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Show j Dr. Be Costa 'Joins j :: the Catholic Church j , 4 : (1 .fm$Um' i v vvtvAm 4- ' : 1 . Illllp- 1 I. . - - DR. BE COSTA. 4 , 44-4-4444t 4-44 4 4 44 4 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4-4 4 4 4 4-4 I Now' York, Dec' G. The Rev. Benja- min F. Do Casta, whose reception into: the Human Catholic church took place; on Sunday last, has written an article! which is no be published in Catholic papers, in whic h he explains his rea- j sons for the step he has taken. In beginning. Dr. Costa thanks. God f'T giving him "grace to overcome the drop prejudice implanted by false education," edu-cation," and declares that his change of belief is not the work of a day or a year, but began very long ago. "The sad. fallen estate of post refor- mation belief," he adds, "has forced upon me a reconsideration of principles, princi-ples, the result being the conviction that the reformation was not based upon any true foundations." Dr. De Costa then alludes to "the passing "of studious anglicans over to the Catholic church. "The current." he says, "is as steady as the now of the gulf stream," and he refers to Cardinal Newman and others oth-ers who have forsook Protestantism for the church of Home. He declares, however, if the gifted author of "Lead. Kindly Light," had never spoken, and if Manning, Faher and Wilberforee had never lived, "my mode of thinking must infallibly have led me to accept the faith. . "I do not, however," says Dr. De Cota, "propose to offer an apology for entering the Catholic church. Stand ing ift the midst of modern religious systems toppling to their fall like columns col-umns in the temple of Karnac, no defense de-fense need be offered for accepting a firm and unshaken Catholic -faith." Dr. De Costa then goes on to speak of the position of the Scriptures in the teaching system of the Catholic church. He declares that "the church of Rome stands before English-speaking people and Protestants anywhere as the "unique and solitary defender of the Bible in its -integrity and entirety. "The church," proceeds Dr. De Costa, "never changed her method of dealing J with science. In this city a scholar I should not allow his mind to become 1 befogged. The issue is not simply one of sdence or simple interpretation. Primarily, it is the mystery of the incarnation in-carnation that criticism puts on trial. The case is dogmatic. It means a revision re-vision of the Bible. This the holy Catholic church will never approve." Dr. De Costa denies, however, that the authorities ' the Catholic church are unfavorable to the circulation and use of the Bible, saying that it is the duty and privilege of Catholic scholars to study the Bible thoroughly in the original tongues. Proceeding to speak of the question of papal infallibility. Dr. De Costal says, "It is time for candid 'non-Catho- j lies to learn that the notion that it ! (infallibility) interfered with individua' liberty is as true as that a mariner's compass Tenders the sailor an abject 1 slave." In conclusion. Dii De Costa says: "On the Protestant theory is no visible church, the only body being a mystical mys-tical body in the air. On this theory Christianity has failed: the empire that triumphed over the Roman empire has perished. This is simply pessimism. Reformation religionism, therefore, offers of-fers no moral or intellectual outlook for coming generations, offers no moral or intellectual outlook for coming generations, gen-erations, and leaves the .world foreed at last to choose between rationalism and the Catholic church. I believe in the holy Catholic church and the life everlasting." |