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Show BISHOP M'FAUL Pays His Respects to the New Religion Relig-ion of Dr. Eliot. Trenton, N. J., July 24. When asked for his views on the summary of an address ad-dress before the Harvard summer school of theology by Dr. Charles W. Eliot, former president of Harvard, who announced the advent of a new religion, Bishop James A. McFaul, head of the diocese of Trenton, criticised the doctor's statements. "It appears that Dr. Eliot," said Bishop McFaul, "has now assumed the role of a prophet. I am sorry for this, because I have always esteemed Dr. Eliot highly and have observed that modern prophets are not very successful success-ful in their prognostications. "In my comment upon reported assertions asser-tions of the doctor my point of view mustbe that of a Christian and a Catholic. Cath-olic. Dr. Eliot, I am informed, is a Unitarian, and therefore denies the Trinity and the divinity of "esus Christ. Consequently he is not a Chris-tion. Chris-tion. It is easy, therefore, to draw the conclusion that our ideas upon religion must be very different. "It has become fashionable in the last few years to speak of the church in a very wide sense, and as including the doctrines of various . non-Catholic denominations, de-nominations, some of which are contradictory con-tradictory to one another. "Thus some, In speaking of the church, would Include Christians and non-Christians, or Catholics, TCoisco-pallans, TCoisco-pallans, Baptists, Methodists, etc., and Unitarians under the term 'church.' When I speak of the church I mean the Catholic church, governed by the successor suc-cessor of St. Peter and the vicar of Christ in Rome. I consider her alone the Christian church in the strict sense of the word. "It would be ludicrous, were it not so pitiable, to hear a man of Tr. Eliot's reputed learning and character outlining outlin-ing the 'church of the future." God help humanity when it has to deal with the so-called religion of the future. "Catholics always held that religion is a necessity, and it has been just, as necessaiy in the past, just as necessary in the present as it ever will be in the future. W" have not to wander about in the midst cf doubt and confusion looking for religion of thj future and dissatisilel with that which we possess, like the 'Jn'tarian and other denominations. denomina-tions. "The doctor says the religion of the future will be bound by no dogma or creed. In that case it will be a sort of a nondescript, jelly-fish religion. !t will be hard to find, not easily caught, and difficult to retain. In fact, few even will be able to recognize it when brought into contact with it. "I am amazed when I hear men of presumed learning talking of religion without dogma or creed. It is iike talking talk-ing of building a house without a foundation. foun-dation. How could any religion exist unless it had fundamental principles. He says the workings of the religion of the future will be simple. Tes, I should say so, in more senses than one. "It will attack all forms of evil. In that case it will not differ from the Christian church. She has been attacking at-tacking all forms of vice for nineteen centuries, and she stands as the only institution which offered an effective barrier during the ages to evil of every description. It is true she has not succeeded suc-ceeded in extinguishing evil, but she has greatly limited its influence and its progress, and she is still warring against it as courageously as when the uprooted the unspeakable vices of ancient an-cient paganism. "Let me assure the doctor that to the Catholic church alone has the promise been made by her divine founder that she never shall fail, and that she shall be the church of the future until the consummation of ages. "All signs point to the fulfillment of this promise, for we Catholics now number between 15,000,000 and 20.000,000 in the United States, and we are making mak-ing converts to the Catholic church from the non-Catholic body at the rate of over 25,000 a year. Besides, race suicide sui-cide is not fashionable among our people. peo-ple. Among us there are not more 'deaths' than 'births.' " |