p. 945 | Noise | AdventAI

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 2, 1913

Noise

This is the term by which the Lutheran Witness of September 11 characterizes the statement made by Archbishop Keane before the American Federation of Catholic Societies, regarding the decline of Protestantism. The archbishop is quoted as saying:—

The Protestant system of religious truth has collapsed. It was unable to and abide the successive strokes of Biblical criticism, or to survive longer the killing analysis of its fundamental principles.

The masses of men in non-Catholic communities and countries recite no creed and own no church affiliation. They have pushed the fundamental principles of the system—the denial of doctrinal authority, and the adequacy and the right of self-guidance in religion—to their logical issues.

While the Witness feels that this statement is far from the truth, it adds this caution:—

Rome must be watched and opposed in every legitimate way now, even more closely than in the past, by go-easy Protestants and Americans.

We do not believe that Protestantism is dead, and yet the leaven of disintegration is at work. It has largely ceased to protest against Rome and Roman errors. Indeed, it cannot well consistently do so and still hold as a part of its cherished faith doctrines which have their origin in the Roman Church. It is for Protestantism today to take its stand on the Bible and the Bible alone as its rule of faith, discarding tradition, standing boldly and fearlessly against every doctrine which has no foundation in the Scriptures of Truth. Doing this, Rome will have little occasion to claim that Protestantism is on the wane.