The record-union., 1893-07-29
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
Expressions From the Various Re-
igious Newspapers
The Religious Thought of the Day as
Expressed In the Sectarian Press
Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.


Some Matters of Interest to Both
Ministers and Laymen.
The New York ChuTchHdn (P. E.), in
commenting upon the Pope's recent en-
cyclical, says: ''It is not so clear how the
Bishop of Rome makes manifest our
good will towards your country and the
high esteem in which we hold those who
administer the government of the Repub-
llc,' by extending, unlimited, the mission
Of his delegate TO the further purpose
that our presence should be made, as it
were, perpetual among you, by the per-
manent establishment of an apostolic
delegation at Washington In the alb
sence of any reciprocal intention on the
part of the United States to send a repre-
sentative to the Vatican, this new act of
our care may fifty be characterized, in
American phraseology as too previous
but The point of most public concern in
thls Pontlhcal letter is its official ac-
knowledgement and recognition of the
/ DEGREES of the Third Plenary Council of
Baltlmore,' in regard to public education
IN the United States as TO be steadfastly
/ not to be entirely condemned since cases
may occur, as the Council itself had fore
| seen; In " which it is lawful to attend them).'
Here, at last, would seem to he an official
Interpretation of the tOterdri pOteSt of dis
puted meaning. The public schools of
the United States may be tolerated as long
as the proverb holds of them, What can't
be cured must be endured but no longer.
AS we had occasion 10 quote a famous
Roman controVersialist once before,
wi here Protestants are in the majority,
we preach liberation, because such are
their principles. Where we are in the
majority, we disown it, because such are
ours We fail to see how any other con-
struction can be put upon this Pontifcal
letter, without, disrespect to the prelate
who wrote it,"
On the same subject the LiUing Church
(P. Ed of Chicago has this to say: 1.-The
Synod of Baltimore in 1884 laid down
programme which seemed quite free
from ambiguity and logical outcome of
the principles laid down. 1t was in
intensely practical if not practicable. 1t
was a rOot-and-branc method. 1t laid
upon every parish priest the obligation
OF establishing and maintaining a paro-
chial school, and threatened with the han
OF accommodation those of the laity
who continued to send their children to
the public schools. This at least was
what the Baltimore platform seemed to
mean, and what it was taken to mean by
those who framed it. There was re-
newed activity in all directions, many
new schools were opened, much friction
ensued between people and priests,
priests and bishops. Then came the plan
of Archbishop Ireland and his friends.
| This is too recent and too well-known to
our readers to need description. 1t is
enough 10 say that it seemed to many of
the bishops to be directly in the teeth of
the DEGREES of Baltimore upon which thew
had been acting in good faith for several
years. Certainly much of the energy ex-
pended upon school building, and many
dissensions, might have been spared if
| the Ireland policy had been pursued
from the first. The Papal Ablegate at a
meeting of Archbishops in New York
last fall forced an Endorsement of this
policy, and appeared to have cut loose
entirely from the action at Baltimore.
But now comes the Papal letter, and
gravely assures the faithful that two ire
concilable propositions are in perfect
harmony with each other, and hence
forth it only remains that they shall be
good and not quarrel. Nevertheless it is
perfectly clear to every impartial observer
that it is the liberal party which has the
practical victory"
"But has not the Pope's legate, MGR.
Satolli, announced a more liberal policy?r
eXclaims the Western Christian 4 tUOcate
(Aleth.) of Cincinnati: HAS he not, with
the authority of the Pope declared that
priests may not refuse the holy commun-
ion to Catholic parents who send their
children to the public schools, and that
the Catholic children who are sent to such
schools shall no more be denied confrma-
ton and their first communion? So it has
been supposed and declared. But now
I no hae
matte letter reviewing the whole subject,
which apparently seems to favor the lib
eral utterances of Satolli by recognizing
his authority; but which, with willy, eau
tious words, admits of the sending of
Catholic children to the public schools
only in cases where under peculiar con-
ditions it may be necessary. The Cath
olic schools must be worked for all that
is in them. Unless the public schools can
be made subservient to the Romish hier-
archy they must not be used. We NAV
expect the RomaniSts to control and
utilize to their proselyting purposes these
schools, or else they will use their inhu-
ence to overthrow them. Our public
schools are in the crucible. Patriotic
Americans must keep watch and guard
over one of the distinguishing features of
our time-honored civilization, and one of
the surest and strongest of the bulwarks
of our civil and religious liberties The
Faribault plan in Minnesota has been de-
feated by the votes of men and women"
"A highly valued correspondent, a pro-
nounced liberal in thought, and yet a per-
son who is devout and earnest in spirit.
asks US whether those who represent
liberal views i'll theology are as evangel-
istic in their spirit and effort as those who
represent narrower and more dogmatic
opinions" says the New York Outlook.
The Salvation Army, certain branches
of the Methodist communion, and several
prominent evangelists are cited as illus
| trations of those who have been pecu-
liarly successful in winning men to per-
sonal allegiance to Christ. Our CORE
spondent presses the question: Are we
not losing our desire to induce men to ac-
cept Christ as Master and Lord? The
letter seems to indicate a belief that, as a
matter of fact, the liberals are not evan
gelistic; to admit that they are evidently
interested in large movements for human
ity, that they are working nobly for the
transformation of institutions and the re-
newal OF society, but to query whether
they are not losing that power which re-
suits from the consciousness of personal
relation to the Master. We cheerfullv
answer this question. In our opinion,
the evangelistic spirit belongs neither to
liberals nor conservatives, as such. When
a careful study OF the Christian world is
made, 1t Will be found that conservatism
in theology is no more likely to produce
intensity of spiritual life than is its oppo-
site. Probably no more unite with the
church on confession of faith at Princeton
than at Andover; and we are very sure
that the llberality of Yale and Union Dro-