The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-09-29

of society which prays for the souls of
clergymen who die in the faith" This
loss must be severely felt by Phillips
Brooks and even in glory he must regret
that he did not Idle in the faith" to Sc
cure the prayers of this society.
~ So you think there are hypocrites
in the church and pretenders in religion?
Very likely; but that is no valid excuse
for you to keep yourself apart from
church privileges with all the blessings
that come in their train. The novelist of
American society, Howells very sensibly
remarks: Il don't know as you can have
too much religion. I've seen some pretty
rough customers in the church, but l
always thought.-what would they be
out of it?" Think of what these people of
whom you complain would probably be
if not surrounded by the restraining in
fuence of the church, and you have one
kind of an answer to your objection, my
anti church friend.
~ DIR. JOSEPH PARKER, of London,
has decided convictions on PRIESTS"
which he is not chary of expressing, as
witness the following: 1.-THE priest is
curse wherever he is. The priest is a
magician who lives upon the credulity
of the simple. The priest is at the bot
tom of nearly all the unrest of nations.
He can dry his lips and say: Behold,
knew it not! but the priest is liar.
How is his influence to be broken? By
the Bible; by the people knowing the
Bible; by the people committing it to
memory-not the memory of the intel
lect, but the memory of the heart, and
letting the Word of Christ dwell in them
richly" DR.. Parker's rhetorical vehem-
ence is not to be commended. 1t occa-
sionally leads him to the verge of all I'M
charitableness and savors strongly of the
bigotry which he is swift to condemn in
others.
* A FRENCH journal informs us
that recent researches into the archives
of theVenetian republic have brought to
light the records of the once mysterious
and dreaded Council of Ten, together
with the minutes of their secret meet
ings, which we're kept with the greatest
care and regularity. This famous Coun-
Gil was the real executive power in the
Republican, doge, especially in the later
years of Venetian history, being purely
an ornamental parsonage and deprived
of all real power. 1t is we'll known that
the council deposed and executed more
than one doge for alleged crimes against
the State and was only controlled in the
exercise of it's authority by the grand
council from which the majority of We
netian citizens were, after the closing of
the golden book of the council, perma-
nently excluded. In the domain of po-
lice and foreign affairs, the council
reigned supreme, the grand council
when it met-which was not very often
-confining it's action to home legisla-
ton and the election to office bearers.
The assassination by poison of enemies
of the republic was considered an i'm
portant branch of public business, and
proposals for this purpose we're eagerly
listened to and discussed at the councils
meetings.
~ In the last paper a note was made
of the reply of Catholic prelate to
question of the pope as to Luther's
power with the people, in which it was
affirmed that the reformer's system of
congregational singing was one of the
great helps of Professionalism. In view
of this remark the following from New
York journal is suggestive and interest
ing and shows that the Catholic church
is gradually getting nearer to the people
in its music as well as in other direc-
tons: About year ago we noticed
movement made within Roman Catholic
circles for the removal of so much of the
exclusiveness in the Catholic worship as
vested all the singing in the choir. The
now the Catholic Church shows mark
ed tendency to adopt congregational
singing. With this end in view the Sa-
cred Congregation of Rites has just
adopted some regular rules, which are
now about to be followed in all the Cath
olic churches in this city. These rules
pertain for the most part to the uniform
ity of the rendition on the organ and by
the voice at the same time, providing
liberal latitude for those in the body of
the church who so desire to join in the
musical worship. All this has
to do with and recognizes the fact of the
participation of the people in the singing
of the church. This is decided de-
parture from the ancient method which
has been so long perpetuated, and is so
deeply clouded with Latin phrases"
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