New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-30
THE PULPIT.

,,O1vdod audtepce on the Rise and Decline Of Roman
ln" have seen the Romsh Church, said he az WORK
h France where believe that, against the Will OF the
country abe is at tho root Of all grave troubles ana
30 to Italy and Spain abe IL the source Of great
misfortune But at the time will not forget one
moment that great Christian souls and great Christian
urltudes have found consolation, hope, and fath IN
that very Church. It Christian Church though with
Show 10 you. To deal fairly with her. we must have
clear idea Of what she is. and that Is what now unuc
within few years q science has thrown light on
hs mSsr t9aT tcS Granted that religious
feeling In the human soul 10 facta fact that taxes a.
Ssverthelcss, one fact that in some sense in some
measure there never was but one religion IN Ine
TO God and the Infinite, the Perfect and the Father.
This religion has been at times perfectly mlsnhdereGOo
results In other times il has had pure, sublime eI-
precision in Of the Psalms of the jews as IN the
TeStamen and, more than all else, in the example and
teaching OF Christ But the feeling Of religion Si
religious feeling Ike all Other general facts Of
history has some laws which It possible to observe ana
ascertain. We can see this for instance: that when
multitude OF and women Of all ages degrees OF edu
ration, and mental and moral condition pass nom one
faith and religion to another they never come IN empty
handed. They carry with them into their new enuICn
material objects That they accustomed to have
tn their religion; and 1t thus often happens tnat
real pearing in the new, as the old repanted
LgbOard sometimes shows itself under the new owners
meme T.. $500. A. ,o.,,o. our,o,o+,on n, what tho
Roman Catholic Church is. The Roman Catholic Church
is Christian we do denv this 1t would be unjust TO
Co But it Christianity under WHICH has appeared
S %GSG % which Sn has
PaGanlsm and Which, after having absorbed ~ ls pene
sm. though you find Christianity there, you find the
peculiar Ecathenism of Rome under the symbolism The
understand Catholicism therefore, must understand
what the Pagan Roman genius was II is not without
completely contradictory 1t calls itself Catholic which
means UNIVERSAL and Roman which means local. 1t Is
great deal more local than 1t seems But let us try 10
understand what the ideas and feelings OF the h9as
Eer by which and am very much struck is this At
Rome there Is and there always has been an immense
unngs symbols words, forms that are traditional can
last in Rome for centuries after the things tney
pletely disappeared.
r COquercl then referred to an obeisk that he nad
seen In plaza at Rome. On side 1t was inscribed
Ihat it had been carried to Rome by order OF Cesar
Augustus (POtJe1 Harimus) On the other side IL was
Tccorded that it had been erected by POntf sextus
But that pOnt pope and the first was an emperor
II that they lear tie same titie on the stonethat word
Poutifi There is nothing corresponding 70 II IN tne
1t originated % centuries ago. when Rome was ntue
town. and when TO have bridge across the IiDer 70
Jancuus was Of the utmost Importance to the defense
Of the CITY, and for this purpose they had an Srder o OF
was called Supnus Pointer and to prevent any one OF
them and especially this chief from being assaied they
relied and struck q bTidge-maRer he was cuprit: SO
that "pOntf" became the most sacred OF titles
the kings the consuls, the name remaining the same
even when Rome governed the whole world. NOW; no
traditional lore OF the Romans has made 1t sacred for
years That idea Of Roman local tradition always alive
bilious Of the conquest OF the world They are sun pos
Rome is the ntcr the world and that the world must
obey Rome, to which God has given supremacy. And
when one Of the Popes weak to temporal power he
ALWAYS strives to make some astounding development OF
DONE in this respect the most prodgous thing Pope
We And also in the Roman character great genius for
law. The Roman law has always been admired do
had a had influence over the political, social, and
ngious ideas OF mankind We know that 1t clear,
Roman 4"py GsnSS sRG SsiT it Is hard S SW
but e law That hardness we see in everything IN
the LevG1t and from Asia from countries where literal
body thinks according the letter; where everybody,
in every sentence has something TO say about the son.
bow and evsryt6iDS that has color and Imagery in it.
But when the Romans took these speeches ana para,
not understand them IL the least They kept true to
chat liberalism which we now cali Roman Catholic doc.
tEne. Thus, when Christ took bread and said This Is
hear y pV Everything stated by images He could not
for one instant think that they would misunderstood
"tho vine" he did not suppose they would think him
gate, literal door, or tree that we call the vine But
aid they therefore Christ did his body and give
World try to understand what has been said By Oriental
eone We must do as Bunsen said Translate what is
eemtic into Japhetc' and what Is oriental into Occ-
Superstition was stronger in the days Of Rome than at
any other time Birds and chickens decided the fate Of
armies individuals Signs aud portents were
merOus and absurd, and Mr. Ooquere showed by illus
he Romish Church The old Romans were suffering also
from Poyhesm, and there Is never any reason in Poly
thesm to stop the number Of Gods There reckoned
10 have been $1,000 Of them, and they constantly
adding to them Nothing happened more frequent than
really religious among the heather in mysteries of Bac
have been carried into Roman Christianity Many
Christian symbols and ceremonies nothing but the
Passion play at Oberammergau In Bavaria Ia the legacy
Of q Pagan idea aeao Il We could call scpiO from
nearly everything IN their religious worship. Mr.
ETtnitive religion down to it's Incorporation into the
ROmsh Church, noticing the great Prtestly power and
was likewise noticed We, perhaps, think that the MIN,
And we look at the history Of sacred imagery among
the transition from Pagan to Christian imagery and
come OF which we cannot say whether they are most
Christ about which tits impossible to know whether
Christ Mercury, or what not The early representa-
represented him, not Jew with long beard and now
but s as y a a1 T n. s9S opp S a&
tho knee. And there is a famous sarcOpfagus where
holding psPoT in his hand, and the Apostles around
him and beneath is the heather rod Uranus represent
In tho present time three great changes have been in
,trOducednt the Roman Catholic religion The first
that Mary b exempted from original sin. This is an
Andalusian dogma 1t was great triumph for the
JCsuits when the Pope declared it. II that
the Pope had right 10 declare dogma without CON
sulting the ChnTch Whom he had done this he went
little further council called at Rome which de-
cls-ed that the Pope is aOnelnallibe Do not believe
that 1t is whim OF the Pope. 1t according
TO the law or development It Is the legitimate and
natural end Of Roman Catholicism. And when say end
mean what say. do not mean that Roman Catholic
ISM TO disappear and that in few years IL will be ex
tnct But Roman Catholicism has lost something in
tine. II has lost Rome though in one sense this is
at adv Tho andf he Cafh
They governed so badly that their power was loss to
them. SSe must not to sleep saying we have fear.
What undersand is this, that there is q