Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-05-30

such as the vestments, the altar,
the lights, etc.--nevertheless all these
things were very familiar objects in
every city Of the civilized world. so
familiar that no one considers them
strange; that they have been famil-
lar objects for nineteen hundred
years. taking us back through the
centuries, and being living, eloquent
witnesses to the faith and practices
OF the Christians Of the first ages of
our Christianity. The Bishop re-
minded his little flock how the great
ones of the ages, as we'll as the lowly,
have knelt before the Catholic altar.
BY way Of illustration, he recalled
that to-day in my former parish in
Washington, such men as Admiral
Benson, the head of the United
States Navy, and Chief Justice White,
of the United States Supreme Court.
both devout Catholics, are Worship
ing the same God and worshiping
Him in the way as you are here to-
day"
After noble appeal for charity
and toleration and understanding to-
wards all, he concluded by telling a
story with this preface: Maybe some
one will say: 81 hear so much that
is vile and horrible about the Catho-
lie church. cannot think for a mo-
ment that 1t is the religion of God
and of Christ. Catholics believe so
many things that are repugnant to
my common sense, and Catholic prac-
tices are such that l cannot accent
them May l ask, continued the
Bishop, whence you have derived
YOU" Information about the Catholic
church? Has it not been from her
enemies? Would you consider it a
square deal for any one to judge you
by the reports Of your enemies?
Give the Catholic church square
deal. Get what the Catholic ch,iich
teoches from the Catholic church her
self. She has no secret doctrines.
What she teaches can be learned
without much trouble. If you con-
denim the church for what you think
she teaches, without asking her what
she teaches, how can you claim to be
honest?
1t may be, as l have said, that you
have been surprised at what you
nave seen in this church to-day. The
images, the pictures, the ceremonies
and all the other surroundings have
seemed perhaps most strange and
unusual to you. Why, you thought,
all these outlandish practices, why
all this mummery" What has that
to do with the house OF God? In an
sware to this, explained the Bishop,
let me narrate an incident which oc-
Cured some years ago in San Fran
cisco. Mr.. s, a wealthy banker,
had in his employ a Chinaman. One
day the Chinaman disappeared.
and Mr.. SIS infant son with
him. Search was made, but neither
could be found. In fact the child
was taken to China, though the ia
ther knew it not. Was raised in the
family of this Chinaman as his own
son, and grew up in the customs and
language Of China. His supposed ia
ther was wealthy. After his death,
the stolen child. who was now a
grown man, made a journey to San
Francisco. Strange seemed the Ian
guage Of this new people whom he
was visiting; outlandish and inexpli-
cable the customs which he saw pre-
vailing around him. The manner of
dressing, OF eating, OF entertaining,
the whole life, seemed to him at
times to approach the mdicrous.
While in San Francisco he happened
to meet Mr.. s., and was invited to
his home. He could not help con-
trasting his home in China, and all
that he had been accustomed to, with
the strange surroundings that he met
within the home Of Mr.. S.. Prompt
ed by curiosity he asked questions
about the manners Of the people
which seemed to him so strange, and
whilst gazing around the room his
eyes fell upon the picture of little
child. He asked who it was. Mr..
S. replied that it was his son, who
had been stolen 25 years before by a
Chinese servant named Sin Ling The
young man recalled having heard this
name before when his supposed fa-
ther and others were in conversation,
and though he never knew the rea-
son MhY. it alWaYs nrnYnked much