The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-05-03

position to KNOW. Inc following cOMmenCs
ane from Now York journal, claiming tt
have the largest circulation of any paper in
the United States :" Mr.. James Parton has
contributed two essays to successive num-
bers of the Atlantic Monthly on the condi-
ton, work, and prospects Of the Roman
Catholic Church in America, which are well
worthy of the pernsal of ali thoughtful
persons, irrespective of religious opinion.
Paradoxical as it may seem, in view of the
show official appreciation of modern move
ments by that church, it is undeniable that
it is the lnost democratic institution in his
tory. To it's fidelity to popular interest it
owes its remarkable vitality-a vitality
otherwise inexplicablc to those who do not
agree with it's ten6ts. And if it improve the
field opened to it in America, triumphs are
yet in store for it exceeding even it's tradi-
tionai grandeur"
Are we all going to be Roman Catholics, then'
about the year 1915.
SO we are assured by some of our more san
guine Roman Catholic brethren. And really
the ancient church, not in this young country
only, but in Europe too, and especially in
France, Germany, and England, appears to he
renewing its youth, and pressing forward most
gaining it's audncity. 1t Is beginning again to
fake the initiative- 1t hits back once more. 1t
ever sncceeds in turning the laugh against US
has taken the church eighty years to recover
from the mockery of one man, and it is now
using his terrible weapon against its own ene-
written thnn the one recently published in
England, and Fepubiished in New York, entitled
The Comedy OF Convocation i'll the English
Church, in which the one great excellence of
n ed i'm fha nj
snsnner. The point of superiority of the Church
of England over Some others is, was that it
allowed. wide latitude of opinion, and did not
set up to lac an infallible teacher. This il the
point ridiculed; but the novelty Of the bur
tesque is, that it is exquisitely and good
aaturedly done. The ne'c blood is beginning to
tell. There is one extractble passage of this
masterpieces of fun, which may serve to illus
trate the new spirit of which speak. "Arch-
deacon jolly" one of the speakers ut the mag
mary convocation, explains the operation of u
new society, which, he said, was called The
Society for considering the best Means of keep
ing alive the CorruptiOns of Popery in the i'll
terests of Gospel Truth 49,
ut was, of COURSE" the jolly Archdeacon
continued, "a strictly secret organization but
he had been favored, he knew not why, Nith a
copy of the prospectus, and as he had no in
tention of becoming n member, he would COM
municate it to the house. 1t appeared from
this document and could be confirmed from
other sources, that q deputation was sent last
year to Rome to obtain private interview with
pc.
to reform single Popish corruption. "A hand
some present was intrusted to the deputation,
aud q liberal contribution to the Peters Pence
fund. The motives set forth in the preamble
of the address presented to his Holiness were,
in substance, of the following nature: They
urged that o very large body of most respecta-
BILE clergymen, who had no personal ili-will
toward the present OCCUPANT of the Holy See,
had maintained themselves and their families
in comfort for many years exclusively by the
abuse of Popery and, if Popery were taken
away, they could not but contemplate the pro-
bable results with uneasiness and alarm.
Moreover, many eminent members of the pro
fession had gained a reputation for evangelical
wit, learning, and piety, we'll as high digni-
ties in the Church of England, by setting forth
in their sermons, and in public meetings, with
all their narrowing details, the astounding
denominations of the Church of Rome. The PEE
titioners implored his Holiness not to be indif-
fcrent to the position of these gentlemen.
Many of their number had privately requested
the deputation to plead their cause, with the
amiable and benevolent Plus IN. Thus the
great and good DIR. M'Nickel represented re-
spectfully that he had filled his church. and let
all his pews, during three -and-twenty years. Ivy
elegantly slandering priests and nuns, and pow
erfully illustrating Romish superstitions. a
Clergyman OF noble birth had attained to the
honors of the episcopate by handling alternate
Nv the same subjects, and a particularly pleas
inc doctrine of the millennium, and had thus
been enabled to confer valuable living on his
daughters husband, who otherwise could not
have hoped to obtain one. An eminent canon
of an old Roman Catholic abbey owed his dis
tinguished position which he hoped to be al
owed to retain, to the fact of his having proved
so clearly that the Pope was Antichrist; and
earnestly entreated his Holiness to do nothing
to forfeit that character. A well-known doctor
of Anglican divinity was on the point of quit
ting the country in despair OF gaming nxel.
ppnerv was suggested TO him, and he had now
reason to rejoice that he had abandoned the
foolish scheme of emigration FINALLY,