National Republican., 1881-02-03
AN ELoQLENT PRELATE.
Bishop Keane.s Lecture on the Light O


Right Rev. John J. Keane, Bishop of Richmond
delivered lecture last night at Lincoln Hall on
The Light the World" Bishop Keane's popu
larity in Washington was evidenced by an au
| dfencs very nearly as large as that which over
flowed Lincoln Hall the other night to hear Henry
Ward Beecher. The lecture was characteristic
one. Pursuing one central idea, Bishop Keane
makes everything subsidiary to the most thorough
| and complete demonstration thereof His mode OF
presenting thought is the artistic one and his
| great mastery of language his wonderful skill IN
| always keeping his theme in mind, and introduc
ing not single figure to divert attention for mo
nent from it; his compact logic and the exquisite
beauty of his rhetoric are all in beautiful keeping
with the central tone of the idea. He commenced
by saying that this gathering of his friends was one
of the most gratifying events of his life. The Lord
| had said it was more blsssed to give than to re-
ceive and an experience of over fifteen years had
Yet IL was sometimes sweet 10 receive, as
| the present occasion SO gratefully Illus
trated. He alluded happily aud beautifully ~
to the years he had spent in Washington doing the
Lords work. or Him therefore he would speak
| tonight. 1t was true that the church was more
appropriate place to speak of Him than the lecture
ROOM but nevertheless all places were His and a
lecture hall might properly be used to speak His
love and His greatness. There was one name the
Lord had given Himsel-"The Light of the
World" Any reader of the Holy Scriptures can
not fail to perceive how often this idea of light IS
used in reference to the Lord. AS summing up
ofthese frequent references ST. John says He is the
incarnation oflight. This idea runs through the
Old Testament fills the EyangeiiScS, and glttcrS IN
the pages of st. Paul 1t is not hard to see that
this should be so. 1t is no wonder that in the
spiritual universe the light should be the symbol
of Him who is the source of all spiritual beauty,
as, in the material world, it is the light which
blanches the lily and reddens the rose and creates
all those forms of beauty we admire and love. The
darkness is the abode of danger, the abiding place
of the jackal and the owl, the thief and the muir
RGa re of mn nr nh
abide the light, said the speaker, in a glowing
burst of eloquence.
Having traced the progress of religious truths,
and the CLEANS of light among the people of the
earth, the speaker said that the old civilizations
had all failed because they had taken but one
sided view of the truth. Christianitys mission was
to build up new civilization, which was to endure
And just as far as that civilization deviates from
the blessed Light, just so far did it show errors
That Light alone is the light of history. He who
reads history in that Light understands mems ma
turc from Eden to the present day. That Light of
the World is the light of every social Institution
Aud only in so far Legislators rulers keep that
Light before them viii they rule or le2islate for
their people well. 1t is the light of home. 1t is
that Light which really followed, really copied,
home in Nazareth. That lights the magnet of all
souls, the guide of all steps. And all the hearts
that love that Light afford picture to which moth
ing in history or nature can offer parallel
And yet what are men doing now to that Light
There are men to whom these words of the Lord
apply, The light shineth i'll darkness and the
who actually are trying to put Zoroaster in the
place OF Christ Buddha in the place of Christ,
ConfuciuS in the place of Christ. There are men
in the world TO whom the light of Asia is better
than the Light of the World. What folly. Do not
men see that Buddha, Plato, COnfuciuS, Zoroaster
were failures? Not one of them created civiliza-
ton; not one of them lifted up man. They con-
feSSed their impotency to save or to elevate. Con-
traSt them with Him who is the Light of the WOrldi
After reviewing the present attitude of European
nations in regard to religion the speaker alluded
to Mr.. Beechers lecture on the public schools the
other night, and combatted the idea that only
ethics should be taught therein. He was strongly
i'll favor OF secular schools but secular schools
where theology was taught aswell as morality. He
condemned the teachings OF ngerSoll who, he said,
in making his time Infamous by going about in
the country trying TO rob young men of their faith
was Offering Us the outer darkness" IN place of
the :. Light of the World" Let Us hope, said the
speaker for the day when the world in its sickness
will cry out. like Goethe for more light. Bishop
Keane concluded by telling his hearers of his sue
ceSsfl efforts TO build additional Catholic churches
in Virginia, and that he was doing that work with
out going into debt. He profted, he said, by the
experience of others, and always avoided their
bIDDdprS