The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-09
so URGES OF CATHOLIC PROGRESS I'M
ENGLAND.
Dublin NAtion.l

| Dublin NAtionl
| Catholic progress in Eugland has al
| ready taken rank as one of the chief events
of our epoch. Half a century ago, the
Church was in great measure represented
| by mere handful of timid, retiring men,
scattered up and down the country, whose
| main desire was to escape public observa-
ton and be allowed to save their souls in
quiet. Long years of studied misrepresen
tation and popular disfavor had done much
| to disspirit and dishearten them, go that
the utmost stretch of their zeal was con-
fined to the hope of disarming resentment
by the peaceful, respectable character of
| their lives. But as to carrying the war
into the enemy's camp, as to engaging in
| an active, avowed propagandism of their
creed, the bare thought of it would proba-
| bly, be rejected as the rashest of follies.
| their country, that bare federation, and
much more the good will of their neigh
bors, was boon too precious to be endau-
J gered by any untimely exhibition of relig
ious fervor. Had aid not come to them from
outside, English Catholics at this mo-
ment would, in all likelihood, have formed
q body somewhat esembling the Society of
Friends-staid, demure, peac GLOWING, and
highly respectable citizens, but without
much influence or public spirit. There
were, indeed, among them men who chafed
at the position of political nonentity to
were reduced, and who were prepared to
purchase State recognition at any cost short
of actual apostacy. Happily, however,
better counsels prevailed, and mainly
through the energetic action of O'Connell
and the Irish ,episcopacy in the first in
tions of the great DR.. Miner. Gradually
it became clear to all that even government
smiles would be bought too dearly by q
"veto," and the wretched nick name of
" English Catholic Dissenters." Better the
re-enactment of the penal laws than such
degrading servitude as that.
From most unexpected quarters, how
ever, aid came to the shrinking and scat
tered English Catholics. Some of the best
and brig htest intellects amongst the Pro-
testant clergy were drawn to the Church
and in words of beauty and eloquence
which had in them something almost divine,
they proclaimed to their countrymen that
she, who hitherto had been a thing to be |
prosecuted and despised, was none other
than "the heir to the promises" And for |
moment it actually seemed to some as if
the whole country, charmed and persuaded |
by one tongue, above all, of matchless
power, were on the point of returning to |
it's early faith. The Oxford movement,
however, came and went without adding
much numerical strength to the old Church.
One thing, however, it did whose impor-
lance can hardly be exaggerated. Through |
it's instrumentality Catholicism in Epgland
has been able to appeal to educated intel
lects in way which were else impossible.
Men of learning and thought were i'm
pressed with the strength of the Church's
claims, and learned to speak of her with
respect, if not with reverence.
Still the great macs of the English people
were outside the reach of such influence, !
which only came home to minds of rehec- |
tioa and intelligence. They were still at |
the mercy of the Grass ignorance and the |
old ofr 1r;1 I'D; -
thing Catholic which had grown up into a
tradition of their race. The Church had to
be brought before them, not in printed
books, but in real, living flesh and blood
the priest, and the nun, and simple men and
women like themselves; they must see
with their own eyes what this Popery was
of which they had heard 80 much that was
evil. And then came the Irish immigrants,
'or in every thing but their strong, simple
faith and their earnest zeal for religion, and
they spread themselves over the length and
breadth of the land, wherever compense
was to be had for hard, honest toll. Where
ever they congregated the Mass began to
be said, and by and by a church arose, in
timating to all that the old faith had come
to live again, and affording to Protes-
tants around the means of knowing what
it was their fathers had banished out of their
midst And 30 it came about that every
wherein the hearts of big towns, and in
the centre of trading. and manufacturing in
dustry, and even deep down in the depths
of the mines-Catholics were to be met with
who had no fear for their religion, and no
wish to hide it.
And in these ways it came to pass that
the Church was made known to, was
forced on the attention of rich and poor.
and learned and ignorant. While English
Catholics, therefore, rightly rejoice at the
influence which their own converted
countrymen have exercised on the spread
religion. or tn ha nd m
or unthankful of what they owe to the
faithful but too often despised Irish.
The Surname Court IF tho TTn;to5 c+oto,