The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1913. PROTESTANTISM AND CATHOLICISM

New Zealand Tablet, 3 July 1913, Page 33

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1913. PROTESTANTISM AND CATHOLICISM

AWfiw J FEW weeks ago our Presbyterian contemyWivfe porary, the Outlook, published in its Mfiwffi editorial columns a striking article making a comparison, or rather drawing a contrast, between present-day Protestantism and the W*mW vigor, coherence, and vitality of Cath<s&&£s& olicism. We reproduced the greater portion §r * of the article in our columns and its candor, truth, and thoughtfulness elicited widespread comment amongst our readers. The point of the article was that Catholicism was everywhere growing in strength and influence and that Protestantism was everywhere declining; and the reasons assigned for this phenomenon were the definiteness and certitude of Catholicism, and the element of doubt and uncertainty generally prevailing in Protestant circles. ' It cannot be too strongly insisted upon,' said the Outlook, ' that the Roman Catholicism of the present day is essentially Consistent, Coherent, and Convinced of the truth of the doctrines she enforces. Opposed to this in Protestant and Presbyterian pulpits and literature is an element of Chaos, Doubt, and Agnosticism. The Roman Catholic authorities say, "I know"; the average Protestant doubtingly essays, "I am not sure." Hence the note of .authority formerly so prominent in Protestant preaching and teaching has largely been lost.'

Other Protestant journals besides the Presbyterian Outlook have been lately engaged in an intellectual and spiritual stock-taking; and they have reached precisely the same conclusions as those advanced by our Dunedin contemporary. "V The New York Weekly Witness, for example, an almost rabidly Protestant paper, declares in a , recent issue that Gospel preaching is almost a thing of the past so far as Protestant pulpits are concerned, and that present-day Protestantism is honeycombed with doubt and unbelief. Its remarks are based on an article in one of its contemporaries-the Christian Work and Evangelical in which the question is asked: '' Is the failure all with the churches ?'-'.' Dealing first with the efforts thaj;,are being put forth by the various Protestant bodies, the New York paper replies: Much effort ; is being put forth certainly, but we fear that very much of it is put forth along unspiritual lines. And as to preaching the "real Gospel," our impression is that the preachers who are doing that are in a minority. There is a very strong temptation to the preacher to adapt his preaching to the trend of popular thought. No man likes to be looked upon as an old fogy. Every man likes to win approbation instead of criticism. And therefore it is very difficult for preachers who still believe the Gospel of Christ as it is set forth in the Bible to preach it fully.' That is to say, even the ministers who believe, and who have the will to preach the old Gospel are practically tongue-tied. And there are others. ' And we are under the impression,' continues this frank exponent of current Protestantism, ' that a majority of the younger preachers do not believe the Gospel that was preached by Peter and Paul and John. Our impression is that some of the larger theological seminaries are teaching their students a modernised Gospel which either repudiates ' or practically ignores the truth that God gave His Son as a voluntary sacrifice to make atonement for our sins. And when that fundamental truth is left out the Gospel of Christ is emasculated.' * The paper then proceeds, with praiseworthy courage and candor, to trace the genesis of the deplorable | unbelief now prevalent in the lay and ministerial circles of Protestantism. 'How can the Church work miracles if in all the people there is a deadening unbelief ?' the Christian Work had asked. To which the New York journal answers: ' Clearly the Church cannot compel people to'believe. But what is the cause of this prevalence of unbelief? Have not very many of the preachers of the larger churches encouraged the spirit of unbelief by disparaging the teaching of the Bible, or at least, treating it with silent contempt wherever that teaching does not agree with their own ideas. How can any preacher expect the man on the street to accept any religion which has no higher authority than the pulpit or the theological seminary at the back of it. Christianity without an authoritative revelation to support it would soon be as impotent as Confucianism, and Protestantism without such a revelation is not as good a religion as Roman Catholicism with an authoritative revelation. When a preacher discards the authority of the Bible, he virtually kicks' his pulpit out from under him and stands on nothing, beating the air in impotent zeal. "Is it altogether the blame of the Church that Christ is failing to-day?" asks Christian Work. Yes, it is. It must be, unless we are prepared to assume that Christ is unable to accomplish that which He has undertaken to accomplishthe conquest of the world. The churches are honeycombed with scepticism, with worldliness and with indifference because they are not making it their first duty to be loyal to the truth of God as taught in the Book of God. Without loyalty to the revealed character and will of God there cannot be any authoritative standard of obligation on the part of man.' *• y .- Other witnesses, even more weighty and authoritative, have voiced precisely the same views as those above set forth regarding the decline of Protestantism and the increasing vitality of Catholicism. Sir W. R. Nicholl, editor of the British Weekly, the greatest

exponent of Protestantism in the English Vor: possibly in any language, in an address delivered ;at the Congregational .Union in May -last, V declared 'that the churches Established, as well as Nonconformist losing rather than winning. Eor = the first time the Presbyterian Church of England this year reported a decrease for the first time since the "disruption" the great Church of Scotland made the same ; acknowledgmen the attendances at public worship had become in many cases very small. A well-known Wesleyan Methodist minister, who preached in many chapels, reported that the forenoon attendances averaged -onesixth of the seating accommodation, and he had never seen that reckoning challenged. There was only one exceptionthe worshippers in . the Roman Catholic Church were undoubtedly increasing, more, rapidly, perhaps, than the members. They were confronted with the fact that four out of every five children in the Sunday school failed to join the church.' - , * These are Protestant witnesses on Protestantism witnesses of unimpeachable . standing and integrity. They testify, with all the emphasis of sincerity, to the fact that all is not well with Protestantism; and that, if the dry rot be. not stayed, the doctrinal system, evolved at the Reformation will soon crumble into dust and nothingness. It is the duty of an honest and earnest Protestant, confronted with such facts, to 'speak out —to cry aloud and spare not. Yet our Presbyterian contemporary, because it has had the courage to draw attention to the true state of affairs, is already coming in for criticism from its friends. An overture is to be submitted to the Presbyterian General Assembly which meets in November complaining of 'the unProtestant character of the Outlook,' and praying the Assembly to take the premises into consideration and deal with the matter ' as in its wisdom may seem best.' It is a bad thing when a patient is sick and does not know it; but when the patient turns and rends the physician who tries to diagnose the ailment and suggest" a remedy, the case is well nigh hopeless.