The Progress., 1893-02-04
THF NEW CATHOLICISM

lncrc IS no 1nlStaklnB tne IdCt lndI Ine
aye in which we live is n religious age,
and that the century upon which we arc
about to enter is to be pre-eminently in
the history of the race the religious cen
turv of the worlds history. There is no
questioning the fact THAI today IN every
nation and in every walk of life the prob
lens that center in religion are the prob
lens of the day, whether it be the ques-
tiuns of ecClesiasticism which breaks out
in u heresy trial in the Presbyterian
church, or those which have been the
centers of storms in Andover and New
England, or whether we come into ouI
own denomination and find there dis
cussions which emhody practically the
same facts, or whether we go today into
the great Roman Catholic world and find
there the lines of battle drawn between
two great factions.
There is going to be in the near future
a wonderful development of religion.
The press indicates the fact If you &c
into the book stores and examine the
books you will find those works mt the
head which have this motive for their
central idea. Take the newspaper in New
York city that incarnates the devil more
supremely IN every column than any
other, and you will find that paper has
religious matter in its pages every day
in the year, not because its editor ha-
any religion, but because he knows the
people who read have. and SO ne j.
forced TO put 1t in TO keep up with the
times.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
This progress, this development, the
signs that indicate such unusual activity,
have for the religious world profound
significance, and one of che most inter
osting questions that arise upon its con
sideration is the relation Of the Roman
Catholic church in America to this de
velopment. There has been a degree OF
progress, a revolutionary change OF
front, within the past few years. which
has been nothing short of miracle. We
are profoundly interested in their affairs
Protestants though we are.
In the first place, we are interested be
cause they represent the majority of the
Christian world, the UdSt majority, mum.
bering Christian nations numerically.
The Roman Catholics embrace some.
thing like 250, 900, 900 of the inhabitants
Of Christendom, and whatever Their
errors or mistakes or sad history in the
past have been they are our brethren in
Christ. Whatever may be the gulf that
separates us today from them, the de-
velopment of Christianity in the future
will have no history that will not have
as part of its fundamental development
the story of the development of this
great power, which we have called il
the past the Roman Catholic church. II
has stood the assaults of centuries-the
assaults of men within the church and
without. Great men in their revolu.
tions in Italy have arisen and pointed
the finger of scorn at the power on that
hill in Rome and said, I'm 50 many years
it will be swept from the face of the
earth" But Rome sits in imperial
power on her hills today with greater
grasp on the civilization of the age than
she had hundred years ago.
In forming an estimate of other reli.
gions we need to be careful. All religions
have in them elements of the divine, ele.
ments of truth. Whether it is the reli.
gion Of the savage that bows down be
fore a miserable image in the heart OF
the wilds Of an unexplored forest, wheth.
er the Chinaman before his idol in China
or the japanese in Japan-wherever you
find man looking up with inquiring heart
after God-you are walking on holy
ground, and there will be found imbed
ded in that religion a certain something
that you must respect-even something
of the divine. 1t is fact that most OF
us have our denominational differences
today because of our education. / am
Baptist because my father was. You
are Methodist because your father was
If my father had been a Roman Catho-
lie, have not the slightest doubt
would be Catholic today.
THE CATHOLICS IN AMERICA.
We are interested and tremendously
so in the development of Catholicism in
America because America holds in one
sense the key to history. Mr., Gladstone,
while he represents the high mark OF
EDBllSu uDtIduSill, Wulle ue Is d1 Intense
Englishman in everything, says that
the next century is to place the crown of
empire of the world on the brow of
America, and he figures out that you are
to have on this continent 1866 900 GOO of
inhabitants at the close Of the century
now about to dawn upon us. Whatever
we may do at present about emigration.
We are destined to receive from all the
nations of the earth continued stream
of life. seeking a wider and freer and no
bier and broader outlook.
Call the roll of the future, thea, and
you will find at the very head will stand I
this great nation called America. What |.
is to be the relation of this Roman
church to this America that is to be /
built, that is to be the imperial nation of
all the nations of earth, with its 36j ,OO0,- |
900 of people, with its seacoast that
looks out upon every point of compass
of the earth and with its harbors that
shall bear the ships of every nation Of .
the world?
Il fhe Catholic eL,,rcL an dtne,jeo IN /