The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-01-27

monks and priests and nuns and car
dinals and popes without number. One
tires of saints in pictures; saints in gal
leries and in churches; saints in black
and white and grey male saints and
female saints living saints and dead
saints; and wishes he might see a pic
ture of something else, though it were
Satan. 1t would be relief to look at
a painting of good horsel Seriously,
art has been cramped in the selection
of its subjects in Italy. The execution
of the masterpieces is perfection, but
what field was LETT untouched while
they labored over the imaginary de-
lineations of our Lord, all inadequate,
and of characters from sacred history
Nature with its thousand forms and
combinations of beauty, divine work
manship in mountain, valley, land, sea,
beasts, and birds; mankind in its man.
liness and strength, in its weakness and
pathos, in war, peace, love, hate, sing.
ing, laughing, weeping, dying, are
fields as rich with materials for the
sculptor and the painter, as for the
poet. The ,oorld should be the field of
art, and not a small though sacred por
ton of it.
Rome is full of magnificent churches
and beggars. ST. Peters and st. Pauls
surpass the widest imagination.
have never seen any description of
them which did them Justice. But an
astonishingly large proportion of those
who worship in them are dressed in
rags. There is connection between
these things. The Roman Church has
absorbed the wealth of the people and
spent it in marble and pictures for its
own aggrandizement. The Popes have
held sway here for thousand years.
and the result is ignorance, supersti-
tion, and squalor 1t is painful to see
poor ragged creatures devoutly kissing
the toe of a bronze image of Peter the
Apostle, or crawling on their knees up
the holy stairs. When one walks
among the ruins of ancient Rome, the
Coliseum, the palace of the Caesars, or
passes under the arches of Constantine
and Titus, or stands in the Forum-the
places made memorable by one of the
mightiest races that ever lived, it is
painful to see their degenerate children
lying indolently in the sunshine or lean
ing agains' ring aims. r>
But III
picture. The temporal power of the
Popes is no more; and the Quirinal
Palace is now occupied by the young
King Humbert. He is strong and
growing stronger with the people, and
his queen Marguerite is almost adored.
He loses no opportunity to gather to
himself the confidence and affection of
his subjects. Ships of war are build.
ing, they are fortifying the barbors,
draining low lands, improving the san
itary condition of the cities, and every
where there are signs of returning life.
A better day has dawned for Italy.
In nearly all the cities there has been
a great increase of population, and
handsome buildings are being erected
by the hundreds. The people are wax
ing up; the Italians arr taking Italy. A
gentleman, in conversation with me,
spoke strongly against the influence of
the Church Of Rome during the past.
| said to him, "You are not Catholic,
L presume" His answer was, Yes, /
am Catholic, bit am also mdnW
The government is establishing free
schools everywhere; and encourage
ment is given to the Protestant church
es. The grand old Waldensians feel
that now at last has come the time
they have waited for during the dread
full centuries of persecution through
which they passed. They are found
ing churches, distributing Bibles and
other good books. A Waldensian lady
told me her mother was banished many
years ago for refusing to go to confes-
sion, but now they are free to carry on
Sunday Schools and every Christian
enterprise. The time of liberal ideas
has come-the gospel has free course
in Italy. 1t has a mighty task to per
form, to rebuild the intellectual and
moral ruin of ages; but it is competent
to do it, for ait is the power Of God
unto salvation"
We attended service on Christmas
eve in the Pantheon, which is one of
the great churches Of Rome. 1t is
older than the Christian era, and was
first used as beatben temple. Of
course we expected to find a large con.
grogation on great occasion like that.
A great number Of priests were offici-
ating at the altar, music Of a high or
der was furnished by an invisible choir,
but the audience numbered only three
persOns-two women and one man
On Christmas morning we went to
st. Peters, and found cardinal, at
tended by host Of priests, conducting