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Show OUR ALLEGIANCE TO THE POPE EXPLAINED Reply to B?-'i:st Sermons for "Non-Protest-ants"-2nur to fight for America's Churchless Millions. ! ' . . Bishop Mfl-.u;', says a Trenlon correspondent I oi ihe Standard and Times, in a sermon Sundav ? ;.; ihe cathedral took issue with the Rev. A. W. Wisliart. who lias been preaching a series of ser- f j lnous against the Catholic church to the members rj !' ilie Central baptist congregation. Wishart's ! lectures are announced as being particularly suited I J i" "non-Protestants' The significance of this title M i- apparent when it is remembered that a mission f n "non-Cat holies" was given in ihe cathedral some - weeks ago. ; The Bishop said it would be made in keeping : villi a Christian spirit if the critics of the church vlin were delving into ancient history to find weak- noses would bend their energies toward reclaiming ! I tiie great anny of "churchless" people in this coun- f try 1oday. "We have it on reliable authority,'' he said, "that there are .MUMiO.ooo 0f Americans who do not go to church at all. If the churches that are sendintr their missionaries abroad to convert the heathen would -cck to convert this great body of Americans they j:. would be more profitably occupied. It is only neces- siiry to point to the actions of Catholics in the Spanish-American war to refute the slanders as to I, ihe lack of patriotism of our people. Before that I war we heard a great deal of the A. P. A.; but 1 j where they were during the vir;( That war had I f the same effect on the A. P. A. that Paris green ' has on a crop of potato bugs." ! 1 The Church as She Is. The allegiance of Catholics to the pope was ex-l ex-l plained by the bishop. lie told how in spiritual ; matters Catholics looked to the pope for guidance, but they were free to use their own judgment in temporal affairs. With reference to socialism, toward to-ward which the Kev. Mr. Wishart is said to have a decided bearing, inasmuch as he charged the church with opposing democracy because she does not fa- , vor socialism, the bishop said: "If socialism keeps within the bounds of seeking " only the advancement firihtH'wpIeirwiil iioCmeet ' with the opposition of the church, but rather en- ; ,-ouragement. But socialism as at present advo- cat oil by its leaders, attacks government, society,- I the family, marriage and the holding of private I property, and as these involve social and moral questions socialism is condemned by the church, I "Some time ago.' the bishop continued, a mis- sinn was given in this church by the lledemptorist I Fa 1 hers, and it appears that a very favorable im- ! pressipn was made by the missionaries in this coin- niunity. There were some, converts, which is not I unusual at these exercises. The missionaries cx- plained the doctrines of the church so as to remove I mi-representations. The Catholic church has been I painted in such, revolting' colors by her enemies I that were sensible. God-fearing Protestants to learn J f wh.it she really is they would be attracted toward I her. 1 am satisfied that could we reach by sermons 'i or tracts the thousands of God-fearing men and ' women in the sects they would acknowledge the f truth of Catholicity. I ' "The attempt has been made to test the claims I of ihe Catholic church by the New Testament. I w.ndT how ihe test would have been made before It'i" New Testament was written or by the thousands thou-sands in every age who cannot read ow any one who knows anything about Catholic doctrine knows that we do nol subscribe to that test. It. has no convincing value when addressing Catholics; and. if may be added, it has a very slight force among Protestants who arc questioning the truth and inspiration in-spiration of the Bible. J J- No Authority in Protestantism. I "Who is to decide, for instance, between two Pmti stants. the one affirming and the other deny-' deny-' the necessity of baptism? They may go to niiu-i-'Tsand each one of those disputing the question v-ill find one agreeing with him. No decision can i" reached with certainty. Why ? Because the min-has min-has no more authority to decide the question ! 1 1 an cither one of the disputants. If a doubt arises ;. ihe mind of a Calholic he finds a duly authorized I i-n.ly speaking as the mouthpiece of Christ. How 10 ,0 M, know that tins noay is speaKiiig m mc Tamo of Christ;; 1 answer that reason and history ' -. i ipturc show that Christ established an in-. in-. :iii lc teaching body. "The rule of faith adopted i Protestantism, namely, scripture interpreted by .;vate judgment, has no foundation in the Word : God ;'dii the contrary, it is condemned by it. It - ij.e cause of the numberless sects which we rind ; -und us. all claiming to be the church of Christ ':! i oadiiiiLT contradictory doctrines. The state is 11 .-h wiser than Protest ant in and approaches lv to ihe system of the Catholic church. It ' a. i. ;IWS. but it does not allow each citizen to : rpivt thorn to suit himself. It licenses its law- it establishes courts, it appoints judges. "When the highest court has spoken, for all 1 M-.i. l purposes, its decisions arc regarded as 111-: 111-: ;! although in reality they are only fallible p hioiis. Now in the supreme and most important 1 r of solvation we must be certain of the truths I !o-p, ,.,,... Therefore, Christ has established a tn- 'Miuil to icach men with the same authority which h-himself possesses. He was infallible in teaching; - als is bis church. Protestant churches say they ;! fallible. Hence they assert their human insti-1 insti-1 -inn. for Christ's church is and must be infallible. Ilnm lot me sav a word on a phrase that is often i'-d hv non-Catholics. They are continually boast-of' boast-of' their 'freedom of thought' and alleging that at holi, are not allowed 'freedom of thought. The truth is that every, man enjoys 'freedom ot 1 ihought,' and the Catholic church has never tres- I pa-ed upon its legitimate domain, nor has she T-v.-or 10 do so. There is such a thing as physical 1 , freedom. Bv creation they have a soul and a body, i That soul has certain faculties-will, intellect, mem-i mem-i -ry. The will is physicallv free. Jones can go out lipnn the street and murder Brown, but lwvis not morally free to' do so; he is not morally free to J iidhere to .error or to commit sin. Further, m so far as he embraces truth his liberty is diminished. The wild Indian on the plain is no freer than the man of education. Truth added to truth widens his horizon, it is true, but restricts the field of his speculation. In like manner, if the dogmas of Christianity are true, then within their range there can be no room for freedom of thought. Church and State. ''I say the Catholic church has never claimed that the pope by divine right can depose civil rulers rul-ers and absolve subjects from allegiance. You may reply: 'But popes have done so.' That is true, but when a pope did it he did not exercise his power as pope; he exercised the power conferred upon him by the constitutional law of the middle ages. By the common consent of Catholic nations he had been made their supreme arbiter and judge. That was the condition of things, and I am not sure but its revival in modern times would be beneficial. How much blood might have been spared if the troubles in the far east had been settled by arbitration? arbi-tration? So far as civil and spiritual allegiance are concerned both Catholics and Protestants hold the same principle. ''The Protestant and Catholic must always obey God rather than man. If a clash should arise between be-tween Protestants and the United States government govern-ment they would be traitors to God if they did not warn the state that it had trespassed its legitimate field of action. God and his doctrines are always first. The state and its teachings next." - |