The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-15
CHURCH -xlrA111sz1r1x1Rr MsmakAHD.

Lord Macaulay will~aet be charged with
partiality to the Catholic religion, al
though candor and uprightness mas occa-
sionally gothic, better of his prejudices, and,
in this mood, relu. tant justice has been
awarded to it. He has said and written
many bitter things against the Church
hence his dennnciation of that abominable
iniquisy, the Church establishments in Ire
land, win he more readily appreciated. As
this matter Mt the present moment attracts
attention from the state of affairs in ireland,
1t may not be 8miSs to reproduce part of
his speech delivered in Parliament:
of all the institutions now existing in the
civilized world, the Established Church of
Ireland seems to me the most absurd. Is
there anything else like it The world is
full of ecclesiastical establishments. But
such p0rtent as this Church of Ireland is
nowhere to be found. Look round the con-
tinent of Europe-ecclesiastical establish
ments from the White Sea to the Mediterra-
mean ecclesiastical establishments from the
Volga to the Atlantic; but nowhere the
Church of a small minority enjoying excln-
sive establishment. Look at America There
you have all forms of Christianity, from
Mormonism-f you call Mormonism Chris
tianity-to Romanism. In some places
you have the voluntary system. In some
you have several religions connected
with the State. In some you have the
solitary ascendancy Of q single Church.
Cape Horn, do you find the Church of a
small minority exclusively established. In
one country alone-in Ireland alone-is to
be seen the spectacle of a community of
eight millions Of human beings, with a
Church which is the Church of only eight
1,,,,, \
eighty-five years has this Church been at
work. What could have been done for it in
the way of authority, privileges, and en-
dOwments, which has not been done Did
any other set of bishops and priests in the
world receive half as much for doing twice
as much And what have we to show for
all this lavish expenditures What but the
most Jealous Roman Catholic population
Oh the face of the earth On the great solid
mass Of the population you have made no
impression whatever. There they are as
they were ages ago, ten to one against the
members of your Established Church. Ex-
plainit this to me. l speak to you, the zeal
Gus Protestants on the other side of the
house. If We're a Roman Catholic, could
easily account for the phenomenon. If L
We're Roman Catholic, l should content
myself with saying that the mighty Hand
and Outstretched Arm had been put forth
according to promise, IN defense OF the un-
changeable Church that He who in the old
time turned into blessings the curses of Ba-
laam, and smote the host ofSenacherib, had
COMPOUNDED the arts and the power
of hereto statesmen. But what is the Pro-
testant to say Is this a miracle. that we
should stand aghast mt it ? Not at all. Is
this result which human prudence ought
to have long ago foreseen, and long ago
averted9 Is it the natural succession of eff
feet to cause? A Church exists for moral
ends. A Church exists to be loved, to be
to. be heard with dOciiity, to
reign in the understandings and hearts of
men. A Church which is abhorred is useless,
Or more than useless and to quarter hos
tile Church on a conquered people, as you
would qdarter.a soldiery, is therefore the
most absurd of mistakes. -e.-......;