National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-04
CoMBATrING CAPEL.
Iisv. Dr. Hea Advances the Uitra-Protest-
ant Opinion.

h"A Opt"hNNs
The English Lutheran church was crowded
last evening to hear lecture by Dr. James
Rca on the subject of Professionalism and
Progress" announced as reply to one re-
Gently delivered by Mgr. Capel on "Cathol.
icism and Progr ess" The lecturer stated
that Protcsta ntism associated with u all
that was held sacred as to religion ana CIVIL
liberty.
4 lasty outline Of the origin and history
of tie term Protestant, and a rapid sketch of
rrotcstantism in Germany were given, show
iur that before Luthers death Professionalism
hand been planted in many of the countries
of Europe. The rise aud progress OF Protest.
antism in England was touched upon. from
the reign of King John to Queen Elizabeth.
The lecturer next turned his attention to
Mgr Camel, with regard to his treatment of
civil and religious liberty, In u answer to
Mgr Capcl he would quote showing how far
popery was the friend of liberty and progress
in the nineteenth century On the twenty
second of April. 1863, the late Plus lX con-
cluded concordat with the republic Of
Ecuador, of which the first article stipulates:
1.-THE Catholic religion, apostolic and Roman
continues to be the religion of Ecuador; in con-
sequence there eau never be permitted in the
republic the exercise OF any worship, nor
the existence of any society which may have
been condemned by the church." MexicO's
which it was ordained that "The religion Of
the Mexican nation is and will he perpetu-
ally, the Roman Catholic apostolic. The
nation will protect IL by wise and just laws,
and prohibit the exercise of any other re-
ligon whatever" In reference to this
provision, the speaker quoted paragraph
from n recent article by Senator j. T..
Morgan, of Alabama, on Mexico" in which
the latter SAYS this demand of the church for
supremacy over the civil power of the repub-
lie is enough to account for the greater part
Of the troubles experienced by Mexico in
gaining her independence" 80 that" con-
tinued the speaker, whatever civil and re-
ligious liberty Mexico enjoys to-day has been
wrung from the church, and exists in spite Of
it," In further proof OF the intolerance of the
church Of Rome in the nineteenth century
the lecturer quoted from the encyclical of
Plus TX, dated Aug. 10, 1854, in which that
pontiff denounced liberty of conscience" as
"a pestilent error-the liberty Of perdition."
He likewise quoted from the encyclical, and
syllabus Of the same pope issued er cdthedra,
in 1864, setting forth 'the disabilities of the
state and the rights and powers Of the
church." concerning which the speaker said
that more truculent manifesto had never
issued from the thirteenth century. 1t might
be affirmed that if Gregory VII chastsed the
men of his age with whips, Plus TX scourged
those of his day with scorpions.
Upon the question of schools, he pointed to
Spain at the present day, and according to the
statistics of 1882 it had some II, 1,SO0000 popu-
lation, and that rs per cent. of its inhabitants
could neither read nor write. The oduca-
tional statistics of the city Of Rome showed
about the same preparation of ignorance,
where out of population of 100000 only
60,000 can read and write, and this notwith-
standing the fact that there is a priest, n
monk, or nun for every 194 of the popula-
tion.
These facts speak for themselves and need
no comment. If the worthy monsignor
really means what he says when he tells us
of his great love for education, he thought
that he would find sufficient scope for his
benevolence at home.
The lecturer closed with an eloquent con-
trast of the condition of Italy and Scotland,
Spain and England, as illustrating the power
and progress OF Professionalism and the influ-
ence of popery.
At the close of the lecture the "Reforma-
tion Hymn" written by Horatius Bonnar, Of
Edinburgh and sung by several thousand
voices at the Luther celebration in London,
was recited by Miss Ida h. Kinds, Of New
York,