Section III. Controversy
Importance of Catholics in this country knowing the principles of their religion. I speak to Catholics chiefly. Controversy, for the most part, disfigures the question it seeks to elucidate. It is the duty of the Church to teach, and her privilege that her teaching is divine truth. I. The reasonableness of the Catholic religion.
If there is one God, then there is one truth; contraries cannot be true together; hence those who call us antichrist are really the most logical of our enemies.
All sects profess to be Christian, yet Christian doctrine must be one.
All profess to be Catholic, but whether they are or not is surely a visible fact.
Reasonableness does not mean that reason can measure faith, or limit it, or do instead of it.
Reason is the gift of man; all else changes in his history, that does not; hence a thing to be reasonable must, 1. be so in relation to history 2. to Scripture 3. to the nature and wants of man and 4. to what we know of the character and perfections of God. II. Catholicism in relation to history.
The Church ought to have an outward and worldwide history, because
If true, it is the greatest institution in the world.
A divine one, embracing all the interests of humanity.
Its beginning traceable only to the apos tles.
Cannot be fixed elsewhere, even on hypo thesis of this or that doctrine having a date; extreme absurdity of that hypo thesis,
The theory of corruption begs the question of divine origin; impiety of it.
St. Austin s opposite theory of apostolical tradition.
It is, at least, and undeniably, the oldest form of Christianity. What is implied in this?
That it suits all times and climes.
The dangers it has dealt with.
The epochs it has constructed.
It is at present the widest spread form calling itself Christian; this is a visible historical fact.
Its amazing unity of spirit in all ages and lands. Enemies point to the uniform genius cf popery.
The work it has done for the world.
Kept the faith through the ten persecu tions.
Broken up the Eoman empire.
Converted the barbarians.
Nursed infant civilization.
Fostered law, philosophy, art, and literature.
Been the great peacemaker on earth.
The mother of the oppressed and poor.
All other socalled forms of Christianity are offshoots from it.
At an assignable date.
For a reason in which even other heretics did not concur.
On principles often abandoned by themselves afterwards.
With more or less of acknowledged sin attending the separation.
And splitting within themselves afterwards.
All heresies together make up in their totality the doctrine of the Church. Thus
She is distinguished from all simply by her claim to be the Church.
And whenever her claim has been denied, it has led to division.
The beginnings of Protestantism simply looked at as actual facts.
In Germany.
In Switzerland.
In E^land.
First fruits in all these were (a.) divorce, (b.) polygamy, (c.) political troubles, (d.) intolerance, (e.) quarrellings.
Contrast of all this with God bringing good out of evil, which is ever through suffering, through patience, through love, through sweet speech, through silence, through calmness and trust.
IN ITS RELATION TO SCRIPTURE.
If it be a fact that there is somewhere in the world a book which comes from God, which is divine, not human, it is plain that it very much concerns the Church, nay, that it must simply belong to the Church. Let us now consider the relation of the Catholic Church to the Bible.
I. She was the keeper and guardian of it.
Showing the utmost care and solicitude about it.
In spite of the special edicts of the Dioclesian persecution.1
Attempts of heretics to corrupt it.
Particular See of Eome deciding differences about the canon, e.g. Decree of Gelasius.
Multiplying copies in the dark ages.
II. Her view of the Bible stated.
Its inspiration, and all its teaching defide.
As a document of proof, she being the living court.
As a collection of revealed principles, on which theology is based.
III. Her treatment of the Bible.
Manuscripts, printing, and numberless trans lations.
Reverence of the principle of interpretation by authority.
Her carefulness in the matter of allowing the perusal of it to her children.
IV. Her doctrinal harmony with it, e.g. as regards 1. Baptism. 2. The Eucharist. 3. Confession.
- St. Peter. 5. Extreme Unction.
V. Harmony of form, discipline and ritual, e. g., washing of feet, rubrics of mass, excommunication, &c.
VI. Indirect harmony of the Church with the Bible.
Our Lord was God, and so foresaw all the interpretations of the Bible.
Protestants would not have spoken as the Bible does of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eucharist, absolution, St. Peter, or almsgiving.
Now, do not look only at each separate branch of the argument, but at the whole together; does it not show that the relation in which the Church, simply as a fact, stands to the Bible is the one in which she would stand to it, supposing her to be what she claims to be?
VII. Then compare with this the Protestant treatment of the Bible.
Their turning into apocrypha what militates against them.
Their absurd view of the Bible as a book converting nations, itself unscriptural.
Yet their practical irreverence, as the people of Thibet to their llama, and their god.
Luther calling the Epistle of St. James an epistle of straw.
Calvin on our Lord s language about baptismal regeneration.
The Epistles often preferred to Gospels.
Their principles of interpretation, e.g. about St. Peter, the H. Eucharist, &c.
"Without note or comment," abdication of reason, as if under magic; yet loud wrang ling about meaning,
The destruction of our Lord s example.
Cold disregard of precept of fasting, Extreme Unction, and Confession.
The way in which texts are simply regarded numerically.
The practically Jewish way in which mere external reading of the Bible is regarded as a meritorious work, and how it stands in the stead of an interior turning of the heart to God.
Again, look at all this put together, and do not Protestants evidently regard themselves as the masters of the Bible? Protestantism is an eminently unbiblical religion.
IN ITS RELATION TO THE NATURE AND WANTS OF
MEN.
The force and necessity of this branch of the argument: it suits, yet corrects and elevates.
I. The Catholic religion eminently professes to forgive sins.
This is the great need of men.
What Christ did for us, what He does in us.
Protestantism only announces the fact.
Misery of uncertainty laxity of selfabsolution.
Fitness of some external declaration, and that of divine institution, i. e., absolution.
II. It is a religion of authority, and claims and exercises a dispensing power.
If the Church is a society, there must be a living body to govern, and it must be divine.
Authority is a question of fact: the doubt is what authority men will follow.
Protestantism is a perfect slavery to the yoke of unauthorized traditions.
Looking at human actions, there must be a dispensing power.
Selfdispensation makes everybody his own pope, and leads to license.
III. Difference between precept and counsel. 1. Fitness of this. 2. Protestant disregard of it.
IV. Adaptability of Catholicism to all govern ments, as a kingdom not of this world political character of Protestantism, both as to troubles, to connection, and to missionary enterprise.
V. Naturalness of the whole system of spiritual direction.
VI. Intercourse with the dead and the spiritual world.
Strange confining of itself on the part of Protestantism to material things.
The want of this intercourse a proof against the divineness of any system.
Unity and harmony of the Catholic system.
VII. The marvellous tempering of external ob servances with an interior spirit.
This moderation one of the most admirable things in Catholicism.
Precepts of the Church: duty of witnessing to the Faith.
Protestantism -vocal prayer no interior acts -mere belief, dead faith done anyhow.
VIII. Religion made by the Catholic system the great business of life.
Protestantism tends to formalism, and so practically is against weekday religion.
Catholic classification of sins: examen and confession.
We live under a system of minute laws in daily operation: Protestants acknowledge this, and even call it a yoke: it would be if saving our soul were not unum necessarium.
Sacraments at every turn of life.
Obligation of restitution, of avoiding occa sions, and the like.
IX. It has been in all ages the religion of
The poor,
The sorrowing,
The sick, and
The dying.
X. It has always and everywhere joined political liberty with obedience to law, introduced purity of morals, defended the divine institution of marriage, and abolished slavery, simply by its spirit, not by any political rights or power.
XT. Its adaptation to our nature, as well as start ling likeness to its founder, shown in its tenderness to sinners.
Prisoners.
Murderers.
Giving up no one.
It can afford to trust to professions of repentance.
All this to such an extent that Protestants scorn the Church, as the Jews scorned Jesus, for eating with publicans and sinners.
IN ITS RELATION TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD.
For a religion to be reasonable it is not enough that it should fit in with the history of the world, harmonize with the revealed word of God, and suit our nature; it must also be a fitting manifestation of Him who is the Author of reason, and this in two ways; it must suit what we know of His character, and it must be of a piece with what we know of His past dealings with His creatures.
I. Catholicism suits what we know of the character of God.
The justice of God is magnified by it, not only in the Atonement, but
In the doctrine of penance and mortification.
In the practice of indulgences for forgiven sins.
In the doctrine of good works, which exalts His sanctity.
Impiety of the Protestant system of imputation of the merits of Christ.
His mercy.
In the doctrine of grace.
In the ease of pardon and iteration of certain sacraments.
In the stress laid on corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
His truth *
In the strictness about orthodox doctrine compare Protestant sects, and worst of all, Anglicanism, with it in this respect.
In its exclusiveness one God, one only truth.
For its positive character, compared with the idle negations of heresy.
His communication of Himself in its eminently missionary character Propaganda is a word of reproach among Protestants, who compare us with Pharisees for proselytizing.
Its universality is an image of the omnipresence of God.
The way it swamps temporal in eternal interests.
Its indestructibility by persecution.* on Protestant showing Protestantism has been put down in Italy and Spain not so Catholicism here, even by horrors worse than the inquisition.
II. Catholicism of a piece with what we know of God s past dealings with His creatures. 1. Its consistency with
The patriarchal dispensation in sacrifices, visions, and voices.
With the Jewish dispensation in priest hood, external pomp, spiritual government, &c.
Also with the latter in its change to kingly magnificence.
With both the old dispensations in its miraculous character gift of miracles pro mised in the Gospel.
Also with the Jewish in the mysterious Presence of God, only the Blessed Sacrament outdoes theirs.
Its being hated by the world, as the world hated God made man.
Intellectually, in politics, science, &c. as Jesus was called mad.
Morally, as being stern, or firm, or enthusiastic, as Jesus was buffeted in His Passion.
The Divineness of its supernatural character.
Value of the Precious Blood.
Hiddenness of the Divine Manifestations to Saints.
Power of the Sacraments.
Home and Peter s Chair, all boldly chanced on this man dared not do so.
Conclusion 1. The Creator has a visible Church on earth. 2. It is the creature s duty to find it out and to submit to it. 3. Case of those who come close and come no nearer; we need not condemn them; of their own body, the major part, the senior part, the governing part does so; they are split among themselves, and the cause of the split is their different degrees of nearness to Borne. Nay, we condemn not God is slow grace is undermining habits of pride and sin many are honest who seem not so we may love them as known to God, admire what is good, speak plainly for truth s sake, and their souls sake, and help them on by prayer.
ACTUAL POSITION OF CATHOLICS IN ENGLAND.
I. The Jews in their captivity a type of Catholics in England; the children of those who were masters of the world now oppressed, almost smothered by heresy; the processes they went through.
Hatred with fear. 1. Hot persecution. 2. Penal laws enforced. 3. Concealment.
Hatred with spite. 1. Civil disabilities.
Tone of literature and public feeling. 3. Persecution in private life.
Hatred with contempt. 1. Latter years of penal laws. 2. Progress of repeal. 3. Irish policy.
Contemptuous liberality. 1. Ministerial craft. 2. Carelessness about religion alto gether brought in kindness to Catholics; it was creditable to be kind, and now safe.
Eeviving fear. 1. From growing power. 2. Attractiveness to men of intellect shown.
Disproportion of means to ends actually effected. 4. Suspicion of possible truth of supernaturalism. 5. Disappointment at happiness and steadiness of converts. 6. Surprise at the Church s awakening, like our Lord s resurrection.
II. Past position of English Catholics.
Concealment of chapels mass ecclesiastical dress sign of the Cross all the externals which impress men: success of this compulsory concealment, as a species of persecution, so long as the persecutors contrive to keep it undignified.
Suspiciousness of those who offered themselves as converts difficulty of instructing them likelihood of their falling away few means of grace to help them this led in sensibly to their keeping to their own, i. e. to parochial rather than missionary functions.
Civil disabilities acting on morals. 1. Concealment superinduced timidity. 2. At best esprit cle corps was substituted for religion.
Civil disabilities acting upon patriotism. 1. Forcing foreign education. 2. Absence from court. 3. Bigotry of Protestant society. 4. Shaping of national character on heresy, formation of language, connection of national glory with it; so the land has to be converted over again.
III. Present position of English Catholics.
Publicity disabilities removed --influx of converts, rapid growth patronage of the Liberals revenges of time on heresy, specially of a literary kind exposure of Protestantism, and men s weariness with it.
Unlucky brands of the past apparently burned into us. 1. Unenlightened love of the old state of things, and reluctance to see that its time is passed. 2, Desire to seem English, yet hitting the wrong nail on the head, e.g. keeping back doctrine, valuing as favours what are rights, talking liberal, &c. 3. Fear and half-shame of our own doc trines. 4. Low view of externals, shallow jeering at them; esprit cle corps did instead of them; so men fell after 1829. 5. Unmissionary character, so as even to use the word in a wrong sense: e.g. mission for parish. 6. Fraternizing with vulgarity and wickedness if against an enemy. 7. Aptitude to be dazzled by state favour and literary or scientific compliments, and so to barter truth. 8. Timidity become chronic and unreasoning, as if it were the normal state of English Catholics.
The necessity of realising that the Church is an aggressive and conquering thing; it is the Church of Jesus Risen; awful is the miracle of her resurrection, so unlocked for that it almost seems to drive her own children to the verge of unbelief.
WHAT PROTESTANTS WOULD EXPECT ENGLISH CATHOLICS TO BE LIKE.
I. Suppose a man whose study and prayer the grace of God has blessed so as to fill him with doubts about his own religion, and with admiration of the Church; what are his data?
He reads Catholic books. 1. Dogmatic. 2. Devotional. They are for the most part necessarily foreign.
He reviews what Catholics have done, and have been in history.
He reasons on his reading, and draws con clusions, and pictures things.
He goes abroad and sees Catholicism in the Italian, Spanish, and German cities.
He applies all this to England, adding what he thinks due
To the purifying influences of persecution.
To the healthy action of moderate poverty.
To what he thinks the superior sense and logic of the English mind.
So he looks with deep interest not unmingled with awe on his persecuted fellow-countrymen. They keep very much to themselves, or hide when out they are a kind of sanctuary to his eye he wonders what is behind the veil; he is predisposed to take the highest view. II. What kind of thing he expects.
The marvellous results of union among them, going far beyond mere matters of faith. 1. Pious opinion, 2. taste, 3. co-operation, 4. mutual sympathy, 5. subordination, 6. perfectly organized intercourse with each other.
The Catholic temper mingling with, en lightening, and ennobling their patriotism. 1. Love of foreign Catholics. 2. Covetous love of tlieir usages. 3. Ardent love of Rome.
The supernatural character formed by their religion; he thinks of 1. the Pope, 2. the Blessed Sacrament, 3. our Lady, 4. purga tory, 5. indulgences, 6. doctrine of grace, all unforgotten in their minds.
The principles and tests of success upon which the children of the saints naturally go. 1. Absence of human respect. 2. Un-querulous confidence in God. 3. Unflagging cheerfulness. 4. Love of humiliations and contradictions. 5. Jealousy of human help or political allies.
Outward demeanour and piety. 1. Government of tongue. 2. Modesty and recollection of manner. 3. Devotion to Blessed Sacrament. 4. Predominance of love over sense of duty. 5. Spirit of giving to the limit of their means. 6. Humility. 7. Awestricken view of heresy. 8. Especial love of reviled doctrines. 9. Unworldly aspect of a suffering Church.
He thinks how all this would be- deepened by the peculiar circumstances of English Catholics. 1. The contempt in which they lie. 2. The absence of temporal preferment. 3. The knowledge of the sympathy of the Catholic world. 4. The solemnising memory of the martyrs. 5. Persecution and suffering, if they do not enslave, vulgarize, and degrade, add dignity and supernatural health to a Church.
III. He sums it all up: his perplexity: there lias been no canonized saint since the Reformation, not even in Ireland: oh! perhaps it is the want of convenience for forming the pro cesses, or expense, or what not: he will ad vance, lift the veil, and find
Extensive asceticism.
Extatic nuns and supernatural convents.
Eumours of constant miracles.
It will be another world to him; the world of grace blooming and bearing fruit.
Shall we disappoint him? Let us be humble and see.
THE EEAL ASPECT OF ENGLISH CATHOLICISM TO THE EYE OF THE ENQUIRER.
I. We must now suppose our enquirer to make Catholic acquaintances, get introductions, &c. he sees for himself puts things together and. comes to a conclusion. We must premise
That he is likely to make mistakes, for want of deeper knowledge of our religion.
That the disappointment of his ideal expec tations renders him likely to exaggerate.
That he views things from without, as not yet a convert.
That the picture therefore may not be the true one; but, which is of immense importance, it is one which seems true to enquirers, and so helps or hinders conversion* All this must be borne in mind to qualify the apparent unkindliness of the picture*
II. He proceeds to his inspection of things: his very object is to criticize and be censorious; the result is a matter of life and death with him: it is unreasonable to be angry with him, on the contrary, we may learn from him. What strikes him among us?
Jealousy of foreign usages, e.g. Borne of devotions, yet they succeed when tried historical bias to nationalism.
Light view of heresy: want of eye to detect, want of heart to weep over it.
Fear of our own doctrines, specially the controverted ones.
Finding no difficulties in the objections of adversaries disheartening as showing narrowness*
Want of union, and spirit of locality in chari* ties and large plans.
6* Chiefly poor: this strikes him as a mark of intellectual failure* 7* Neglect of externals* 1. Want of asceticism in this. =2. Ignorance of human nature*
Beluctance to admit the supernatural: this makes him doubt our faith, not prize our prudence.
Eagerness to limit ourselves to what is of faith: a badge of sectarianism.
A certain un-English tone of thought 1.
reserve, 2. want of proselytism, 3. pomp of agreeing with heretics who see through it.
Literature which might be written by non-Catholics, a scandal because of the way in which true Catholicism savours all things, and makes itself felt everywhere diffusively.
Moving in society for years without being known to be Catholics horror at this poor Jesus Christ, as St. Alphonso said.
Want of love of reading, and keeping pace w r ith knowledge.
Constant origination of plans, and as constant failure from want of steadiness and concentration on an object this so odd among Catholics.
Overweening desire for esteem and respect of Protestants; being content with destroying their prejudices without gaining their souls they see through the selfishness of this.
Amazing human respect towards wealth, power, title; essential vulgarity of this, and hatefulness of it to Englishmen.
Narrowness and want of sympathy with other men s plans; each has his own, and thinks it not the best only, but the sole one.
Dread of enthusiasm and worship of hu man prudence; no failures unteach this; ab sence of the heroic element.
Is any part of this true? it may be overdrawn, exaggerated; still it is a fact that enquirers, and earnest ones, take this view, and draw back, thinking the Catholic body in England imbecile as an instrument of conversion, and unable to inspire itself with vigour and dignity.
Oh, the fearfulness of the corroding atmosphere of heresy! we have been no land of Gessen in the midst of plaguestricken England.
THE WAY IN WHICH WE ACT UPON PROTESTANTS.
I. Having now learned what we can from the view a thoughtful enquirer takes of us, we may gain a farther knowledge of ourselves from looking at the way in which we act on others.
One of the best tests of a body like the English Catholics is efficiency in acting upon others for their conversion. We cannot ignore Protestants, we cannot sit at ease, and take care of ourselves, we betray Jesus if we do: to be sensible of our missionary obligation is the condition of our blessings; we must realise at every turn that this is not a Catholic country, and that every one of us has a mission.
Hence it is that we must legislate for conversion; we must look to Protestants and in fidels, to what will tell upon them, influence, attract, shock, perplex them; we must avoid repelling them without harming our brethren; we cannot enjoy our religion in peace.
Means of conversion 1. Controversy 2. Ceremonial 3. Preaching; this last the best
In itself as most divine 2. As meeting Protestant ways better 3. As English. II. Manner of preaching is the test of high principle. One way is fear of our peculiar doc trines, and partial exhibition of them in order to avoid offence, e. g. Blessed Virgin Mary, persecution, &c.
Because of charity, you may backen enquirers. It is the duty of charity to lead on our own people, to put the whole truth before others, not to entrap them; half truth is always more odious than whole truth.
Because of what the Apostle says of milk for babes: and primitive reserve. This applies to evangelical counsels, and to gradual instruction primitive reserve not parallel, books, printing, open churches, &c.
Because of the common laws of persuasion. Openness is the most persuasive earthly thing revealed truth the most persuasive supernatural thing.
Because of the difficulty of making yourself understood. Not if you preached fully on system.
Because such preachers are popular with Protestants. Yes, Protestants give up their prejudices to you, but do not surrender their poor souls.
Because moral preaching meets a popular objection. But it does not save souls, and it sacrifices the Catholic audience; dogma for the pulpit, morals for the confessional, though of course not exclusively.
Because otherwise you are engaged in perpetual controversy. No! statement is the persuasive thing to an English mind, logic, consistency; the excellence of dogmatic preaching is in statement put and left without controversy.
III. This manner of preaching, when it succeeds, converts men to one religion hy teaching them another; odiousness of this; trace an imaginary history of it an enquirer diffi culties made light of, images, Blessed Virgin Mary, indulgences, persecution, pope, shown bow slight the differences are wants absolution converted excitement goes down startled at things chill of surprise makes reflex acts withdraws from Blessed Virgin Mary finds odd things in history about persecution 1. Settles down into a bad Catholic has no director becomes an apostle of mischief judges for himself makes bad con fessions is lost 2. Is indignant aposta tises gives scandal loses his immortal soul. This is the natural tendency of reserve worked out.
FEAR OF OUR OWN DOCTRINES.
I. Method of teaching opposed to reserve; full exhibition of our doctrines, more especially those which are maligned and controverted.
What our doctrines are.
Eevelations from God.
Wonderfully beautiful in themselves, and so persuasive.
Convincingness of their consistency, and full exhibition needed to bring out that consistency, e. g., Blessed Virgin Mary not only a great saint, but Eegina Sanctorum.
Lose their charm by reserve.
Special blessing on boldness about blas phemed truths.
God the Revealer also the Converter of souls, not we; He loves His own work in His shape of it.
Upon whom our doctrines are to tell.
Catholics, instruction, perfection, love.
Converts, perseverance, reward, thanks giving.
Externs, necessity of openness, that they may have every chance God gives, and so His full truth in its persuasiveness: we have to deal with them as souls, not merely to smooth their prejudices.
II. Mistake of reserve as a matter of principle.
Because truth is God s, not our own we have no right to meddle with it.
Because of its intrinsic beauty; we ought to trust it; e. g., warmth of converts to Blessed Virgin Mary.
Because of the loss of supernatural help, e. g., if we preach not Blessed Virgin Mary and saints.
Because it is as a system of doctrine, not as a system of morals, that the Gospel was to be preached; e. g., humility and other virtues because of the Incarnation; love of Jesus the motive.
Because reserve tends to keep our own people down and so to weaken their power to convert, as well as to stunt their growth in holiness, and so to sacrifice them to heretics.
Because Christian prudence is against it: prudence does not consist in not aiming at an end because too hard and too high, but in choice of means.
Because it withdraws a chief help to perseverance from converts: what with their sacri fices and the sad state of England, doctrine seems their sole inheritance, just as grace is their sole recompense.
III. Mistake of reserve as a matter of policy.
Because the high line succeeds best in every thing. Oh, how we need to realise this!
Because the devil attacks most the doctrines he fears most: so he teaches us ivhat to preach.
Because the English hate half the truth; they are irritated by it: suspicion keeps men hack, not anger.
Because we have already, justly or not, a bad character for mental reservation.
Because fear of our own doctrines makes men 1. dislike them, and 2. doubt our sincerity.
Because we preach a different religion, and so take people in, and they are disappointed: primitive reserve was lest men should take the doctrines to be what they are not ours lest they take them to be what they really are.
Because we don t realise how much Protes tants know: distinguish kinds of Protestant ignorance.
IV. Actual failure of this line so far.
Ill name Catholic controversy has.
Movement outside the Church, unhelped but by foreign Catholics and travel.
Paucity of conversions.
Success of the opposite method of conversion.
Want of growth and depth among ourselves from want of dogmatic teaching and meditation.
As a matter of fact we do not attract our fellow-countrymen.
Borne and Boman ways, these are the attrac tions; God has put a spell into them.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEESENCE OF PROTESTANTISM ON THE ORDINARY CHARACTER OF CATHOLICS.
I. Having seen how the presence of Protestantism may seem to an enquirer to influence our way of acting upon others, it remains to consider how the same presence may seem to tell upon ourselves. We must bear in mind throughout
That the view put forward is the one taken of us by those external to our body.
That there is an opposite side of the question.
That what lowers a man more than any thing else in England is the want of correspondence between his profession and his action.
That also when a man is supposed to be afraid, all respect for him is gone in England.
That we have to deal with Englishmen, and must do it in an English way.
II. Ways in which the presence of Protestantism might influence ordinary Catholics.
Effect of continued ridicule to make us ashamed of our distinctive doctrines, and so of the very doctrines which are of value, as the points de depart between the two reli gions; our strength is in them, as Samson s in his hair
Effect of continued controversy to look more at what is easy to prove than what is
true, 2. deep, 3. most honourable to God,
most persuasive to the earnest heart, as opposed simply to the head: we work without hope* except on the earnest heart.
Effect of continued intercourse, unless jealously watched to superinduce a spurious charity which is real uncharitahleness: difficulty of realising the soul; the prospect of eternity for those we daily meet takes us hy surprise if we are not given to meditation.
Effect of continued attempts to please to make us value overweeningly their good opinion and respect, so as 1. to sacrifice God s honour, and 2. he cold and remiss about conversion: danger of resting in the mere removal of prejudice as an end.
Effect of continued political agitation 1. to make us careless about our choice of friends and allies 2. to make us recoil into over little jealousy of political patronage 3. to put out of sight altogether the St. Thomas of Canterbury view of things.
III. The results of these things, supposing them to be worked out.
The process doctrine goes through: 1. timidity through fear of ridicule; 2. paring down. to make it controversially presentable; 3. measuring truth by the views its enemies take of it; 4. anger at the supposed imprudence of those who put out unveiled truth;
attachment to our own abridged doctrine;
forgetfulness of what the real Ml doctrine is like; - 7. surprise at coming across it unawares; 8. repugnance to it; 9. disloyalty to Eome and implicit heresy.
The bringing out of our religion something different from real Catholicism: a new religion without the blessing, without the pro mises: harm to ourselves, robbing of the poor and simple, utter imbecility in conversion.
To cease to look at it, and to think it absurd and unmannerly to look at our Protestant fellow countrymen as souls in danger of damnation; power of this view as a means of persuasion, and awful home- striking reality of it.
To make us obtuse about heresy, and careless when we see it what heresy is how Saints feel charity begins with God and Jesus: realise martyrdom for doctrine: martyrs of Gorcum.
God lost sight of something else put instead of Him, just as by Protestants, only with different developments.
I do not mean to say these are always developed I have been putting forward the view of an extern how, if it be true, would such Catholics have acted under Diocletian or Elizabeth?
THE INFLUENCE OF PROTESTANTISM ON THE DEVOUT CHARACTER IN CATHOLICS.
I. Saintliness is the converting power: neither
England nor Ireland have had a Saint since the Reformation.
To the world saintliness comes out as gentleness wedded to high principle. It always seems to come off second best at first, and triumphs in the end.
Distinction between Saints and common Catholics counsels and precepts love and duty.
A middle class between Saints and common Catholics devout and highminded people importance of this class what St. Teresa says of the value Jesus sets on such souls necessity of cultivating them the way in which English Catholicism acts in manufac turing such people is a fair test of it.
II. How Protestantism affects such people:
By narrowing the largeness of Catholic truth.
By cultivation of human respects.
By its atmosphere.
By the essentially unsupernatural character of the controversial temper.
By our not being a Catholic country, which is an a fortiori argument for avoiding all uncatholic evils which we can avoid, instead of being more uncatholic than we need. III. Particular instances to exemplify this.
The imperfect putting forward of purgatory: its connection with devotion, the place it occupies in the via purgativa, and even in the via illuminativa,
The imperfect putting forward of our dear Lady: her connection with holy living, and calls to perfection: ascetical influence of devotion to her.
The fear of claims to miracles and of Saints lives: subtle Protestantism of this: connection of Saints lives with sanctity: distinction between imitable and admirable; men would have them purely the latter.
Infrequent use of indulgenced devotions: quote the life of St. Bridget, raised up in great measure to teach holy souls the value of indulgences.
Imperfect realisation of the grace which goes along with images, pictures, beads, medals, and other blessed objects: the power of simplicity which is in faith in such things.
Views of vocation and virginity: how these are influenced by what is around us.
Want of freedom and variety in recommend ing penance, caused by the seen evils of puritanism before us: the rule for the million won t do for God s chosen souls.
Inordinate fear of delusion in the spiritual life, caused by fear of our own weapons for meeting it: so we quietly take a low ground because it is safe: in all this there is a want of real awe of the most Blessed Spirit who works in these souls.
Infrequency of painful self sacrifice in the way of almsgiving how this produces a standard of practice most prejudicial to the devout character.
English character opposed to meditation: our bustle passes into our religion.
IV. The grand want of England is a school of spiritual directors.
This is nobody s fault, but our misfortune, and a necessity, owing to missionary circum stances.
What God vouchsafed to do for France in the great religious movement of the 17th century.
Let us without neglecting externals put them below this, and make this a subject of special prayer to God.
"Wonderful amount of grace abroad, not only calling men into the fold, but, as priests in their hidden life well know, calling souls in the fold to perfection this last far the greatest work 1. for its own sake 2. for the sake of its reaction on the former.
m.
THE EISE AND PEE SENT CONDITION OF PBOTESTANTISM.
I. Protestantism an object of interest to Catholics.
1, Because it is a widespread and successful heresy.
- Because so many whom we love as fellowcountrymen, &c. live in it.
3, Because three hundred years experience gives us a distinct view of it.
Because it is such a wonderful confirmation of Catholic doctrines.
Because nearly every Catholic doctrine is held by some sect.
Because their only unity is hatred of us.
Because it has so signally failed in missionary work.
Because of what it has worked itself out into.
II. Its rise contrasted with the rise of Christianity, in its causes of success.
The personal character of its first preachers and founders.
In what it promised to do for men in the way of independence of thought, and license of action.
In the countenance of power, which fostered it: it did not, like the Church, begin with the poor.
In the appetite for mixing itself up with politics: e.g. in France.
In its being an armed body, persecuting as well as persecuted.
III. Its present condition throughout the world.
In heathen lands, merely like an army in occupation.
In Germany, France, Geneva, Italy, Scot land, England.
In its strife with Tractarianism, its domestic enemy and traitor.
Its failure in grappling with the question of pauperism.
The progress of historical research, even in the hands of Protestants, is favourable to the Church, and against old prejudices.
The growing disposition in England to re turn to the faith of our fathers.
The increasingly negative character of Protestant teaching.
The instinctive fear, which it is at present ex hibiting, of the true Church of God. No national predisposing causes of success are to be found for the present energetic movement towards the Church: let us be humble, and pray, work hard, and wait for God: grace will do what we desire. Quietness, happy quietness is the sign of Ca tholics.
PROTESTANT NOTIONS OF OUR BLESSED
LOED.
The Name of Jesus the watchword of His people the love of Jesus their mark the worship of Jesus their religion.
I. Samples of professed heresy ahout the Person of our Lord among Protestants.
Socinians (and Quakers) go on "the Bible only" principle, and so are Protestants: yet they deny His Divinity.
Luther held
That the Divine attributes were communi cated to the flesh of Christ, and so that His flesh was ubiquitous.
The disgusting dogma of impanation.
Calvin held
That the flesh was conceived separate from the Word.
That our Lord did not die for all.
Almost all deny
The union of the Godhead with the Body in the tomb.
The title of the Mother of God: what comes of this.
Anglicans quarrel about the Real Presence; but all agree (art. xxviii.) that, whether it be there or not, there is to be no worship of the Sacrament.
II. The practical way in which Protestants realise the Person of our Lord.
Meditation is a kind of prajer almost un known to them.
They clip His atonement by denying the ease of reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance; and His example, by scouting the Evangelical Counsels.
They shrink from minute details of His Passion.
They think of Him as one who lived eighteen hundred years ago, rather than as living Man today; this comes of having no B. Sacrament and no Madonna.
They are as distant with Him as if He had never been Incarnate.
III. All Catholic things gather round our Lord.
All doctrines radiating out from Blessed Sacrament.
All rites and ceremonies. 8. All feasts and seasons.
Our life and strength is the love of Jesus. Protestantism is Satan s copy of Christianity. It is fast waning: heat and life are oozing out of it: history is against it: experience is against it: reason is against it, and faith not in it, and earnestness against it too: our life, I say, is the love of Jesus and by that love, hot, loyal, self-sacrificing love, we shall live down and master with hardly an effort the counterfeit Gospel of three hundred years ago.
Y.
LECTURE ON CONVERSION.
I. Present movement* its universality absence of human means to account for it what is grace, and the grace of conversion what it costs a man to become a Catholic the awfulness of living in the midst of a visible interposition of Providence, and the consolation of it.
Three hundred years experience of Protestantism; its immoral and irreligious tendency.
Coldness and illnature of the Establishment towards the poor.
Marriage of the clergy.
Want of confession and Extreme Unction.
Astonishment to find the Catholic doctrines so different from what they had been repre sented.
II. Behaviour of Protestants to converts their inability to understand grace always looking out for interested motives their strange fear of the Catholic Church they tolerate immorality sooner than Catholicism.
Behaviour of relations fulfilment of our Lord s prophecy.
Behaviour of Protestant ministers.
Behaviour of masters, employers, customers, and the like.
Inconsistency of all tins with the English Protestant principle of liberty of conscience.
Contrast of behaviour of Catholics to con verts, and their disinterested kindness to them.
III. Behaviour of converts immense importance of this how it ought to preach Christ and His truth even in the case of quite young people.
Gentleness, sweetness, meekness under rebuke.
Greater obedience and obligingness to parents and masters.
Boldness in confessing the faith Churchgoing Friday s abstinence sign of the Cross bowing at the Name of Jesus.
Abstaining from argument, and putting for ward love of God as the business of a Catholic.
Diligence in reading and making themselves good scholars: the Church only desires in crease of light.
Continual prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the conversion of England.
VI. ON JOURNALISM.
Everything in the country which presents itself as an antagonist influence to the Church, must be an object of special interest to the Brothers of the Little Oratory so newspapers. The influence they exercise is immense, and they pretend to exercise it as organs of public opinion.
I. What then is public opinion?
The opinion with which circumstances enable the few to inoculate the many. Men go by authority this is a fact, say what we will of it.
Power of it shown by the history of popular delusions.
Morality of it corruption of man s nature what S. John says of friendship with the world.
How far we may appeal to public opinion, or use it to our own purposes.
II. History of public opinion.
Early traditions, poems, and ballads.
Professions and philosophies.
Politics; sides in peace and war, and civil war.
Government proclamations*
Debates unreported, reported.
Responsible press.
Journalism.
III. Journalism a type of ungodliness; it repre sents the section of human intellect which, when in good humour, thought our Lord mad, in indifference was Pontius Pilate, and in bad humour gnashed its teeth upon Him. Journalism has, in fact, all the characteristics of a bad despotism.
Irresponsible.
Secret.
No principle but success.
No limit but failure, and so no justice.
Mercenary or pecuniary element necessary self-interest, not as with despots, for the good of others is their good too.
Truth overwhelmed by force brute force of circulation, preoccupation of ground, influence, not meeting nor needing to meet a question fairly.
It has all the evils of being hereditary it is a mere accident who turns up to start or put down a view low class of mind wanted, no beauty or grace, no election; it is a chance despotism.
IV. The position of Journalism.
The world s side of the question.
Growth of individual judgment not at all proportionate with it, nor spread of intelligence.
It comes against the Church just when physically tyranny is obliged to cease.
It probably will enter deeply into antichrist s system Julian s education schemes.
We cannot use it with equal effect so it is to be looked on as an inconvertible evil.
It may destroy itself, as all human powers do.
Conclusion Journalism is a powerful, tyrannical, and triumphant scoundrelism.
Footnotes
-
Neander, Hist, of the Christian Religion. Torrey s trans, vol. i. p. 201. ↩
Chapter 11 of 18