The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-19
VARIATIONS OF RELIGION
Under This Text Rev. Father Brody
Pays His Respects to Professionalism.
lie Calls 1t the Stream Whose Deadly Waters
Are Emptied Into the Pure Stream of
CathoIicism-Rev. Rondthaler's Sermon.

Rev. Father Brady, of st. Xavler's College.
Cincinnati. entitled the Variations in
Religion The hall, which is newly built.
and spacious and tasty in It's interior. was
comfortably filled. Close attention
was paid to the lecturer, and he
was applauded at intervals. The lect-
ure was q series Of statistics setting
forth the growth of Catholicism in the
United States. and q general attack on
Professionalism. The Rev. A. Is. Whitney.
of the South-street Baptist Church. last
Sunday preached on Catholicism, and the
lecture of Father Brady served as o reply
to it.
He began by picturIng a great river III
nIng to the sea, and telling of the in
estimable good it did In fertilizing the
adjacent country and of the health
fulness of it's waters as long as
they remained as pure as when sprung
needs of human industries seized upon it
and canals and sluices were built, and it
became Contaminated and adulterated 1t
became a great seat of disease and death.
This river and its tributaries he likened to
religion and said that the Catholic agreed
with the Protestant in that it ought to be
kept healthful. but that there were many
religious streams which lead only TO death.
The vital question is" he sold, which
of the great denomination is this health
full river and which the tributary disease
breeding streamsf Let the history of the
last forty years attest"
He then quoted from the United States
census statistics of 1850, 1850. 1870 and such
of the religious statistics as have been
published from that of 1890. The popula-
tion Of this country has increased IN the
forty years from the first named to the
last, Ill per cent. Religion. he said, ought
to keep pace In it's growth with the popuia-
tion. The various census returns give the
number of seats at the command Of each
denomination. and from that he figured the
percentage of growth, using the i'll per
cent. of population as the standard. They
were.as follows: Tbs L,therans. in forty
the Baptists. 90. and from that down all
through the Protestant denominations to
the Qaakers. which made the poorest show
ing Of all. 81
Then he turned to the Catholic Church.
He said that it had always been one that
had been abused and condemned: that it's
policies and principles seemed foreign to
the self-indulgency of this country, and
that it would have been no more. than
conld be expected had 1T taken psrt in the
general decadence of reli gion. He said he
pointed with pride to the fact that within
the past forty years 1t had grown
to exceed itself in 1850 just Ala per cent,
and thatthat fact alone ought to designate
it as the one great river. and oil other
religions the sluggish and unhealthful
streams. He also quoted statistics as to
memberships. edIfices, work don and at
tendance. and in each the Catholic Church
excelled. ~
From statistics we find that each Prot
estant minister has about one hundred
souls to look after on an average, aud q
priest of the Catholic Church about $780,"
be said. THE only way | see to create an
equilibrium is that the minister's wife and
children require as much attention as do
the other l. 40G of the priests congregation"
He accused Protestant ministers OF sloth-
~fulness, and said that mOst any one would
become one of them If the salary offered
were large enough. He decried the archi-
lecture of Protestant churches and said
that they were built to create O fraudulent
impression. as their religion did. in
that they were enormous In size. but
SO cut mp with lecture-rooms and
~Sunday-school rooms and prayer-meeting
rooms that their real seating capacity was
very small and that it had TO be SO done to
hide their own SHORTCOMINGS and lack of
Professionalism; that there was nothing IN
its pastures to feed it's sheep; that there
were no hedges to keep out the inhdel;
that death lurked in its veins; that the
p, R10'':'an; sr. had d sssun s by h Ssli'y p1s.
tested and altered until he believed
in almost nothing; that IL began
digging graves for its children three hum
dreQ years ago, u tnat III SOOn WOulu
have no children to dig them for.
He then told how the Catholic Church
has pursued its way quietly, but steadily,
and urged 1t as the only true n heaven-
bringing religion.
Rev. DR.. R~ondrhaier's Sermon.
Rev. DR.. Rondthaler followed his usual
delivered on the Sunday succeeding the
day of the sacrement one of practical in
struction in truths essential to right living.
His theme was .'Christs Standard the
Standard of Christian Living" The com
munion. he said. should be the occasion
of the high-water mark of faith and hope,
but it is q mockery and useless unless
the communicate bear away something
for his upbuilding in Christian
living. A great many are exercised as to
their worthiness to go to the table of the
Lord. This Is proper. and every one should
exercise himself intensely whether, after
the service, he bears away the benefits
which fall TO the true communicate"
The speaker cited the experience of
David. who exclaimed: What shall 1
render unto the Lord for oil His benefits to
mel" David answered himself by saying
Il will take the cup of salvation. l will
call upon the name OF the Lord, and will
pay my vows unto Him."
DIR. Rondtbaler said there are two gen.
eral propositions which embrace the whole
of Christianity. The first Is jesus Christ.
the foundation. and tl Jesus Christ, the
standard of living. What Jesus Chris
said and did Is the measure for us of all
right and wrong. He is our standard of
living. True manhood Is conformity to the
life and teachings of Jesus. Faith is the
foundation upon which we build up q prac-
teal life. We attest our faith by the meas
ure of heed given His example. OF what
use is the foundation without building on
it9 The house we build upon our faith Is
what we are and do.
The minister argued for simpli city Of
creed. He said the simpler the creed
the more there will be who will find
standing-room upon it, When men begin
Co ramify their beliefs into complexity
they begin to fall out and become sectari-
an. The essential truths are few and SIM
pie. When men pursue sectarianism and
emphasize creed their kingdom of heaven
becomes as small. as-well. he said. it was
difficult to find a simile, but as small as the
presbytery of Cincinnati. But when men
become filled with ChrIst's STANDARD
of living, the lazy become in
dustrious, the censorious become low
ing and charitable. the stingy become
eager for good works for others. The
thoughts of men then become pure, the
heart is cleansed from lusts of whatever
kind. If these changes are not realized.
then is Christ no more in us han He was
in the wine which rushed violently into