National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-17

Rev. w. S. Ross's Lecture Mt che Church
OF the Incarnation.


or the Incarnation.
Rev William s. Ross secretary to the Irish
Home missions, preached yesterday morning
at the Church of the Incarnation from tho
text, Hebrews. iv, L.: For the word of God
is quick and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edeed sword"
Tho word Of God was q living word. 10 has
life-giving and strength. How little was the
word of God valued by many! Happier were
the people who loved God and happier were
they who lived in His light. II WAS to be in
this light and feel its rays that he would
speak of Ireland, his native home, to tell of
her woes and wrongs. Americans could not
fully understand the condition that ireland
was in. She had been misrepre-
sented by her traducers. Her enemies
her inner life. The true Catholic from
Ireland will truly represent the woes aud
wrongs that were upon her Tho remarks
that he had made were not meant as an
aspcr. ~ upon the knowledge already
acQu. Of the Green Islo by those in this
lam 1t 10 plainly point out that Ireland
had not been fairly represented by her
enemies. His stay Of eighteen months in
this country had taught him that the people
here do not know the truo state of affairs as
they exist there. In speaking Of the Irish
church. it must be known that IL had mag
nfcont history, coming down through ecu
turtles. In the early days, when Christianity
was undivided, its history was glorious,
and filled with the deeds of
its good mon. 1t sent its
missionaries abroad MS faE rs Asia. st.
Columbia was an example of the sterling
growth aud energy of the times. The Irish
church in l3l A. ID. repudiated the emissary
the pope had sent there. st. Patrick in 432
4. ID. was not an ambassador of the pope.
L.. Al. a. IL
with the missionary spirit he came to Ireland
and spread abroad true evangelical gospel.
The missionary spirit of the church was
touched upon and the good accomplished,
and to-day in Switzerland, among some
of the Cantons, there is retained some
of the spirit brought there by those
early missionaries. To-day false freedom
exists aad dominates there. Then there was
true religion where now it is the false. False
religion bringing with it woes, darkness, and
wretchedness. Light was abroad there until
the twelfth century. Then 1t was that
Romanisn found foothold. Ireland gave
England Catholicity, and England has now
pressed upon Ireland Romanism. The
Reformation became n failure. 1t miscarried
the intent of the true church. If England
then had given to Ireland the Scripture in its
vernacular. tho Bible and prayer book, Ire
land would have come to the church of Eng
land. Extracts from Roman Catholic writers
wero read to establish what he claimed,
wherein the independence of the Irish church
was admitted.
He wanted every one to understand that
the root Of the Irish troubles, whether politi-
cal or otherwise, was dus to Romansm.
Rome RUNS wherever she rules. The people
there were dominated by such rule He was
able to support the fact he stated. Spain,
France, and Italy were examples. Speak as
we like, history bears out that Romanism
wherever it plants itself means ruin and
degradation Ireland was no exception.
Neither was France, Spain, uor Italy. Ro
manism looks at this country and sees her
100000, and says by immigration she ought
to have 20,000;O0O.
lilo thanked God for the liberty and spirit
of freedom there was in America and tho
love the people have for the word of God.
The work of the Irish missions was to cor
rect the errors existing in Ireland, and TO
give the Irish people the Scriptures in their
own language. The church of Rome has
never given the Irish people the Bible in
their own tongue. The Kettle language is
the vernacuar, it is the key to their hearts.
A superstition pervades them the devil
fears the Kettle. They would burn
the English Bible, but the KEEL
tic Bible they would rather burn their
arms off than to lift hair to destroy them.
spoken OF, and numbers were being brought
into 1t. A convert from Romsnism was per-
secuted so much that many have to flee from
their homes.
True conversion he held was by reading
the Bible. In concluding he made an earnest
plea TO aid the Irish society. In supporting
and helping the society they helped them
selves. as many Of those helped by tho society
in time found home in this bright land.