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December 25, jl912^[ j T H E I
When I learned that,., crude uuassimilated A
S "0ti * A> " 4/>? . t /? - V. AAsJ.-S *
foreigners of the lowest type made up the bulk
of Romanism in America 1 guessed at once that
the conditions could not be as good as I had
heard. In truth, a more accurate investigation
revealed to mc that, the American Catholic
Church is becoming the worst type of Romanism,
now existing anywhere. 1 do not say that
it is the worst, but it. is becoming so.
Some of the facts in regard to this are: *
Jfirstr About live years ago a Catholic priest
by "the name of Crowley, in good standing in
his ellUifch sent the pupal delegate at Washington
stfell incontrovertible proof of intoxicat'ont
immorality, gambling, etc.. among the
priests of Chicago, that 1 can affirm uuhcsitut
ingly, 110 worse conditions can be found, either
in 1* ranee, Italy, or Spain. * Mark well that this
priest was in good standing. He did not wish
to'slander his church, but he wished to correct
abuses, lie did not inform the daily papers
so" that the scandal could be published broadcast
in the land, but he informed his superior,
the papal delegate, and he gaye clear facts and
j -- ..ii -v. >
real uahies. ? {. ^ t . . . .
?** -J Jjijiik VJ > Second:
Steiner^ one of the most impartial
and well informed writers in the United States,
on the subject of immigration, though he is
oyer kind in judging the lionian Catholic
Church, states, more than once, in his books,
that the. foreign priest abuses his parishoneis
in many ways that would never be tolerated
in other countries.
Third: 1 have read^n Catholic papers, and
even in papers in which Cardinal Gibbons
Writno nouf -1 A ?
.....wo, iuuavws auuui purgaiory, uud otiier
new miracles such as how to get a sweetheart
through Saint Anthony and a good wife
through Saint Joseph, and how young ladies
of good appearance offer themselves to be maidservants
to priests. 1 wish my readers to know
that 1 also have been witness of these conditions
in America, and I am sure that papers
publishing such, accounts would not be allowed
to circulate in Spainx without arousing both
scorn and protest, for publishing such nonsense.
* '
Fourth: The first week I was in New York,
last summer, several Catholic chinches gathered
together their congregations lor a picnic
in the country. There were several thousand
members, and a considerable number of priest^.
In rthe evening some of the merry-makers began
to .dpnce.the "turkey trot." In spite pf the
presence of the priests, their disapproval and
prptests, according to the published accounts,
the whole crowd danced and kept pn dancing
that immoral dance* I do not know what kind
of a dance that is, nor do I desire to. know.
I have only read in reliable magazines that it
is so immoral as to merit imprisonment for
those Vvho indulge in it.
Now when a big crowd of church members
publicly, in the presence of priests and in spite
of their protests do. such things it is self-evident
that their standards of morality are very
low indeed. - >v.
ITSftVl \f?A- 1? 1 * *
?i. luicaituus iviiuw now awrui
were the conditions in Congo Free State. They
also know that King Leopold was largely responsible
for.those conditions. It is nlso well
know that his private life was such that neither
his sons nor his daughters would live with him;
yet at his death not only were solemn services
held by the American Church, for his soul but
Archbishop Ireland pronounced a eulogy upon
him, praising him greatly and presenting *to
America11 laymen as a model of what a, good
Catholic ought {o be.
(Continued on page 11.)
; ! 'iol ' ' ' '-i * ~
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
THE TRIUMPH
i ??
ELISE OF
In the national history of Israel, as given us
t *
in the Bible, the book of Judges is so called
because it contains certain deliverances which
the Lord wrought out by the hands of men who
were named ''judges," when one tribe of Israel
after another was threatened with extinction by
the Canaanites who had been left in the land.
The story is one of apostasy, and consequent
alHictiou. of the people, their conversion, deliverance
and consequent state of peace; and the
object of the book is to sliow that, as often as
Israel sinned against the Lord so often did she
fall under the power of her enemien, and that.
as soon as she returned to her allegiance, so soon
did fhe Lord raise up a deliverer for her.
And among all the judges who attained spec
ial distinction as tribal, rather than national
heroes, there was none who surpassed the proph.
etess,. Deborah, who judged Israel under the oppression
of King Jabin of Hazor, and who delivered
it through the aid of 'Barak; whom she
summoned at Clod's command to lead forth the
tribes against Siscra, the captain of Jabin's
army.
The oft repeated laps2 into idolatry on the
part of the Jsraei.'tes had paused them to be forsaken
agi'ii by the Lord, who had delivered them
into the hands of Jabin, King of Uazor. This
state of servitude had existed now for twenty
years and had so affected the inhabitants of the
northern territories that their land was little
better than a waste The nonnlo had nn onirlt
to resist; 44among forty thousand in Israel was
there a shield or spear seen?" When they had
to travel from place to place, instead of going
by the highways, they skulked along hidden
paths. The land was completely cut off from
commerce and no caravans were allowed to pass
through it.
Such was the condition of affairs when Deborah,
the inspired prophetess of the Lord arose
to deliver her people. Her dwelling was towards
the sduth of the country which suffered the most,
between Ramah and Bethel in Mt. Ephriam, that
copter around which nearly all the events recorded
in Judges gather. . .
She was a poetess, as we see from this glorious
song of triumph which came from her lips. No
; doubt she wrote other songs which were known
throughout Israel. No doubt she urged Israel
- to rouse up from its lethargy and shake off the
-yoke of oppression, and taunted them with their
servility. Whatever the means by which she
lldAn m O lntAU'TI flio men 1 f urn CI fV?A onmn
mvvuwiv biav, x uoll 1V uuo IliC ouuig, tjuq
was looked upon by her people as worthy to
'judge them. Ilcr example should be an encouragement
to women of all generations to speak
the truth that God has shown them, and not to
shrink from responsibility on the mere plea of
womanhbod.
The fame of Barak had by some means reached
Deborah. lie must have been a valiant man in
spite of his hesitation to assume the responsibility
which Deborah wished to put upon him,
and his reputation had come to Deborah. She
sent for him to come to her from Kedcsh-naphtali
and then commanded him to gather together
an army at Jit. Tabor. Barak was not an heroic
man; he had great courage, no doubt, but it
seemed to him so utterly futile to fight against
the Canaanites with their chariots and horse
men, when the odcls were heavy against Israel.
He refused to obey Deborah unless she would
Vgo with him. For this unbelief in the power of
God Deborah told him that the Lord would conquer
for Israel,, but the glory should not be given
to him, pince a woman should deliver Sisera into
! o[ ""!i J or ) :! T . <: ' '
U T H (1399) 3
OF DEBORAH
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1
LAHAM.
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His hands' at last. .So' Barak returned and
called together 10,000 men from Zebulon and
Naphtaii to Mt Tabor." From the song of
Deborah we tind that Issachar for once broke
from servitude and sent volunteers. Epliriam
also came from their liilLs and crowds of Benjaininites,
the bravest of the tribes, famous for
use of sling and bow, came up. Manasseh also
rallied to the standard. The national spirit was
stirred and the tribes united to a greater extent
than they had done since the conquest by .Joshua.
But there were many laggards among the
tribes. Keuben, after discussions and much
boastful talk, failed to help them. Gavl, Dan,
and Asher acted the craven. Judah and Simeon,
perhaps through jealousy of Epnnain, would not
come.
On Alt. Tabor at the northeaiit end of the plain
of Esdiaeion,' about six or eight miles east of
Nazareth, Barak eucamiK'd with his army of ten
thousand men.
Bisera, the captain of the hosts of the Cahaanites,
had been iniormed by the lvenites who dwelt
on the border line between Israel and Canaan,
of this uprising of the Israelites, llis mighty
army, of which the main strength consisted in
nine hundred chariots of iron, could not be
manouvertd in the hill country; therefore he
chose the strong position at the southwest, just
at the entrance of the plain, sixteen miles away
from Tabor, near the Canaanitiwh town of
Taanach. Behind and at his left flank were the
mountains of Manasseh. Before him was the
piain, ana running at the base of Alt. Tabor
was the river lvisliun, into which all the streams
flowed from the neighboring mountains and the
plain itself.
At the signal from Deborah, Barak and his
followers rushed- down from the mountains upon
the host of bisera. The Lord fought for Israel,
how we know not, except by influence. We do
know, however, from Deborah's song that the
river Kishon had much to do with the discomlilure
of the Canaanites. There must have been
a heavy storm which blinded the Canaanittcs.
The war chariots were thrown into confusion
and panic ensued. The dry water courses became
swollen torrents; the plain became a marsh,
in which the chariot wheels sank and mired.
They were rendered us.less thereby, and had to
be abandoned. The river KLhon swept away
the fugitives: Sisera himself lpnnerl from hi*
own chariot and fled towards llazor pn loot.
Exhausted, Sisera entreats Jael, the wife of
the Keuite, to shelter him. She leads him into
her own private room in the tent, where a man
was not allowed to enter. She gives him refreshment
and tjlien violates the sacred law of
hospitality held by the Arabs. It was not Israelitish,
but Arabic treachery. Deborah's song
seems to sanction the deed committed by Jael,
in blessing her, but it was in no sense coinmendab'e
according to Jewish morality.
The immediate result was the triumph of Deborah
and the release of the Israelites from the
dominion of Jabin.
No one can read the song of Deborah without
feeling the result which this triumph had upon
the Israelites. There Is an exaltation in the
language which sends a thrill through us, and
must be the reflection of that exultant note
which went through Israel at the time. Israel
knew that it had not triumphed in its own
strength. Israel felt that the Lord was again
with them. Idolatry must n<?w be a Hung of
the past. "Give unto the Lord glory and honor, '
for he hath triumphed gloriously."
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