Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-03-05

I Popery what an August sun is 10 an lCeUei ( I
Millions of the descendants of papists are at
this hour in fcrvent opposition to Poperyi and
multitudes who have felt its iron in their
souls, are the most eloquent denouncers of it
both in Europe and America. Priest Reardon,
of Pennsylvania made the true statement upon
this subject, who deplores the awful tendency
of the Papist to Professionalism in this country,
and advises the Irish to stay at home and save
their souls upon potatoes and salt, rather than
come here to get rich, and thus put their
souls in jeopardy by eating meat on Friday,
and falling to go to cenfexSSni ssThe hopes of
the church based upon retaining its present
numbers! 20 Then are they built upon cloud
The left foot upon which the hopes of the
church are made to stand is s.the increase from
conversions There are always little eddies
to be found on the margins of rivers which
have a strong current, into which the
waters run, and il direction contrary to
the main stream. Into these eddies are oft
en- collected chins- and lirht and rotten wood,
which usually float on the surface, and are ca
silly turned aside from the main course. And
whilst the great current of American senti-
ment seis as strongly against Popery as the
Mississippi the st. Lawrence to the ocean.
yet that current has its eddies into which a few
have been turned by the rushing waters. Ives,
having passed through the various mutations
from Congregationalism to PuSeyism, began
to show some affection for the Scarlet Lady.
When his tricks were discovered, and his mi
ire was in danger, he turned into the eddy
Brownson, when q Universalist cxhorter, he
could not put hell out of the Bible, and when
as 4 roaring politician he could not secure one
OF the seven leaves, nor taste of the two
small fishes, turned about, and, as if in spite,
| added purgatory to hell, and would put the
triple crown upon the head of our eagle
And he turned into the eddy. And few 9TH
ers, of no possible account, any way, have
turned in with them. And John Hughes STAN
ding by the eddy, and shutting his eyes to the
| main current sweeping onward in tho distance,
lifts his hands in rapture at the numbers turn
| ing into the eddy, and he hopes for the church
| because of it's "increase from conversions. p
He fcrgets that when one turns into the eddy,
! there are hundreds that pass down the current.
Forget, did say. No, he understands these
things entirely. He feels them keenly and
deeply. He is 4 sadly disappointed and NOR
titled man. And all this fuss about tho hopes
of the church being founded on retaining its
present numbers, and on increase from con-
versions, is but the whistling of the man
shivering with fear when passing a grave
yard of dark night to keep up his spirits.
Let Bishop Hughes try his theory Of hopes,
any fair Sunday, at st. Patrck's; let him turn
out all foreign birth, and let him retain within
. H. L.
converted from the Protestant faith. How ma
ny would he have left 70 witness that misera-
able pantomine, called the mass Z / have no
doubt the experiment would astonish himself,
as it would disprove his theory in every par
ticular, and give all his hopes to the winds.
II there is to be but little accession hereaf-
ter to the Popish church in this country from
foreign immigration ;-if the church hereafter
is to be sustained by retaining its present
members, and by the increase from CONVEX
sions, then 1 venture to predict the extinc-
tion of tie Popish church in these United
States in three generations.
If the Bishops theory is right, then we
would advise him to pack up his vostments
and to be ready for move; for as certainly
as the foreign streams OF immigration fail, he
is left high and dry. But where can he go!-
Not to Italy--not to Spain---not TO Sardinia
not to Ireland--not even to Austria-ior the
concordat is working terribly. His better
plan is to make for himself friends from the
mammon of unrighteousness collected from
'.Calvary Cemetery SO that when bis crook
and crozier are fourished within empty walls,
he may have comfortable incomei This was
the course of one UNJUST steward why may it
not be of anotheri KIRwAs.