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REV. S. B. MCCORMICK, D.D., ON 



and hence as dear to them as life itself. Furthermore the 

 movement towards political unity among the colonies was by 

 no means strong enough at first to insist upon religious 

 uniformity had the political leaders felt so inclined. And 

 finally, these religious differences were supported to some 

 extent by the slight differences of racial stock, although all 

 belonged to the same ethnic group. The Presbyterians 

 were mainly Scotch-Irish ; the Lutheran and Eeformed sects 

 were of Dutch and German extraction ; the Congregationalists 

 drew from the Puritan English middle class ; and Catholicism 

 from the Irish. Eeligious solidarity seemed to presuppose to 

 some extent ethnic solidarity. 



The ethnic homogeneity which our political institutions pre- 

 suppose and encourage has, as already shown, increased steadily 

 in spite of the stream of immigrants that come to us yearly 

 from Europe. With increasing ethnic homogeneity has come 

 the triumph of democracy and a decreasing emphasis of sectarian 

 differences. The theological tenets once sharply emphasized by 

 the various Protestant sects have now dropped entirely into 

 the background. Apart from differences of worship and ritual 

 — which, since they are matters of individual taste and 

 preference, in all probability will persist — the content of the 

 religious message as delivered from our leading pulpits to-day 

 is practically the same. It would hardly be possible for the 

 stranger listening to the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or 

 Episcopalian preacher of to-day to tell from his discourse what 

 his theological affiliations are. Even the great Roman Catholic 

 Church, which through its system of education has carefully 

 safeguarded its sectarianism against the levelling influences of 

 nationalism, is not likely to hold its own in the struggle. In 

 spite of its rock-ribbed institutionalism and its magnificent 

 traditions it must in time bow before the insistent demand of 

 democracy that human life is one and that we cannot separate the 

 citizen from the saint. Theological orthodoxy and unquestion- 

 ing obedience to authority are not more important than social 

 service and civic righteousness. In fact, authority, whether of 

 theology or ecclesiasticism, is giving way to the insistent and 

 authoritative power of truth in whatever form it may come. 



The spirit of democracy, therefore, together with scientific 

 method, are the two forces which are destined to give to the 

 religion of the future in this country its final form. The spirit 

 of democracy will insist upon a modification of institutional forms 

 in religion with reference to modern needs, and an application of 

 the spiritual dynamic, that religion alone can give in the struggle 



