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

[ Popery what an August sun is to an iceberg
| Millions of the descendants of papists are q
this hour in fervent opposition to Popery; anC
nultitudes who have felt its iron in thei
souls, are the most eloquent denouncers of il
both in Europe aud America. Priest Reardon
ofPennsylvania made the true statement upon
| this subject, who deplores the awful tendency
OF the Papist 10 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 failing to go to cenfcssioni ssThe hopes of
the church based upon retaining its present
numbers ~ 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 in a direction contrary to
the main stream. Into these eddies are Oft
en- collected chips, and light 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-
iNiNHe 0-tS 40 ottObSiS dSdlh5t I Ot,eTE as the
Mississippi or the st. Lawrence to the ocean
yet that current has its eddics into which 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
RrOIvuSor hon vT,;r
could not put hell out of the Bible, and when
as roaring politician he could not secure one
of the seven loayes, nor taste of the two
small fishes, turned about, and, as II 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 bis eyes to the |
main current sweeping onward in the distance. |
lifts his hands in rapture at the numbers turn
because ofifs s:iacfease from coivetr.sro ms. oisl &
He forgets that when one turns into the eddy. /
there are hundreds that pass down the current. |
Forget, did l say. No, he understands these
hings entirely. He feels them keealy and
deeply. He is sadly disappointed and NOR
'ued man. And all this fuss about the hopes
u the church being founded on retaining its
present numbers, and on increase rlor.s CON
-ersions, is but the whistling Of the man
hvering with fear when passing grave
ard of a dark night to keep up his spirits.
Let Bishop Hughes try his theory Of hopes,
my fair Sunday, at st. Patrick's; let him turn
'ut all foreign birth, and let him retain within
is walls only those of native birth, and those
onvcrted from the Protestant faith. How ma
y would he have left to witness that misera-
bic pantominc, called the mass? have no
oubt the experiment would astonish himself,
s it would disprove his theory in every par
lcular, and give all his hopes to the winds.
If there is to be but little accession hereaf-
er to the Popish church in this country from
oreign immigration;-if the church hereafter
} to be sustained by retaining its present
lembers, and by the increase from conyer- :
ions, then venture to predict the extinc-
ION Of TIE Popish church il these United
tates in three generations.
If the Bishops theory is right, then we
ould advise him to pack up his vestments
nd to be ready for move; for as certainly
5 the foreign streams of immigration fail, he
left high and dry. But where can he go?-i
lot to Italy-not to Spain--not to Sardinia :
OF to Ireland-not even to Austria-tor the ,
oncordat is working terribly. His better
Ian is to make for himself friends from the ,
lammon of unrighteousness collected from
Calvary Cemetery SO that when bis crook
nd crozier are fourished within empty walls, !
e may have comfortable incomei This was
le course of one unjust steward why may it !,
ot be Of anotherl KIRwAS.