OUR PULPITS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2448, 22 January 1881, Page 3

OUR PULPITS.

By P. B. It is with a certain awe that one approaches a consideration of the Church of Borne. It matters not what traditional aversion we may entertain, how strongly we may he biased against her doctrines or opposed to her practices. Her vast influence her eventful story, the proud part she has played in the history of the world, her magnificent organisation must command respect even from her bitterest opponents. She has been no gourd of revival springing up to meet a sudden exigency, and as speedily becoming the prey of the worm of discord. She is a mighty tree,whose roots extend far and wide, whose massive trunk has withstood the wear and tear of centuries, and whose leaves have been in the darkest passages of the world’s history, the only spiritual food available {eis thcrapeian ton cthnon) for the nurture or healing of the nations. Judging by her past career we might easily predict for her a future even more triumphant. But when we see ancient strongholds totter ing in every direction, and that the “ March of Improvement ” means the trampling into dust of the great monuments of antiquity, we feel that if she had no other quality than that of her old age with which to maintain her position she too would be on the eve of extinction. As a matter of fact,though armed with the self-same weapons, proclaiming the self-same dogmas, and maintaining the self-same front as of old, she is removing her youth, she manifests increased vitality, and undiminished power. In the temporal armoury the helmet and cuirass, the pike and javelin have long ago given place to the deadlier weapons of scientific warfare. But Borne, wielding her primitive weapons of sacredotal authority proves more than a match for every opponent in the spiritual warfare. It is worth while to enquire how this comes to pass. Her enormous success is due to her manysidedess and the wonderful completeness of her organization. Examine this colossal power for one moment attentively. Her machinery for gaining proselytes is simply unequalled. There is no Tartar desert so wild, no Island of the Sea so remote no glen so there is no crowd so dense or so civilized, there is no tribe so barbarous, but her ministers are there; not half hearted workers, not solemn repellant strangers, but enthusiasts, trained soldiers of the Cross, spending and being spent for the Church whose banner they uphold. Their attitude never varies in any presence. The haughtiest potentate is confronted by a power which has overshadowed thrones and dominions from time immemorial. The lowliest slave is won by her majestic condescension, and all kindreds races and degrees of men are offered pardon and eternal happiness from her bountiful hand. Thus she wins her disciples. And having won such glorious victories in so many climes, she fails not to retain her hold upon them. “ Only believe!” is her unceasing cry to all—a cry so hearty, so winning, and withal supported by such rich promise of absolution, of present joy and future bliss that it cannot be wondered at if millions of care laden and sin-stained souls should gladly obey, or if millions of the sick, weary, and oppressed should cast themselves into her embrace; the more so that she recognises no class-dis-tinctions. Her temples are no rich man’s sanctuary, her minsters no obsequious visitors at rich men’s tables. 'Whether under the mighty dome of St. Peter, or the lowliest roof of a faraway bush Church, her congregations are of all classes and conditions, and there is not a priest of the Boman Church but would be deemed a traitor to his cause were he to neglect or refuse to brave contagion, abuse, persecution, or death itself in his pastoral visitations. He may be called upon in the night, in the worst weather, in the vilest neighborhbod, in the wildest country, to attend the sick bed of the humblest or the vilest of his flock ; he will no more shirk the duty, than will the soldier disregard the reveille which calls him to the field of battle. The world has produced heroes innumerable in every department of human life. Every

system of religion or philosophy or science has had its heroes and martyrs, who have lived and died for humanity or their cause. But no institution has had so vast a number of devoted servants as the Roman Church. We hear much, on the Protestant side, of the abandoned lives of priests, of the Confessional, of the doctrine of Beal Presence, and other stumblingblocks. It is not my purpose to discuss these questions. I am no admirer of hierarchy, no believer in moral superiority under a priestly garb. 1 am no believer in the doctrines of the Roman Chureh. But T cannot conceive that a devotion so intense, so wide spread, and so undiminished as that exhibited by’ Romanists of every degree to their Church, could have been built upon universal profligacy 7 , nor can I be blind to the blameless lives, the untiring labors, and the self-sacrifice of the minislers of the Roman Church in every 7 quarter of the globe. Wherever human sufferers lie moaning, wherever toil or trouble or danger oppress, wherever ignorance and squalor prevail, some minister of the Church, some one of her busy agents is always to be found lending, soothing,-and encouraging. It is not wonderful then that she gains and holds fast for ever so many 7 millions of mankind. She demands only 7 a surrender of self. There is no office for you, there is no room for your individuality jto expand. You fall into the ranks, and must content yourself with the proud reflection that you are a member of a Church whose history goes back to the twilight of antiquity, whose present position is peerless, and whose future prospects are simply beyond speculation. From this safe and commanding position of membership of so illustrious an institution, absolved from your sins, you may look with complacency and pity 7 upon the wranglings, and disputations, and ravings of the various denominations. And when the Church has gathered her members together for public worship she holds their attention, she entrances them, she steals away their senses by the insidious beauty of her ritual. Tbe vestments, tbe processions, tbe prostrations, are beheld through fragant clouds of incense, and the soul is subdued by plaintive and exquisite music : the eye and ear are alike pleased, the heart is open to. sweet impressions, and the temple becomes to the enraptured worshipper a ty r pe of the Great Temple to which he hopes to gain admission when lie lias passed the waves of this troublesome world. There, before him, on every 7 side of him, is the figure of the Redeemer, suffering and dying, healing the sick, and preaching salvation. There, serving at the lighted and flower-laden altar stands His minister to whom is committed the solemn trust to preach His gospel and feed His lambs. Our Catholic friends in this town have a quaint and singularly 7 beautiful building in which to assemble. It is one of those churches the sight of which carries one back to French villages; only the huge wooden cross on the green opposite is wanting to complete the picture. The Church is well attended and the people are exceedingly 7 punctual. The division of the sexes is a noticeable feature in the internal arrangements. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart, conspicuous by their garb, occupy front seats, and the girls of the Convent School are immediately behind them. The boy 7 s of the Catholic School sit on the other side of the middle aisle, also in front seats. I am bound to say 7 of tbe little troops that their conduct during the service is most < X ;mplary, though observing tl • the relationship between the good Father and these lambs of his flock, I was not surprised that, at any 7 rate in his presence, a quiet, respectful bearing characterised everyone. In the matter of training the young, the Roman Church is most zealous. She is careful to impregnate the minds of the children with her principles and doctrines, and thus she constantly recruits her army not only from converts but from generation after generation of sons and daughters, born and carefully nurtured under her protecting aegis. The efforts made by her to secure Catholic education for her sons and daughters rather than secular or Protestant education show how highly 7, in her polity 7, the training of the young is valued. The music is here not in a very high state of perfection, the voices are weak and uncertain, and want training and practice. A solo that I heard the other evening was sung with clearness, sweetness, and feeling ; and the predominant male voice of the choir carried the service successfully through many 7 a vocal difficulty. The music of the Catholic Church, however, can stand a good deal of poor rendering witliput having its splendour impaired, and there remain a fullness and sonourousness in the Latin words very imposing. The vesper service was simple, and mostly performed by the congregation, the priest only occasionally joining. The Rev Father Chataigner during the evening addressed to his people a simple discourse on the adoration of the Saviour, setting forth the ground upon which Jesus claims homage. The Rev Father is no orator, casuist, logician, or controversialist, He is a pious, faithful, simple-minded son of his Church. In person the Father is dignified, his movements and action are those of a man of breeding. He lias none of the studied manner one sometimes sees as in Maynooth clergy. His strong French accent falls pleasantly enough on ears accustomed to the French tongue, but it seems to me that very many people must go away without instruction from the sermon, when it is delivered in the foreign accent and low tones of Father Chataigner. His colleague, Father Gouttenoire, took some part in the service, pronouncing the Preces in sonorous Latin, but I fancy he would make a little more noise in the building if he were to give himself full play. Father Gouttenoire has a watchful eye, a powerful physique and the look of a man capable of plenty of hard work and hardships, one who ought to be placed in charge of some outpost of the Church where toil and danger, would keep him ever busy and alert, and I think he would be found to be of true apostolic spiritual lineage. When I was in the building before I listened to the graceful oratory of Bishop Redwood ; this time it was to listen to a simple discourse from the lips of a venerable pastor, who makes no pretensions to oratorical ability, but whose life, given wholly up to the service of his Church, speaks more eloquently than words. I was struck with the remarkable attentiveness of the congregation. There is no shuffling of feet, or clearing of throats or yawning. If somebody in authority would see to the ventilation of the pretty little Church, it would be advantageous. The I effluvium, on a warm evening is

almost unbearable. The grounds are tastefully laid out, and the Church is nearly always open, so that a passer-by may, as in France and Italy, enter and spend a few moments’ in the solace of private devotion. The Church of Rome has nofc yet completed her history, her future cannot even be conjectured.