Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-16

and adherents of the Anglo-Saxon race
than Romanism after hundreds OF years
with all her boasted wealth and social
| prestige.
For once His Holiness has spoken out
with an intelligence and precision that mus
command respect. His encyclcal touches
| questions thst lie at the basis OF our socla
fabric, which will have to be faced and dealt
with by both Church and State. But the
subject of education is that most likely tc
form the battle-ground between the two
great contending parties into which we are
naturally dividing ourselves, both in Eng.
land and America Make all churches equal
with the State, give all fair play, and if in
| the race Romanism can outrun us we shall
have only ourselves to blame.
REFORMATION OR EXTINCTION.
AS the light of the times increases Rome
moves in parallel lines and tries hard to
show that she is in favor of the rights and
| liberties of man as man. Reformation or eX-
tinction are before her. Though the Church
of Christ has suffered much at her hands, we
] would charitably hope that in the advancing
| light Rome may see her deformity and be
| led to penitence and reformation.
In view of the impending struggle, one
thing is all but essential to success-a
united Methodism.
Rev. Dr. H. L. Fisk, of Albion, Mich,
spoke on "Romanism as Political Power "
'iRomanism," he said, 'fis an evolution in
which spiritual forces have been largely
subordinate to human ambition, resulting
in politico-religious organization, or a
religious body welding political power for
ecclesiastical ends
The Church of Rome is to be judged by
the record she has made in history. She
. h., i ,-oI o4f m
the mightiest political power on the
face of the earth. Palliate 1t as
much as We may, hers has been
career of attempted usurpation of
political prerogatives. In these United
States she has been persistent IN her de-
mands for pro rata share of our State
school funds for the support of her parochial
schools At the polls and in the courts she
has sought to eject the Bible from the pub
lie schools. Her priests are known to die
tate at political elections. When she can
not be imperium she is determined to be
imperium in imperio.
WHY CATHOLICISM IS POWERFUL.
"The efficiency of the Catholic Church as a
political power grows out of two facts:
First-Romanism, by the denial of the
right of fprivate Judgment, by the suppress
sion of free thought, does not leave con-
science in the keeping of individual but
organically holds it in her own grasp.
Second-This efficiency grows out of the
extraordinary Capitalization of power in
the temporal head OF the Church. Nothing
else of earth is so arbitrary as Roman
ism The word Pope contains it all.
Does Romanism politically change for the
better? At the CENTER no; at the circum-
ference, yes. In 1870 the Vatican Council
voted the dogma of Papal Infallibility, and
Plus IX proclaimed it to the world. Though
this dogma was cautiously worded to en-
brace matters of faith and morals, the
word morals may be made to cover all the
relations of man with man and has been
thus construed-hence embracing the whole
domain of legislation. This decree of in
falIibilitv fathers all the papal usurpations
occurring in the lifetime of the Church.
The Pope is as eager for temporal power as
he ever was. He plays he is prisoner solely
as groun! for the need of temporal SOW
ereignty.
|, But the political vitality of Romanisn is
becoming depleted. There are intelligent
Catholics in this country, like Cardinal
Gibbons and Archbishop Ireland, who
plainly see that if the Church is TO flourish
she must not waste her energies in an un-
equal fight with our enlightened and pro-
gressive civilization, but must clasp hands
with it.
2oMANISM'S RELIGIOUS POWER.
Rev. Dr. Nicholas, of the Irish Methodist
Church, delivered the invited address on
''Romanism Religious Power" He said
he admitted at once and without hesitation
that there is much that is true and much
that is good in the Church of Rome, and he
desired this admission to modify, so far as
may be necessary, his further statements in
his address, Rome is intolerant-but in
one direction only-intolerant toward
independent thought, but ever lenient
toward superstition. Hence the belief in
ecclesiastical miracles. The Romanists are
encouraged to believe in miracles per-
formed by the Holy Coat at Treves and the
thousands Of similar ones imbedded in &C.
clesiastical history The morality of Rome
has been violated in the way in which the
Papal court has played fast and loose with
morality by its indulgenees and dispensa-
tions. The sources of these corruptions have
been the close union of Rome with the secu-
lar power, ecclesiastics and priestcraft.
Rome uses e1pediency and often lets it
degenerate into deception. Rome has ad-
dressed itself to the carnal craving for
materialistic realizations of invisible things.
She has given the nations a cherries re-
ligious life She has exalted ascetecism in
opposition to Christianity. In the religion
of joy Methodism is the brightest form of
Christianity.
A MoRIBUND RELIGION.
In support of the view that Rome is
moribund may be cited her inability to
maintain her relative position in the mission
field, the comparatively small number of her
adherents in the English speaking peoples,
her loss of political power, the loss of num-
bers in immigration to the United States
On the other hand may be cited her progress
in England, her increasing number of
churches, schools, univerities and religious
houses and the zeal of her priests and people
Rome is still vigorous and the conflict may
be long, but the issue is not uncertain.
Bishop Wayman, of the African Method
ist Episcopal Church, of Baltimore, occu-
pied the chair at the afternoon session of
the Conference. The general topic was
temperance. Rev. DIR. r. H. Mahon, of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South,
Memphis, read paper upon the subject of
"The Church and the Temperance Reform.
The Church must serve the cause of tenn
perance by total abstinence on the part of
the ministry and members. But the Church
should assume no political attitude with re-
spect to prohibition. The Church, in its
official or organic capacity, has nothing to
do with politics Christian men, in their
relations as citizens, should seek to obtain
such practical legislation on the part of the
State as shall forever abolish the saloon.
THE PROHIBITION QUESTION.
Legal Prohibition of the Saloon" was
the subject treated bv Rev. c. H. Phillips,
of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.
of Washington. The Government should
no longer sanction traffic that was in COM
pact with the devil and in convent with