The record-union., 1894-02-17

in proportion as Rome has gained con-
troll of education this control has been
used for the aggrandizement of Rome and
for the injury of the community
Those who will compare the present
attitude of the Catholic Church, as mani
tested by its Bishops and its organs, with
that of quarter OF century ago, cannot
but be sensible of a very great change in
Its position," says the New York hide
pendent. I'VE do not now hear the vio-
lent expressions of dislike for the secular
school system that we used to hear. 1t
was New York organ which said in
1859: Let the public schools go where
they came from-the devil 1t might be
very difficult to find in files of Catholic
newspapers of twenty-five years ago
such expressions of favor for the pu bile
school as can be found among the ex-
tracts we quote this week. There has
been great change in this respect among
the priesthood and the hierarchy. They
are coming gradually over to the posi-
ton that the Catholic laity have been oc-
cupying for some years. We welcome
with great. satisfaction these signs of
changes, and we have no doubt that the
movement is altogether III the right di-
rection. OF course, Catholic Bishops and
Catholic papers Will continue for some
time longer to talk about the inequity OF
the present system. That is to be eX-
pected. \ sudden and complete change
OF front would be revolution, and eccle-
siastical history shows that denomina-
tions seldom or never carry reforms in
this way. One of the shrewdest remarks
we have seen we quote elsewhere from a
Protestant paper to the effect that as
three-fourthS of the Catholic children are
now in the public schools, when they are
joined by the other fourth the inequity'
will entirely disappear.
"Are modern sermons as inferior to
the sermons Of fifty years ago as the
speeches in the last session of Congress
were to the papers in the F'ederdttStf"
asks the New York Ctttrchmd3t tP. E.
''Or, again, has the pulpit declined in
the sense that it gives less satisfaction
than it used 10 do to the people for whom
il Is intended? This is, to say the very
least OF it, extremely improbable. Pull
pits are not structures set up by miracle
in large buildings, from which men are
to deliver addresses on religious subjects
to large congregations, whether the con-
gregations want to listen to them or not.
The American pulpit speaking gener-
erally-tOr American includes all rellg-
ious denOminations-ls convenient desk
or platform from which person may
address the people who have themselves
they like him and believe in his compe-
tency TO instruct them. AS to their judg-
ment of his competency they may be mis-
taken, but they cannot possibly be mis-
taken as to whether they like him or not.
1t is all very well to say that, once upon
a time, pastors could maintain their in
tiuence by addressing themselves TO in
telligence;' but that depends entirely
upon whether you have any intelligence
to address. Take the two extremes OF
the religious organizations of this coun-
try-the salvation Army and the Roman
Catholic Church. In both Of these there
is an immense amount of earnestness
and much pulpit power, or at least power
of preaching. But does careful scrutiny
OF a crowd listening to the drums and
tambourlneS, or OF an average congrega-
ton in a large Roman Catholic Parish
Church, convey the impression that 'ad-
dressing himself to intelligence would
be the pressing duty of the preacher un-
der those circumstances"
1.-THE curious theory has been broached
of late" says the New York Examiner
(Bapt.) "that expository preaching is a
back number Our people, we are told,
are such a church-going, Bible-reading
people that they have very little need for
preaching that tells them what the Bible
says and very soon tire of it. The only
preachers who hold large congregations
wear after year, so tar as our experience
and observation go, are men who deal
very largely in exposition OF the Scrip
lures. Certainly the complaint was never
made during his active ministry that
people tired of the preaching of DR.. VIM.
NJ. Taylor, but it was almost exclusively
expository. If anybody will cast about
he will find that-a few pulpit mounte-
banks excepted-the preachers who have