| Show CHARACTER AND EFFECTS OF protestantism IN this issue we publish a communication on luthers luthens work its nature and effects the paper is ig written in good style its author not only shows familiarity with the facts of the reformation but exhibits sound ness of philosophy and no small degree of profundity of thought it did not require any great of reflection to arrive at the conclusion abat Protes protestantism protestants tanti m has acted in the capacity of a disintegrating agent and a disturber of unities those effects are every where apparent wherever its influence has obtained it Is ia not only a promoter of external disunions dis unions but tends to within its own borders but our oun correspondent has pointed out one of the chief causes of this marked characteristic of protestantism it lies in the nature of its origin it was waa born of protest and criticism and as a natural consequence has remained true to the of its birth it has continued to protest and criticize against itself until it is h j divided into a host of sects all the progeny of the mother mothers which gave protes tactical tant tan leai ical birth birta to the source from which the fragments subsequently sprang the connecting truth that protestantism has haa led ny dy easy stages to the development of infidelity is evinced not only by the existence of widespread actual unbelief but also by the semi skeptical espres EO frequently uttered by the leading divines of the day showing the strong tendency to take extreme nights flights from orthodoxy the inclination to increase ego cism in the individual as well as social disintegration is conspicuous ly jy apparent the 11 1 II I am holier than thou sentiment lifts the religious leaders and their more prominent followers fOllO so far above the masses of the people that there is between the two classes but a slight gaslight if any bond of Bym sympathy pathy bat we look upon protestantism as a whole as one of the foremost liberators of cf popular thought its very nature lature of criticism ana anu protest constituted it the leading factor in the development of the liberalization of the world but we believe its mission is drawing to a close we look upon it as having been a necessary religious condition under tile tiie hand of divine providence but we are convinced that the great essential to true civilization now la Is a system that possesses pos bemes semes the chief character estle so conspicuous for its absence in protestantism some thing that will unity unify the conflicting elements of society what is generally denominated Mor monieR possesses this characteristic act to tb a wonderful degree wherever its ha genius prevails unan mity is extended this is one of its leading beauties although it is regarded by many as its most objectionable Jea xea feature ture tune we hold in addition that its inauguration tion was conducted under divine sup erv envision vision er ision islon and its inspiration springs from the same source grotestan Pro protestantism had a great mib mia mission the fulfillment fulfilment of which we believe to be near its completion Morn mormonism has hns a greater and is only in ia its incipient stages the latter la Is essentially re fro matory and lays isya the axe at the root of the tree for this reason neason rear on rearward religion marc mart marchais carthals hals hais its forces and shows in its opposition to it a greater degree of unity than it probably ever exhibited cl since the days of martin luther the celebrated reformer whose praises have recently been sounded wherever the influence of protestantism exten extends dB |
