Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 2, 3 May 1889, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AND ABROAD. _^_ _

Thb Bey. Dr. Salmond, who possesses in a very re-

markable degree the virtues of candour and sincerity, in speaking on Taursday evening, the 2.") th inst, at the annual social meeting at St. Andrew's Church,

A CANDID ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

Dunedin, referred very strikingly to the decay of Protestantism. He is reported as follows by our contemporary, the Otago Daily Times :—": — " He would give some statistics which would rather open the eyes of Borne. In the Protestant country of Germany, they would be very much astonished to find out how matters stood in that country. The statistics he had hefore him were 10 or 12 years old, but that did not matter. Ii Berlin— the capital of Germany — there ware 800,000 inhab tants, aid there was only church accommodation for 25,003. But what was m:>re alarming, nearly all the churches were empty. Of this vait population of 800,000, some 630,000 of them ware Protestaits — a larger number than the whole population oi New Zealand. Of these, 11,900 attended uhurch — that w*s 2 percent, of the population of Bjrlin— and of this 11,900 some 2225 attended the cathedral for the sake of the fine music there. That was a nice s'ory ! Now, further, in that city there were 23,969 burials in one year, and I,"> per ceat. of them were attended with no religious rite . Ho quoted other statistics of large cities with the view of showiagvWhat enormous numbers had lapsed from the Protestant church JB, and th-n obiervel that While ;therj was a falling off in the attend ince at cWch amongst Protestants, the Roman Catholic church in G.'rjaany and other places was growing and nourishing to an ex'ra >rdinary extend A recent traveller in Stra&burg vibited every church in that city, and found that the Protestaat churches were nearly all empty and the Rom in Catholic churches crammed. Now this showed a very alarming state of things that must, sooner or later, issue in some catastrophe, and what was going on in our midst was probably part of this movement that was going on in other large cities. H<s felt the causes producing this movement in Germany were visible here also, anJ were preduciDg it." as a main cause of the state of things described, Dr Salmond gave the decadence of all belief in the dogmatic structure of Protestant theology. "It had," he added, "ceased to be believed in by the educated minds— and after them by the middle classes— throughout Germany." A re-adjustment of itself by the Protestant Church, and are-adaptation of itself to the new conditions and the new needs of this life— wa? the speaker's proposal for a recovery cf the ground that had been lost. While, however, the facts stated by Dr Salmon! are true, hi 3 theory is more than doubtful. Christianity is so much bound up with its origin, and so depends on its foundations, that any interference with them must result in the destruction of the whole edifice. If Protestantism as a religious system re ies for existence on re- Adjustments and re-adaptations of its theological dogmas, its doom is no longer uncertain. But how different is all th.s from th : con iition of the Catholic Church. With her there is no need for such undertakings as bnose alluded to. She contained from the beginning the germs and principles of wholesome growth, and her developement kept pace with the ages. It ie re markable that what the world has most denounced as out of keeping with the present age has been found most consistent with the vigour and grow. h of the Churci— for eximple. the newly defioei dogmas of the Immaculate Conception ana Papal Infallibility, and the adoration of the Sacred He-rr. The Church outrages the prejud.ces oi the world, proclaims her dogmas boldly, and yet grows in strength and numbers. Protestantism, to K aia or retain the favour of world, according to Dr. Salmond, must r»moiel her creel in asr, enipnt with 1,8 prejudices. Let thoughtful m.-n a^k themselves, therefore whether ,t i, Protes-aotum or the Church that the more visibly exhibits the proofs of a Divine prottction and vindication

EAST AND WEST.

It is curious to find that while, as we have seen, the condition cf the Protestant schism of the West is

attracting the attention of candid and thoughtful men among its member*, that of the schism of the East is plso a

prominent subject of interest. The Czar Alexander 111, for example is evidently desirous of emulating towards the religious lite of hia country, the part play ad by the late Emperor, h s father, towards its social life and of becoming a reformer. Tne state of the Russo-Greek Church, indeed, is one that has long called for reform. The condition of the clergy h far balo* ttait which, aj a rule, distinguishes the ministry of even the extreme Protestant aacts. Thjir ignorance is proverbial, and their morality does not occupy a much high r level. Their religious duties become in their hands the means of ex ortion, and in every way the service of the altar is debased and r ndered contemptible by them. It is this class of priests that the Cz ir has set his hand to reform. He has submitted to the Holy Synod of the Church, in whose hand 3 are the disciplinary pDwer, certain proposals of wnicb they have approved, and which are to be put into practice forthwith. It is much to be feared, however, thit bis Majesty plays with edsjed tools. In these days of Nihilism, against which his chief detence must be in the alliance of the masses,whose chief motives have always been the religious veneration with which his character as head of their Church has endowed him, he takes a dangerous step in risking the loyalty of tha priesthood. The measures commanded by him,— for his proposal to the Synod necessarily takes the form of a command —begin by forbidding the rites of the Church to be made the object of a mercenary traffic as hitherto, and preventing the piiests from making a profit by dispensing the sacraments for money. But it is evident that any such attempt must create a very wide-spread dissatisfaction, not only among tha priests, accustomed for generations, and as a hereditary right, for in Russia thj son sacceeis the fuher in his priestly office and position, to such uulawful gains, bat also among the people whose consciences will now bi culled upon to discbarge burdens from which before their puree j hai set them free. The Czar, therefore, has adopted a course that will not only entail extreme difficulty in its accomplishment, but is liielyto ai I consider ibly to the dangers of his posuioi. It is, munticae, interesting to contemplate how increaung cjrruptioi follows in the wake of schism whether it be of th i West or E ist. In the We3t doctrines ani dogmas decay and are r-jjetei as out if keeping with the spirit of the age, and in tha E ist, where mm's ram U are ait so fir advanced, m^re gross abuses creep i 1 an 1 g d i tae mastery, an 1 religioa bicomea a base and grovelling superstition.

A QUEER AFFAIB

Here is a subject for a sensational rommce. Bat . wao among those who give the world its " penny

dreadfuis " and " shilling shockers '' may aspire to the authorship. In this instance, there are princes and princesses, nay, queens and empresses to deal with. Wo do not venture to think that her Mo9t Gracious Majesty the Q leen will aid any leaves to her diary containing an account of what has now taken place. And yet they would certainly be read with interest by herfai'hful people, and loyal maidens, especially, who have received the mitten, might be comforted by them. Even the step* of the Imperial throne, it would appeir are not saf jfrom tnecruelty and ri^kleaeii of the jilt. Prince Alexander of Batteuberg, in short, whj had already made some noise of one kind or another in the world, has, they say, finally disappeared from the public view under what are, as the case may be, either very base or rather pardonable circumstances. Tae Prince, as all the world knowp, was about to be betrothed to the Princess Victoria of Prussia during the short reign of the Emperor Frederick, when Prince Bismarck cama forward in the shape of that obstacle which invariably, acording to high authority, roughens the course of true love, and put a stop to the mattor, Tha obstacle, it seems, wa j , however only temporary, just enoujja, perhaps, to give true love a little p.quancy, a id it hid been arr;n;j;e>l that not only the betrothal, but the wedding, should come off in a tew months. A suitable residcuce had been prepared for thj hippy ouple wit iin a shjrt distince from the rjsideio of tne .i iguit iuj he of the expectant bri>ie, and no dou >t m\ay disjussiom as to the iitardstin = ' event took place ii th: K>y*l a'ld Imperial circle assembled at Windsor CisLle. where the fimpivsi Frederick with her daught ts was stayi lg. Bit one morning, juit as might happen in the household of a Mr. Brown, or a Mr. Jones, or a

Mr. Robinson, a newspaper brought in to the illustrious breakfast table the announcement th it Prince Alexander was married to a youni? lady, the daughter of a 83rvant man, and who herwlf was an actress and op 9 ra singer. There is a sislar-in-'aw, if you please, for H.R.H. the Princess Beatrice, and a comeatkn fjr the Royal blood of ifinglaad. Princ; Aloxauder his, of course, reaouncad all hia public appointment?, *n 1 all hopes of advanced ambition, and retires with his wife into private life. The question, however, remains as to vebetner he merely renounced a mariage de comma nee, in which he felthe coul j not be a good and faithful husband, or whether he yitlkd himself np to an unworthy impulse. In either casa the Princess Vic'ona has had a fortunate escape, and, as the youn,' la ly cannot bring an aciio.i for breach of promise, it is well she has somethinto console her. But it remains doubtful as to whether the Pri-.ce is pardonable or wholly contamptible. At all events, there is matter for a birring romance, if any water of sufficient elevation can be iound to give it to the world.

VAIN PKOFOSALS.

Lokd Balisburt still adheres to his oiiginal proposal of perpetual coercion for Ireland. His Lordship points to the state of the country in

illustration ot what coercion has accomplished, and as an earnest of what it is still to accomplish. It is, however, difficult to «,ee id what way the proof to which he appeals justifies his argument, and it might, on the contnry, be taken as of an entirely different significance. The state of the country, it might appear to the initiated, was sufficiently proved if only by the fact that the gaols are failed with political pmoners undergoing the penalties due to ordinary criminals.-and. further, that among these prisoners a number belong to the Catholic priesthood, who represent the people at their bes>. It may also be taken as proved by the great force of ■oldiere, whom, in addition to the strong constabulary force, it is found necessary to maintain, and whom the Government wouli not consider it safe to reJuce by a single corps. But what still more strongly gw» a contraction to Lord Salisbury V. plea, and taat in a manoer that he himself would hardly dare to bring forward as a sp-cious P retenc3, is Mie recent ssttle-uent between landlord and tenant on the VaadeleuresUti m Clare-anl to which Mr. Michael Davitt is reported to have alluded as a favourable augury for the futuie of the land question. But this was the result of the determination and perseverance of the National League in the face of all Lord Salisbury's coercive m^asur^s and the vigoir wit 1 ! which under Mr. Balfoui'* direction they were applied. Tnere is not much, therefore m the Biate of the coun'i, to justify Lmi Salisbury's argument, or to make it Beem valid to ..nyone bolter infoimed and clearer ot pereepUon than, lor txiaip'e. tij. l\imro,o 01lO lln .^. and the oesutled Toryism of which tm.ii Li^s'nps Birj the most choice and delicate blossom. Oth-i l.i Jib, inuixnct, wouu have occurred ojtside the Irish confine, show t,,e injpoisibil.ty of Lord Salisbury., carrying his proposal into prac'ic beyoni certi.n limits. In Amend, for m9tance, it has teen the cau,e of defeating two important treaties by which the Enghbh Government sou. lit for certain advantages, and in all probabmtj would have obtained them had not the shadow of Lord Salisbury aimed with his whips and c-K,in S fallen daikly across the free soil ot the U-pub'ic. Both the Fishenes I'ieaty and the Kxtr«diuon Treaty uere delcucl by eoereion-wbieh thus, although an internal measuie, exercised an important influence on the foreign policy ot the Kingdom. It is in Great Britain, however, that Lo°rd Bihsburj d proposal has received us most convincing marks of futility aniiinpo^ b:lity ot accompl stioieut. It w«s very grjten]uely branded in toe Mn^lcdiar.ct.l Peuhslme the other day when the victorious j rUuru ot sir John Kinlocu U I'ailiament was celebrated by burnin* Mi. Btlfour in the , 111,-y „L a buk.. Sir John Kialoch d rcturn°, iißvuitlii-.osa, wa^in.t on.; luaUrioo m u.ieh Lord Salisbuiy and his paity have received a warning, lij -lection after by-election las lesultecl m a sim.lar eff C f , ,md the ks s on given by thorn is one which expen nee piuvcs incapibia of being neglectcl. It has been well established for many years that bvkctions reveal the mini ot the country and pro -ict what the general elections must result iv. The fill of the Liujrals ia 1871 was s<i fo^tjkl Their victory m l.ssO was t i-i, pie-.^ed. ,i , was ,i s, > the issh- of the elections in 18S5. But since 18S7 the b) -lections iv Great Britain have been B-ronHy m fawmr of Home iCule.jaid the etlcul.u Jn is Uuu it a general election were n..iv to fake t Lie. . the Gl tustonite majority m London would be KH> \Vh>n UlS.hum, then i ,:e, rvui'-vs his proposal, as he d.d tiu uiiHTddy iv asutcch delivered by hna, tor ii.dcli.ute coercion, he ruu,t know thai he h p«iKs to all iuu-uis an i purp )ses to ears that are djaf. None but t>c Prmn.^o Dames ami tneir surroundings hang oMilin.jly upja Ins accents and the country wakes no response. Wnen h.s Liri,hip app-als i.. the Sti-c of Ireland m support o" \ il proposals, it h evidi-it he is d filing di,houe,t!v- wit i those whom h ■ address *

ioe U.D S nUe his pas^e I a bill appiopr. iim ? 2^)000 loK to enable the President t > protect the G^emmja.'s intents at the fanama canal and to piovide for the security of the persons and oi ctizanspf the Uni-ed States a- the I*U, m „ ,f f a Ki-nu, in such Wanner as by m <y dem t \,xdi< ut.