The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-07
AIMED At PREJUDICE.
Rev. Eugene shipper, in SUNDAYS Sermon
Paws a Nice Tribute to Catholicism.

and LIBERAL and, it might he added With
out any design at Aattery, talented young
minister and pastor of the Unitarian
church of this city, delivered very inter
esting and thoughtful sermon Sunday
morning to his congregation on 1.-The
Seven Sacramento of the Roman Catholic
Church" The sermon in full would make
decidedly interesting reading, for the maj
ority of the people Of Wichita appreciate
pulpit liberality, but unfortunately lin
tied space will not allow it. In opening,
he said:
cit has been said of Phillips Brooks,
He was trinitarian, but not an anti
Unitarian; he was protestant, but not an
anti Catholic Such was his broad-mlnd-
edness, his tolerance, his charity. how
rare is such a mind! How few are free
from religious prejudice! How few prot
estants, for example, have outgrown that
old reactionary spirit of the Reformation,
natural enough in its own day, but
strangely out of place and uncalled-
for in this age. The preJudices OF
the PuritaDs seem to be more general than
the virtues. l cannot understand, still
less sympathize with, the anti-Catholic
sentiments of Professionalism. Though L
stand for a religion which is the polar OPP
posite of Catholicism, l do not consider
the Pope anti-ChTist, nor do look upon
his church as an enemy Of society. In
I cannot speak for
Observation-Disclosures is more sinned
against than SHINING Nay more, for that
were but scaut praise, some of the finest
minds and most cousecrated lives
of this generation are Catholic
communicates. No church is more
active in personal good works and
conspicuous in public philanthropies.
The church of the nineteenth century ls
not-thank God!-the church of the fif-
tenth century. The evangelistic rant
about the "Romish church, is he product
of ignorance and hatred. What though
we Unitarians differ from Catholics in doc
trine and in practice, we are none the less
compelled by every principle of morality
to do our neighbors justice. They are not
only the children of the same Heavenly
Father, but are also members with us or
one household of faith larger and broader
than any organization. cherishing the same
hopes, partaking of the same benefits and
subject to the same human weaknesses DIS
ourselves. With minds thus freed from
prejudice, we can calmly consider CathOl-
icism and in the interest of truth try to
separate the good from the evil. In the
examination of the sacraments, our topic
for the day, we have special occasion to
invoke the spirit of candor and sympathy,
for in our habits OF mind aud i'll our re-
ligious activities we are accustomed to
show but little respect for symbolism and
ceremonial.
Zone word more of introduction: am
led to take up this subject, The Seven
Catholic Sacraments,' not so much from
an historical motive as from a deep desire
to Justify human nature and to find the
saving elements of nationality and right
eousness in the ancient mother church a
little study and little thought will reveal
the shallowness Of the prevailing sectari-
ausm and Will disclose a soul of good IN
Catholicism, as in all forms of religion"
Here Mr.. Shipper discussed the merits
of the sacraments at some length, which
his congregation found intensely interest
ing, and closed as follows:
LET me collect and summarize my con-
illusions upon the whole matter. These
and sacred truths. They are therefore to
be respected. even though we have no room
for them upon the altar of our thought.
They are to be respected Furthermore be-
cause in themselves they have an element
of nationality. They are the products of
the human mind and answering to the
needs of mankind in certain stages of de-
velOpment. They have satisfied the
demand for visible reality. Their origin is
traceable to the efforts OF man to open up
direct rather than indirect channels be-
tween himself and God. They have been
a sign aud seal of spiritual things FOR
these many generations to upward look
ing, upward striving man; not the crea-
tion OF the priesthood imposed unwilling
ly upon the laity, but outgrowths OF human
questioning, natural responses to human
prayers. The principles of evolution lead
us to the conclusion that everything
natural and human is useful in its day
Nothing in this world IS wholly irrational
Nothing is uninteresting. Homo sum:
humani nihil me slienum puto:' am
a man, and nothing that relates to man IS
foreign Ia my sympathies."
There is moral as well as an intellect
nal significance to the sacrament, and for
this reason above all, { hey are not to be
treated in shallow or irreverent manner.
Each sacrament from baptism to matri-
mony has a moral end in view. The ad-
justmert of the life to Gods ends and pur-
poses is sought Publication, conservation,
communion, repentance, consolation, ded-
ication and marital faithfuluess are the
ends aimed at You and | emyloy other
Eneans in forming character, but he ends
desired are Identical
ITO sensual man the devout Catholic
partaking OF the Holy Eucharist or adj
ministering the consolation of extreme
JUNCTION is an object of blank mystery or
perhaps of ridicule: but to the sensual all
form of spiritual aspiration and religious
faith are equally unintelligible. Religious
men are forever misunderstood; their
motives forever questioned by the devotees
| of Mammon or Bacchus. Realizing the
sincere moral and religious aims of our
! Catholic brethren, let not our opinions
/ our theories of the universe, our views oil
! God and man separate US when we need
each others sympathy. Let US look be
! low the surface of the sacraments aud see
! the human needs and the moral purposes
/ there expressing themselves. To be al
one with man, our brother, is, so far as
! this life allows, TO be at one with God, our
! Father"
THE OFFICER HERE.