The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-11-11
THE DECLINE OF POPERY.


Popery has always depended upon ig-
norance andHpon the aid of the sword
to extend and perpetuate itself. With
the increase of intelligence it disappears.
1t seeks to always go backward and
barricade itself behind ignorance and
superstition, instead of striving to go
forward, as the PRONUNCIATION of the in
fallible dogma abundantly proves.
There was a day when its devotees
would have run wild with excitement
over such dogma, but not now. The
infalibility doctrine is treated with con-
tempt, even by intelligent Catholics.
1t is too late for such monstrous doc
trine, and its PRONUNCIATION indicates
rapid decay.
But the present war in Europe is do
ing much to bring light out of the dark
ness in the Priest-ridden countries.
There is a revolution going on in Eu-
clash of arms and the clamor of war,
but which is none the less important
to civilization. The revolution in Italy
is but one indication of the change that
is being wrought. Europe is anxious
ly struggling to solve the problem OF
liberty in all its breadth and depth, and
is asserting the claims of the people to
its enjoyment in ali its invigorating
health. Civil governments are becom-
ing, we know, more liberal, and in sew
-
the power and influence of Kings and
Emperors. The people arc tired of
thrones built on broken human rights,
and if they exist at all in the future,
they must have for their foundation
the respect of intelligent and free sub
jects. Naturally as the civil despotism
wanes, the religious grows weaker.
Catholicism is rapidly losing its hold
upon the people, and they are demand
ing liberty of conscience and freedom
from the domination of Priests. A re-
cent writer says:
'The traveller in the Roman Catholic coun.
tries of Europe observes signs OF the decline
of the church's power over the people. For
example, the great body Of people in France
and Italy have ceased 10 attend the ordinary
services of the church, and seem utterly to
have forsaken the confessional. A gentleman
who short time since spent some months In
southern Europe, and who frequented the
churches, states that even in Rome the daily
services in the most magnificent churches are
scarcely ever attended by more than one or
two chance deyotees, and that the most at
tractive Sunday services are seldom attended
by rs many rs a hundred people,"
OF the effects of the revolution in
Rome, correspondent of the New
York Tribune writes thus:
''The entry of the Italian troops into Rome,
and the destruction of the temporal power OF
the Pope, are regarded with intense satisfac-
ton, ev0n in this nominally Catholic country.
l say nominally Catholic, for there can be no
doubt that Catholicism-or, more properly
speaking. Mariolatry-as it has been under
stood and practced in this fossil country for
centuries, has passed its zenith, and IS fast
sinking into the horizon OF oblivion so far as
its hold on the hearts Of the people Is concern
ed. or course, the neo-Catholic papers are
furious ut the occupation Of Rome, but nobody
minds them"
Still further proof of the warning for
tunes of Popery in Europe, is furnished
by DIR. Robinson, pastor of the Ameri-
can church in Paris. He writes TO the
AdcdRee as follows:
cover here, on every side, we listen
to mutterings of coming wrath. If the
cry of battle on the Rhine were not so
loud, you would listen to them across
the sea. The friends of truth are mar
shalling their forces. Already it is
announced that many in Austria, a
large body in France, and many more in
Hungary, are leaving the Roman Cath
ole communion. To comfort them,
you may see, if you will, all who hon
estly and blindly believe in those anath-
emas which the Pope has annexed at
the ends of the articles in the Syllabus.
There are many who will think them
selves doing Gods service if they push
forth these curses into overt acts of per-
secution, and cannot believe that the
real depth of this present war has yet
been reached
Thus that great hot-bed of ignorance
and superstition, the catholic church is
on the downward road. At Sedan, the
seat once of Hnguenot Protestant
Theological School, Napoleon, the
sword arm of the Papal dominion, SUR
rendered to the great Protestant army
of Germany. In Italy, free schools and
an open Bible have broken forever the
temporal power of the Pope. In Spain,
Professionalism is gathering its converts
by the hundred, and the Bible is being
freely distributed. Austria abrogates
the concordat; takes from the Priest
the control of education, and legalizes
civil marriage. Even in Great Britain
there is n loudly increasing demand fol-
the abolition of the State Church. The
divorce of Priest and Prince is every