National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-06-09
Pe,e uyaciatbc In uepeVu.

Last "wednesday night NJ Loysou doliv-
cred his sixth and last lecture In the Sale dc
la Reformation. The audience was quite as
large as on any preceding occasion, aud
greeted the lecturer with enthusiasm.
NJ. Loyson commenced by dlsclalmlng any
intention, both on his own part and for those
with whom he acted, Of attempting any re-
form Of Catholic dogmas, for to do so would
deprive the movement Of lts essential Catho-
lie character. Some OF their outside friends
had, indeed, suggested that there were dog
mas Of tho Catholic Church which ought to
be destroyed. but he should regard II as
crime to touch any dogmas which were truly
Catholic; and while he felt this for tho dog
mas OF the primitive Church, he was pre-
pared to treat with similar reticence even
those pestilentlal superfiulties which had
been more recently imposed. For While he
dlscernod between dognias as essentially dis
tinct, as Q. <. the divinity Of Christ and the
infallibillty Of the Pope, yet he felt that the
time had not come for them to enter the dog
matte sphere at all. When the Helyetic
Church should be constituted, and had
formed an alliance with the Eastern Church,
and even with such dissenting churches as
were anxious for unity, II would then be
time to discuss the points OF dogma where
reform was necessary. For him o church
was not moro perfect for having fewer dog
mas, but was more perfect In having most
dogmas that were true and less dog
mas that were false. True dogma ought TO
DO Interchangeable In Its spirit, but progress
slve In It's formulas. II had been objected
that n their forms were only disciplinary,
they would be SUPERFICIAL but he, on the COM
tTary, thought they would be sufficient 70
transform the Church altogether. Priest and
layman were at present humillated-the one
l. a.. fha oil has hy Nhs
present practice Of confession. The Image OF
the latter, as 1t was too often practiced, was
fTightful immortality, being, In tho hands OF
the Jesuits, half religious and half political.
He did not propose 20 abolish confession. II
he could do so he wodld not, and II he would
he could not. IA to Its divine origin, II was
impossible TO destroy the slgnlhcance of
Christ's speech on tho night Of the resurrcc-
tioni Whose soeyer sins 20 remit they are
remltted unto them, and whose soeyer sins
We retain, they are retained" Luther him
self practiccd confession, aud It roigned In
his Church for q hundred years after his
death. Aud II he could effaco these facts,
he should hnd himself In face Of others al
most equally strong. There were certain
hearts who at certain epochs Of their lives
wanted u Christian education. They wanted
TO have their conscience individual, but not
solitary. They had secrets which they could
not say 10 any one, but which they must tell
somebody, For such hearts an old man,
learned IN tho science OF this lie and Of the
future, was real friend and help. But the
confession which he desired was the confess
sion OF souls, and not Of family aifairs-was the
confession OF individuals, not Of citizens or
magistrates. Confession should never mean
the abdlcation Of conscience into the hands
Of another man. The abuses Of the present
system were prompted by two natural wants:
that OF the priest for domination, that of the
ftF Fala hia raannnal hilif "
Tor sin. The Jesuits, by q decree OF the
Vatican Council, called upon man to surren-
der his reason to the Pope as infallible, but II
meant that he was TO give himself Into the
hands Of his confessor who was infallible
after his fashion. Tho oppression that the
priest exercised over the layman, he IN turn
Red the badge OF seryitude through Its varl-
Gus ranks. To deliver tho priest from his
slavery TO the bishop forced cellbacy' must DO
abolished. He had nothing 10 say against
celibacy, which 81. Paul had so strongly re-
commended for though ho himself did not
recognize It's religious value, yet he regarded
tho apostolic teaching with the submission
which he always felt toward inspired utter
anees whose significance he could not exactly
appreciate. He did not therefore blame the
Church for having upheld the celibate Ideal
before the people but he reproachcd the
Church with having maintained the practice
as universal while II was necessarily only
partial. lie wished priest TO be free TO con-
tract holy marriage when he pleased, be-
cause he wished the clergy to be moral. tAp,
plause.l The apologists Of celibacy said that
Its yiolators were the exceptions, He would
not give statistics; 1t would be odlOus to do
80; but he would say that It was the majority
that had violated Il, and only the minority
1 who had observed II. loud and prolonged
applause.l What no had In horror was moi
the marriage Of Luther, but the shameless,
license Of Pope, named Borgia.. Renewed
Applause.l II was said confession was not
possible 10 Q married pfiesti on the contrary,
he thought II was better. married priest,
instead Of preaching the morality and mystl'
clsm proper for the clolster, would preach
those proper 10 the domestic hearth. After
these two reforms, he must say one word u
TO the social order of the RefOrmed Church
The government Of the Church must rest In
I Its own hands, Just Us their magistrates had
recently chosen TO give the right Of choosing
| their pastors 10 the nocks. Montalembert
complained to him on his death-6ed on the
abuse of st. Anselms saying that the Churcl
ought TO be FREQ. II should be remembered
that the Church cOmprehonded not only thu
priests, but the people. One further grea
and necessary reform In the religious order o
tho Church was TO restore the presence OF &C.
In tho building consoerated to His worship
To this end they must speak q common Ian
guage. The spiritual profundlty OF the He,
brew and Greek Testaments must be rendered
into the national tongue. How could mel
be religious when they could understand moth
ing OF what was said either Of tho mysteries
or in the ceremonies Of their worship. Will
these reforms, and leaving all dogmas alone
they might hope their Reformed Catholic
Church would spring up old az the centuries
and yuung rs the future.
VI, LoySon concluded his address, which oc
cupled an hour and twenty minutes In deliy