The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-14

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.' Yes, our kin ship is stronger and more endearing than that which is created by flesh and blood. When I entered your cathedral this morning I could say to you all in the name of my countrymen and in the language of the apostle of the Gen. tiles: I've are no more strangers and foreigners, but we are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God built upon the foundation Of the apostles and proph cts, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
 This sentiment inspires me with con fdence, and makes me feel at home; for I am addressing you as brothers in the faith, and I can speak to you all with all the warmth and affection of the same apostle: My mouth is open to you" fellow Cath olics of England, "my heart is enlarged"
 Common Heritage.
 We have not only common heritage of civil and political freedom, but we also speak the same language-the language of Chaucer and Shakespeare, of Pope and Dryden, of Tennyson and Newman The
  church. during the last three centuries, is truly gratifying, and may be consid- cred phenomenal At the Council of Trent, held in the sixteenth century, there were present only four bishops who spoke our tongue; one came from England and three from Ireland. Scotland was not represented. The American continent had but recently been discovered, and Aus tralasia was a terra incognito There are now upward of 200 bishops ruling dioceses where English is the prevailing language. An Englsh-speaking hierarchy is estab- lished in England, Ireland and Scotland, the United States and Canada, the East Indies and Australasa. And should an- other ecumencal council be held during the present century, there is no doubt that every division of our globe would be largely represented by English-speaking prelates protesting the ancient faith and paying a spiritual allegiance to the SOW ereign pontiff of Rome.
 History of Church.
 On this red letter day. which marks a new epoch in the history of the Catholic church in England, it would be interest ing and instructive, if l had the time, to form a comparison between the present condition of the English church and her situation at the beginning of the nine- teenth century.
 The great religious revolution of the six teenth century had spread like tornado over northern Europe. More than half of Germany adopted the teachings of its new apostle Sweden, Denmark, Norway and all Scandinavia followed in the same path. Calvansm in the sixteenth cen- tury and Voltairism in the eighteenth, had wrought such havoc in France that twice the fate of that great Catholic nation trembled in the balance. Ireland, alone of all the nations of the north, remained loyal to the ancient creed. England and Scotland broke off their allegiance to the Holy See.
 Under Reefed Sails.
 At the close of the eighteenth century the church in England had not yet re- covered from the shock of the great up- heayal. Her children steered their course in the bark of Peter under reefed sails, not knowing when the abating storm might be renewed with increased violence. The spiritual administration of the whole island was confided to four vicars apos- tolic. They were aided by about 12O priests, scattered up and down the coun- try. few modest chapels, which could not be dignified with the name of Chris tian temples. were established here and there and chiefly in the great commer- cial centers; and the entire Catholic pop
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