IRRELIGION OF WORKING MEN. rro TER EDITOR OP TEL "
SPICTATOR:9 SIE,—Your remark in the Spectator of October 3rd, that "the
chance of Catholicism in England consists in the irreligion of the masses of workmen," was curiously confirmed the other day by a working man in London, who said to a lady, the wife of a very exalted dignitary, " I am not in the least a religious man, and it is not at all likely that I shall ever become a religious man ; but if I ever were to take to religion, it is the Catholics" (meaning, of course, the Roman Catholics) " that I should turn to." This appears to indicate an entirely new possibility. The old dread of " Popery " has to all appearance died out : Cardinal Manning's bold innovation in "entering in unto the people" won the hearts of the dockers and convinced them that there could not be much amiss in his religion ; and there is no doubt that the working class, who have neither time nor inclination for the investigation of religions title-deeds, will be likely, if they turn to religion at all, to prefer a system which makes a strong and unhesitating assertion of authority, to one which, like Nonconformity, makes no claim to authority at all ; or one which, like the Church of England, does indeed make some claim, but, if not "with the stammering lips of ambiguous formularies," at any rate in a less decided and less intelligible voice than the Church of Rome. And it is probable that the Pope's absolute and un- compromising condemnation of Anglican Orders will fall in with the tendency of working people to go to the shop which makes the loudest and most distinct assertion of its extensive possession of the genuine article.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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