Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-12
TWO Gnu RICHES.

In the current number Of Literary
Digest some newspaper extracts are
given on the progress Of Roman cath
oIclsm among the Germanic races. II
IS shown that In saxony. the country
whore Luther was born. there rs
marked tendency among the most aris-
tocratic families toward the Roman
church The king IS a Jealous Catho-
lic and he. naturally, fills important Of
fees with persons Of the same faith.
The consequence Is that a number Of
conversions Is recorded among uspir-
ants for places OF honor and profit.
In the Netherlands O similar tendeu-
cy is said to be noticed The people
are wayerlng. ana the catholic propa-
ganda Is active.
Concerning the victory Of Catholicism
in Germany. Father Walter Elliott in
a recent sermon. said:
In 1871 the German empire chal.
lengcd the Catholic religion 90 battle.
Bismarck and William J., after c0n-
quering Austria and France az sadoWa
and Sedan. undertook 90 conquer
Rome Catholic colleges and seminar
les were closed the religious orders
were suppressed eight bishops and 500
priests We're imprisoned or exiled, ana
Professionalism universally applauded
this latter-day oppression Of conscience.
The outcome OF this battle Of brute
force against mind, of soldiers against
Worshippers. of prisons against church
es. has been that the German church
has advanced 10 the front rank. In the
fight for liberty of conscience, liberty
Of education and political liberty the
German Catholics have whipped the
biggest military machine IN the world.
The gentle Tuetonic soul longing for
God conquered the ugly helmeted Teu-
tonic barbarian and drove him to Can
ossa."
And this Is very nearly a correct
representation Of the outcome OF the
famous "Kulturkampf" in which Bis
marck assailed the Roman church In
Germany The shrewd statesman per
celved that the influence Of the Roman
clergy would be an obstacle to his plans
Of empire building and he promptly ap.
Piled himself to the task Of crushing
that influence. But the Catholics re-
fused compliance with his edicts. They
refused TO compromise. They preferred
Imprisonment and fines 10 deviation
from what they considered their line
Of duty And the result was complete
victory for the cause. Todsy the Cath
olics constitute the most influential pol
ltical party In the great German empire.
and among the Protestants there Is a
marked tendency toward a church too
strong even for a Bismarck
All this is the result OF natural caus-
es. Professionalism, so far. Is based on
the inerrancy Of the Hebrew and Greek
Scriptures. il was called into exist
ence az a protest against the inerrancy
OF the pope and the councils But now
Professionalism Is assalled by criticism
on the ground that the nerrancy OF the
Scriptures Is but the imagination OF TX.
norant theologans. And against this
vigorously pressed proposition It has no
defense Hence the movement toward
Rome. II would not be surprising H.
during the new century the wound
to death" would be healed 80 complete
~, as to leave practically but two
churches IN the field now coupled by a
multitude Of organizations. And II that
comes to pass the two will be the Ro-
man church and the Church OF Jesus
Christ Of Lattsr-day Saints. They both
claim as foundation for their exist
once divine authority. one claims to
have 1t IN unbroken succession rom the
| days Of Peter The other testifes that
the Church, hidden in the wilderness
during the long centuries. has again
been brought forth through the instru-
mentality Of the first Apostles restor-
ing the Priesthood in this dispensauon
There Is really no point Of controversy
In the religious world that is worthy Of
more serious attention than these al
yerglng claims Of the old church and
! the new.