Year: 1873




the influence will be felt in other States all
over the country, and will be especially useful
next year, when o new Congress is to be
elected


The Catholic and Rationalist Pulpits


on the Alliance.


After the ten days discussions by the dele
gates to the Evangelical Alliance it would
hardly seem necessary for Protestants at least
to inquire anew, and SO soon. too. which is
the trus Church of Christ and what the real
priesthood Of that church. The Alliance has
adopted and repeated the well known and
venerable definition of the term church, that
it is a collection of faithful men and women
bound together by common faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and associated for purposes
Of mutual encouragement and advancement of
the common faith among men. This definition
would seem to be broad enough to embrace
within its ample folds all who accept the Lord
Jesus Christ and His atonement as the central
truth of Christianity. But as we read the
sermon of the Archbishop to-day it indirectly
and inferentially limits the true Church Of
Christ to his own peculiar denomination, and
the priesthood of the true Church to that Of
his own branch of the Church. The good
that is in every man should be recognized by
every other man, and whatever of truth is
held by one Church should be acknowledged
by every other Church. God hath not ap-
pointed any Of us unto wrath, but would
rather that we all should turn to Him and
live. Hence there may be as good chance
of salvation for thousands who are without
the pale of any Church as for thousands who
stand nobly erect within them all.


But visible head seems also to be neces-
sary to constitute the true Church upon earth.
DR.. McGlynn, therefore, made it his special
object to trace this visible head from ST. Peter,
through popes and martyrs and confessors, to
the present time, when it can be more truly
said than ever before that the Church is the
Pope, and the Pope is the Church. DIR.
McGlynn takes issue with DR.. Hodge, the
Nestor of American Professionalism, by declar-
ing that Christ left visible head, and that the
Catholic Church now has that head. The
Church is kingdom, and as such must needs
have ruler and sacraments and religious
institutions, which, according to DR.. McGlynn,
the gentlemen Of the Evangelical Alliance
do not understand.


But there is one fact so we'll founded and so
stubborn that the Evangelical Alliance can
neither get over it nor around it. That fact,
according to Rev. Father Lake, is that the
Catholic Church comes direct from Christ,
while they and their sects have existed but
for three centuries. But this fact was sub
stantially met and answered by one Of the
speakers in the Alliance, who, quoting Luther
in answer to the question, "Where was
| your Church before the Reformation p
answered, "Where was your face before
it was washed 2" But all Protestants,
and especially all Protestant preachers
and teachers, according to Father Lake, insult
the Saviour. Not SO the Catholic priest He
cannot compromise between truth and error,
but must raise his voice against that which is
wrong and false.


Father Flattery could hardly have attended
the gatherings Of the Alliance, else he would
not have insinuated that the speakers could





The former they undoubtedly had; the latter
they did not ask. The good Father evidently
regrets that the Alliance had no ssplatform
or principle that can be attacked .
But that is just the bond of union
between them, though Father Flattery
thinks it is common opposition to Catholi-
cism, and the Protestant Jew and atheist,
alike with the Catholic, he declares, are won-
dering what the gathering means. 1t was
certainly beneath the dignity of any member
of the Alliance to ''get off his little popgun al
the Pope" but it can hardly be dignifed in 0
priest Of the Church to attempt to spike 0
popgun, as Father Flattery does.


Heavy as the batteries Of the Catholic
preachers against the Alliance were, they had
q very powerful ally yesterday in the Rev. o.
b. rockingham While the delegates had
come from different portions OF the earth and
spoke with diverse tongues they might still,
in Mr. Frothingham's view, all be Scotch
Presbyterans. We can hardly tell, indeed,
which is most complimented- Alliance OF
Scotch Presbyterianism-by this phrase. He
thinks, however, that it should have admitted
Rationalsts, and should protect oil
shades Of protest against Rome. "But
it is hot quite certain that Ration
alists protest against Rome, while it is
certain that the Alliance, in its earliest meet
ings, declared itself irresponsible, as body,
for what its Individual members might say
about Catholicism. Mr.. rockingham arraigns
the Alliance for neglect OF failure to stand out
boldly for liberty of conscience and freedom
OF thought He thinks the Alliance admitted
that it cannot fight Roman Catholicism, for
1t has only one vulnerable side. Roman
Catholicism is spiritual despotism, and Prot
estantism mi1st come ont oon,.4 a G. ~ LI,o-4,r