The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-11-27
BISHOP POTTER AND THE CATHOLICS.
The Recent Centennial Celebrations Cause
the Divine to Sound a Protestant Alarm.

NEW YORK. Nov. 26.-The Baptist pastors
conference listened to an address yester-
day on THE Significance of the Roman
Catholic Congress and Outline of the Ro-
man Catholic Movement Today" by Rev.
DR.. d. &. Potter. DR.. Potter prefaced the
reading of his paper with the remark that
it would probably stir up the pastors. and
in some respects it certainly did. He said:
1T is safer to exaggerate the forces of an
enemy than to make an underestimate. The
temptation of tho partisan is to underesti-
mate his foe. That Catholic centenary con-
gress in Baltimore was a jubilee-a Roman
victory. Its first note was a paan, its last
a doxology. Its voice was defiance, its
grasp powerful, its purpose advance. and
that. dare / say, irresistible. 1t evaded
nothing. auibbled at. nothing, but spoke
out in a voice dominant and daring. The
Protestant church could stand on its plat
form with hardly a phrase changed.
THE significance of that congress is
found in, first. the fresh prominence given
To the Roman Church in our country and
the revoicing of the great fact that it is one
with the Roman Catholic Church through
out the world. Second, the fresh herald
ing OF its strength. its institutions. its mis-
sions, the opportunity of contrast and the
1910 vi a. III = III 4tOV
there were $4,000 Catholics in this country
and thirty priests; now they claim 1900, 600.
Third, the zeal and purpose is displayed for
education, Christian education. Fourth.
its great uni, ersity at the Nations capital.
and the display Of it's new faculty. Fifth,
the opportunity embraced in making an
era. Sixth, In publishing TO the world the
dominating motives of their church. to
spread a knowledge of their religion, to
hold their adherents with new and strong
bonds, to excite their zeal and enthusiasm,
SO that to-day their zeal isfsnned and FAM
ing as never before. But this congress is
the precursor of others to be held annually.
each more imposing, more important, more
widely attended, and the motive is impress
sion, public sentiment, public duty. The
time is ripe.
"Such. briefly, are the signiGcations of
the congress at Baltimore, and naturally
this suggests a brief survey of the whole
Roman Catholic movement. 1t resolves
itself into a new struggle with Rome and
it has begun. 1t is the old struggle con-
tinued. 1t is the irrepressible cOnffict-Ro-
manism against reformation or Protestant
ism. Broadly speaking, Rome has never
changed her front. With her it is a fight to
the death. Modern science does not disturb
her. She is the oldest of the churches of
the Western faith. and no one of them can
out-march her for virility. subtlety and
that peculiar quality which knows how to
III its W powers"
DIR. Potter then approached the subject
from the Protestant stand point. He said:
in the Protestant view, Rome is the beast
of Revelation. Rome is antichrist. She is
the foe to progress. the friend of ignorance;
she deals in subtleties. She usurps the place
of God and the powers of God. She is re-
sponsible for the darkness of the early GEN.
turtles, for the fanaticisms of history; she is
the grasping power: she n;eddles with row.
ernments all over the globe. seeking politi-
cal place to advance her selfish purposes.
Rome Is horrors untold. Rome is hell.
Rome. for the first time in our history. has,
of late, In her most gaudy regalia, been
upon our centennial platforms and her
pomp and power nave had recognition.
That white building on Fifth avenue,
with the sky-piercing spires, is the capitol
of our American metropolis. Tammany
Hall belongs TO Rome. The dominant party
of our own fair city belongs to Rome. We
are to-day under Roman rule.
"A present Issue is that Romanists are
tired of being taxed for our public schools.
They call them Goddess schools. On this
point they will fight. liz they n 1t win to-
day they will wait. The unalterable deter
mination Is to nave q proportionate share
OF the school funds. and who is there that
has the temerity 10 say that the public
school system Is not already doomed. The
summoning of the factions to the polls will
not wholly meet the Issue. We do not con-
front Romanism so much as religious differ
entism in our churches and among our own
people,"
After DR.. Potter had finished, an interest
ing discussion followed among the other
clergymen present.