THE PRESENT POSITION OF CATHOLICS IN FRANCE. IDo 



primary education uii reformed, in the liands of the clerg}' ; and 

 to endow sectarian or theological colleges, out of public money, 

 by liberal votes, under the pretence of establishing national 

 universities. It is recognised in all roman catholic countries 

 that a clerical college is not a catholic university, but English 

 protestants are incapable of seeing the distinction, especially if 

 they are political dissenters. As long as these and similar 

 follies are committed, the last state of this unhappy country 

 will be worse than any that has gone before. 



Ireland may show us that it is not the corruption, but the per- 

 fection, of the papal system which is ruinous to a country. History 

 shows us that the record of tlie papacy is a sufficient refutation 

 of the papal claims. History asks in vain what good the 

 papacy has done, either to churches or to nations. And 

 modernism is answering these questions, and stating these 

 problems, more authoritatively than they have been dealt with 

 before. Both the name and the spirit, like so many other good 

 things, are due to France ; which is not only the most intel- 

 lectual, but, on the whole, the most religious, country in the 

 world. 



Discussion. 



The paper having been read, the Chairman said : — The thanks 

 of the meeting were due to Mr. Galton for a clear and able 

 historical document. Terrible indeed was the condition of religion 

 in France. In many other places they might see the decadence 

 of Romanism leading to atheism, of which the reader of the paper 

 had given such striking confirmation. In France the degradation 

 of the Church through Rome had given rise to the belief among 

 many that Christianity was false. Some great revival was 

 needed, and he trusted that many might be led, perhaps through 

 Modernism, to Protestantism. As an Irishman he could not help 

 applying much that had been said to his own country. 



Rev. Chancellor Lias said that as one of the oldest members of 

 Council he had great pleasure in rising to move a vote of thanks to 

 his old friend Mr. Galton for his able and scholarly paper. Mr. 

 Galton's work on French ecclesiastical affairs marked him out as one 



