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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 15 PRIORITY OF THE CHURCH MUST BE MAINTAINED (By Bishop Warren A. Candler, of the Methodist Episcopal Church.) Note: We print below portions of an excellent! article by Bishop Warren A. Candler, of the Methodist Church. It is timely and adds force to the fact that Catholics should not be censured when they, too, in sist that the Church “is called to occupy a place of priority among all orders and organizations to which men can attach themselves:’’ Some years ago I went to Washington to a Sunday School Convention of the World. Mr. Meyer, of London, presided. In the afternoon a certain politi cian had visited the convention, which nearly over came Mr. Meyer. He didn’t know him as some of us do. He took fifteen minutes to tell us how grateful we ought to be for a visit from that politician. He went on to expatiate upon this business. I had to follow him. All I could do was to say that instead of our thanking the politician for coming there, he ought to thank us for letting him in. We are not the lackeys of the state. We are not flunkies put on corners to keep down rioters. We are absolutely in dependent of these things, and when a man goes into the Christian pulpit to represent the gospel of Christ and the prophets of God, he stands upon the bones of the mighty who have created the organic forces out of which civilization has arisen. The Church, by its very nature, is called to occupy a place of priority among all the orders and organi zations to which men can attach themselves. It min isters to the supreme want of mankind, namely, the salvation of the soul, and in this work it is as solitary as Jesus is companionless among the sons of men. It is conceivable that the lower needs of the human race might be supplied by other agencies, although it may be doubted that the humane societies, philan thropic bodies and reform schemes, which are so abundant to Christendom, would survive very long if the Church should cease to exist. It is absolutely certain that no other organization would, or could, do the spiritual work of the Church. It is quite possible that any decline in “the priority’’ of the Church has arisen because this divinely estab lished institution has been diverted from its spiritual mission, and set too frequently to accomplish tasks of secularism. Among the mandates issued to it have been the commands to “permit smoking in the rear pews,” to “shorten the sermons,” to “abolish the sermon,” to “use moving pictures,” to “employ the drama,” to establish dancing halls for the young people,” et cetera ad infinitum and also ad nauseam. Underneath all these peremptory suggestions to the Church lies the false idea that it must forsake its religious mission and become a mere entertainer, pur veying cheap amusements for the delectation of a querulous surfeited generation. To that field the Church has no call, and in it the Church can have no “priority.” In the realm of diversions it must meet rnany competitors who can furnish to a pleasure-lov- P ing world far more attractive shows and spectacles. The Church is the poorest possible manager of a theater and the sorriest sort of a dancing master. But in its own heavenly sphere it is without a rival or a competitor. When the Church enters the market place a child ish and capricious world will neither mourn when she laments nor dance when she pipes. The priority of the Church rests securely upon the proclamation of the gospel which is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth. In the realm of the spiritual the Church is supreme among, and above, all the organizations in the earth. DOWN IN GEORGIA. (Editorial from The Catholic Bulletin, St. Paul, March 6th.) Down in Georgia the Catholic Laymen’s Associa tion is doing yeoman service for the Church under the guidance of that splendid old warrior, Bishop Keiley, of Savannah. Several years ago an organiza tion, formed of laymen and controlled by them, but directed by Bishop Keiley, was founded with the pur pose of dissipating religious ignorance among their fellow citizens. The doctrines of the Catholic Church were explained in a clear, intelligent and always kindly spirit. Pamphlets were sent broadcast, and a per ceptible change has come over the press of that state owing to the activities of these men who go to the heart of things without red tape or fear. Now the organization has expanded and has issued the first number of a magazine which will carry on the same work. With practical insight the officers of the society have appealed for help to the Catholics of the various cities of the state. The response may be judged from a few figures. A request for funds to spread a knowledge of our holy faith free among the people resulted in subscriptions in excess of $75,000. Thus the work has been placed upon a solid basis, and it is impossible to estimate the vast amount of good that will accrue to Church and state from the efforts of these zealous men. It is rather pitiful to see the puny attempts made here and there by similar organiztaions in larger fields and with greater potential resources. Our laymen generally are woefully lacking in the active works of the faith where there is question of defending or of spreading a knowledge of our holy religion in those quarters seldom reached by clerical effort. When an attack is made upon our Church from platform or press rarely does a layman—or any body of laymen bestir himself to refute the charge. It is left to the clergy; whereas frequently a defense coming from lay sources would have much more telling effect. But our laymen are timid; very often they fear loss of business or social standing. In a Protestant center like Georgia, therefore, all the more praise is due the intrepid men who fear not to come out in the open