The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1873-08-21
Protestant Progress in
Europe.

If the progress of Professionalism ir
Europe were to be estimated only
by the disasters that within the pas,
ten years have fallen upon its CHIEF
opponent, we need scarcely do more
than relate the fall of the papal
power. Iu one of the most brilliant
but least truthful of his rhetorical
passage Macaulay has painted tho
invincble strength Of the Church OF
Rome, which should reign over tho
seven hills when modern empires had
passed away, and the New Zealandel
looked down on the ruins of St
Paul's. The striking picture has
often been dwelt upon by The papal
advocates, and been transferred to
their literature, and perhaps not
seldom awakened their declining
hopes. Professionalism, said Macaulay
had ceased to advance; Romanism
was still firm and progressive. Had
he lived tew years longer, he might
have written his own relulatlon. OF
the two hundred millions who,
twenty years ago, in all parts O, the
world were supposed tosbo the ODE
dent followers OF the italian Pope,
how many have become the proper
subjects of :exeommunication and
papal denuncia,ion, and are only
spared from the inopportuneness OF
the time? All Austria has rcvol,ed
from the papal rule on the Prot
estant questions Of education and ol
marriage; Italy, rebellivus and def
ant, drives the Pope to the Vatican,
aud plants its public schools in every
section Of the peninsula; Spain is
republican, and wages war upon the
Church; France is at least no Ger.
tain defender, as of old, OF the tern
poral power; Germany threatens
ruin to ultramontanism aad through
all the ancient strongholds OF the
papacy converts are broken up,
church remodeled, tho Jesuits ex.
PEELED, and the school set free from
control of the priest. OF the one
hundred millions of European Cath.
olics an extraordinary proportion
have lapsed into heresy or disobedi-
cnce, are the enemies Of the priest
hood and the defenders OF modern
progress.
The chief trait of Protestant ad.
vance in Europe, next to the decay
OF its oppressors, is Its admission in-
to those countries where ten years
ago it was vigorously supported. The
Protestant preachers for the first
time since Loyola reused the fires Of
persecution in Italxsp pow exhorts
of Rome itself. H euetrates to
Toledo, and prays over The martyrs
of the Inquisition. a Protestant
synod recently met i France, the
first that had been held in three
hundred years. Nor is it impossible
that Hupuenot honestly and with sim.
plicity may reform at last its mis-.
guided people. American mission.
aries have reached Hungary and Bo.
hemia, and Austria is no longer
closed by cruel legislation to the
voice of progress. It was not long
ago that Austria imprisoned the con-
vent to Professionalism, Florence tort
ured heretics, and Rome cherished
it's Inquisition. These traits Of bar
barisn at least have passed away,
and Catholic Europe has been raised
to the higher level Of Protestant
humanity. OF the two bodies the
| number Of Romanists in Europe must
have been recently diminished great
", while that of the Protestant must
be held 10 have increased. In Ire
land emigration is rapidly reducing
the Romanist population and tending
finally to transfer the control OF tn.
island into the hands Of the Prot