of the tongue about more or less
ritualism or more or less water? When the
clergy begin to buckle on their spurs and to
fly at each other as though they we're game
cocks in the pit there is little wonder that in
fidelity holds up its head and the Church
complains Of lack of interest


The Episcopal Convention has been in ses-
sion long enough and its delegates are wise
enough to have devised some practical plan
of reaching the dangerous classes, OF increas-
ing the element of reformation in our So
called reformatory institutions of making
the pulpit more effective OF of converting the
heathen, not only of foreign lands, but of the
political rings of New York. With lordly
gesture, however, the high potentates Of the
Church thrust these important problems aside
and spend eight mortal days, with closed
doors, in what is practically discussion of
the proper length OF ritualistic robes and the
multiplication of ceremonies in the order of
Sabbath worship. When the people shall be sat
isfed to have giant leave his days work and
spend his Cyclopean strength in cracking
flberts, then, and not till then, they will ap-
plaud these potent seigniors for gathering from
all parts of the Continent to decide the correct
pattern of the phylactery which they are to
bind on their foreheads. There is one word
of wholesome advice which the community
stands ready to give these gentlemen: Let
us have less of your rubric and more Of your
New Testament


The question is very naturally asked, What
are some of the practical results of this gath
ering together of gentlemen of wide culture,
of literary fame, of noted organizing ability,
and of apostolic enthusiasm? In what way
will the Episcopal Church be stronger for
this Convention, and in what will the
general public be better off? To our mind
nothing has been accomplished except to put
well-defned lines about the various parties
into which the Church has been split, and
very materially to increase the antagonism
of those parties The schisms Of six months
ago were very quietly hidden under the sup
posed unity of the body now they have taken
shape and the unity of the body is no longer
possibility. 1t is split up into factions,
each one of which, having discovered its own
strength or weakness, will provide means to
make itself heard and felt at the next Con-
vention.


The great fight was against ritualism,
put 10 QclcdI Wuo Va ouOA o AoeuAC tuut
its friends must take courage and hope for
better things. Two or three more such de-
feats will be equivalent to victory. It was
plainly developed during that field day
of discussion that a very important and very
strong class-much more important and much
stronger than was supposed-have turned
their faces toward Rome and are marching
with rapid strides in the direction Of the


mother Church. Unless Episcopacy can
muster larger majorities than were seen on
that day the Roman tendency Of the Episcopal
Church Of America will afford material for
sober thought and prolonged discussion. It
is not q little significant that such body
should take especial pains to insist, and
should make an emphatic point of insisting,
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