Year: 1873

sUPPOsE-A TRIBUTE TO THE PIETY OF AMERICAN


CHRISTIANS.


lFROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE


BERLIN. Nov. 3O-Dr. DOrner met some OF h's
brother German theoogians and churchmen a' .
little assembly in Berlin a week ago. and addresseu
them on the Evangelical Alliance from when he
had just returned, rather on his own impressions
of American Christianity. literal translation
excepting few statistics with which American
readers are already familar-s herewith given ~
Dorner chose THE TRIBUNE for the exclusive puOh'
cation of his address,. He also authorized ana Ie'
quested your correspondent to make public the
of obligation which he and all the German
delegates feel toward THE TRIBUNE. The following
is the address:


ADDRESS OF DR.. DoRNER.


The circumstance OF religious parties OF sec's W
North America, their differences and their ndepe"u
ence, well from another from the STATE h"'o
given occasion here In Germany TO that perverted Po


ure OF Church relations there which IL often breny e
pressed IN the phrase American pecuarities" by tns
is meant n) that partition into religious factions DC
tween which hostility and the Jealousy VI
spirit which itself in petty Quarrels; ~ theso
sects unable TO found church, to bring Christianity
TO a national existence which ought TO be aimed al even
where there is State Church, 3 the state ltse Is
heather one because there is no national ORGANIZATION o
the Church. and the wander In unbeef and are
lost 10 Christianity


These are in substance the views (which spread
among about the United States, and which are not
corrected by our public Journals because they do not


trouble themselves about such things, and have more
over Trustworthy sources OF information. II is an
agreeable duty not only Of gratitude toward American
Christians but of loyalty TO clear up publicly some OF
these The measure Of our relations cannot OF
be applied TO America indeed they are not 80
pure that they be made universal rule We must
boru
l shall begin with the perverson and degradation of
the masses In that heathen 4" State.


There certainly in America, especially in the
great cities great numbers who maintain no church re-
lations; but the guilt lies chiefly the mmgrants-
and the Irsh for they obey their prests-but the
Germans The Germans trouble themselves little during
the first years. and attribute to the freedom Of the New
World the fact that they obliged TO have anything
TO do with the church These really not be driven to
Christian morals and order. They not left to them
selves however, but worked upon by the several
denominations each in its own This begins even
at Wards Island where the State Of NewYork at its own
provides physically and spiritually for the stran
gers-one Of the nobest enterprises with which am
acquainted Now the number of religious sects inter
feTes wise with the success Of this hu-
name institution. On the contrary, their zeal
is beneficial to the objects of their And
in regard to the result the American people have won
derfu power of assimilation. After interval, these
adopted citizens come again under the influence OF re-
lgous sentiments respond TO the efforts Of the sects.
and adopt American religious manners-manners which
ordained by law but rooted in the national
life though they not always maintained without
strife with the spirit Of license brought by the immi
grants TO these habits belongs especially regularity
attendance divine service (Rirchbhtsn, and the
observance of the Sabbath, which bring holy aud
healthiu rest TO the busy and energetic Yankee.
popuous district in this land cannot long want religious
influences for the different seek earnestly
give il the means Of spiritual comfort. And thus the
whole people distributes itself among the various de-
nominations


Although then the State will not make itself legally
Christian one the settled character OF the entire Amer
population il something quite different from pagan
ism Even a city like New-York makes OIL Sunday,
through the peace and quiet of the streets well
the crowded churches very different impression from
Berlin. Further. the principles OF Christian
morality in relation to marriage. slavery, obedience
law, order, formally recognized by the state
and the duty of educating youth is in all States-though
not formally, at least practcallyadopted. The Nor
mons form only in appearance an exception. Their
State is not yet admitted in the Union One learn
in the United States that unity Of church organ
ization is not indispensable to national or
popular Christianity. But / go further and
maintain that it is the Evangelical Protestant
form OF Christianity which, for the part
determines the character Of the North American people
This Protestant character shows itself m In the deep
study OF the Bible in church and sabbatn-schOo O in
tale personal character Of American pety, since tie
Americans suffer themselves To become attached TO
communion not smp! through family traditions, but
quite through individual choice ) in the fine
sense of family spirit, whereby the father exercises
freely his pous functions; az the stress which Is laid on
the personal consciousness Of the truth OF Christianity


add OF jealous interest for freedom and
independence Of religion the Americans look unfavor-
ably OH church laws. As soon, however. as they
learned the did interfere with the inner
organization Of the Church, but simply aimed protect
its rights. they to views, and even
admitted that the growth OF Jesutism might compel
them to take the same measures


The schism and fracture there In Church relations
are not so great think In fact the number
of real denominations is not very large Beside the
Catholics and Lutheran Germans there the Baptist
gatonaiss Methodsts Congre egatioualsts. and
Episcopaans. All these have trained clergy, and in
sttuons for their training well a tradition.
Really they not but churches-so much that
they regard another churches and have little
sectarian spirit American Protestants, English
speaking testify in their living that behind vanity
church organization and part OF doctrine there s
q substantial unity Of faith and love which s not hid
den but revealed in many WAYS. The Evangelical All
striking proof Of this feeling indeed was
possible only because this feeling existed.


In this regard the Germans were confronted BY re-
markable fact. Formerly it Is well known, religious
strifes and discussion were not wanting in America
Now all is different. While in Germany the differences
between believers grow daily bitter, and foreign
ers up the quarres. even if try to stop them
in America the contrary is the case. Church parties are
drawing and nearer to another America began
historically with many coonizing religious sects which
had their origin in Europe. But after these have
spread out, they began to grow together in closer
unity. The Presbyterian, highly respectable sect,
which was lately divided into the New and the Old
School, has just reunited The reiuyenaied Presbyte-
rian Church has always prosperous theological semi
nary Union Seminary i'll New York; conjunction with
the Congregstionallsts