The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-11-04
Manly and Sensible.

UvHnly ana Sensible.
fWe commend, as peculiarly worthy of
c1ref-l perusal in these days of religious big
ntry and iutoisfArec, the follewirs mani
.;., -~tiele from the Christian Id
Aa So uo,os,.e =. religious Journal publish
ed, we believe, at St LOUIS. on acc'--: .
its length, we omit the large portion 9i Inc
article. 1t is headed 'The Catholics-Oh
the Catholics!'
The Catholics are increasing rapidly, very
rapidly-ne doubt about ;hat-and i. YOU
had attended to your Cwn legitimate work
and had woi kcI as faithfully during the five
years last past as have the Ce:holcs, you
would have increased as well as they. The
Catholic priests and people, stuck to their
work 'all at it, and always at it, Had
YOU done likewise, it would have been more
credtabie TO yourselves aud much better for
the interests of Professionalism. The Catholic
believes the teachings of his Church and
3abors to sJrecd its influence. And VINO
blsmes him for that? Would you not IN
crease the number an1 influence OF your
Church You claim to be honest. So does
the Catholic. You say you are sincere 30
is he You belive he is in error. and talk
about fighting him. He believes you are in
error; he tries to convert you. -. but 1t he
gets the power he'll force me-" Well, if he
were to-thats precisely what you talk of
doing with him. Would it be any worse in
him than i. Is in you? But the Catholics
nre seeking to get the control Of this Govern
ment." Well. suppose they are-whIch the
1drocate is certainly not inclined to aihrm-
but suppose they are, then come out 'honor
bright" and saq il you have not been aiming
at least indirectly. 10 DO the very same thing
Don't get mad. 1t wi do no good. Anger
ia no aroument Honestly and candi ily,
has not Puritanism, as represented by You,
been irving. for years, to accomplish the same
ends The -idcocate makes no change, but
simply asks a question or tvO.
Your course as ministers, and the course
Of your press, and the course OF large p0r-
tion-a majority, perbaps-of your people
during the few years last past. is well known.
The effects OF it are very plainly to be seen
All this while the Catholics have worked
in the camps, on the fields, in the prison, in
the bospitals. and wherever else they could
find an open:ng. They desired to increase
their numbers and influence; they labored
earnestly and constantly for that purpose:
norhave they Iabored in vain. Why did you
not pursne a similar course? Had you done
10. YOU would now have had less to comp lain
of. you would have increased in numbers
and in influence: and hundreds and thous-
ands of men and women who have gone into
the Catholic Church would never have done
SO had you and your co laborerS always main
tanned in principles and pyacttce pure, non
secular Church
You did not do this and the result is, YOU
have lost more :han will be speedily regain
ed. Don't blame the catholics, blame your
sa!ses: yours : the fault, and yours will be
the sorrow. The Adrocate is Protestant to
the core, bu. its reli ZION is not OF the quarrel
ling and ishtin, kind. The weapons of its
warfare are not tdI7.0I. 1t is willing to do
Justice to Catholics, desires to treat them
k,ndly, and if called ON to debate any point
of doctrine, or any usage, with any of them,
to do so respectfully. kincly, and with a desire
only 70 elici, truth The Catholics, for the
greater part, have, during the few years last
past. acted consistently There have been a
few exceptions, but exceptions do not form
the rule. They have acted consistently, and
that, more than Purtanism has done,
whether it were represented by Congregation
alists. by Unitari,ins, by Presbyterians, by
Baptists, or by Methodists. And Puritanism
prevails extensively in all these sects, in the
East and North They have acted consistent
ly with their professors, while Purltanism
did not. There's the difference, and diff
ference which led to widely different results
Gentlemen, these are stubborn facts. aid the
more you butt against them the worse will
you hurt your heads.
Consider we'll whether you had not better
leave~off that PharisaIc prayer, God, !
thank thee, am not as other men, and
adopt that of the publican, 'God be mercitul
to me sinne7!' Then, just in so far as
the Catholics can "be put down" by the faith
full preaching of the pure Gospel of Christ;
by holy. upright living: by humble, penitent
PRAYERS. offered in the name OF Christ, for
things agreeble to the will of God, and Of
fere6 in humble submission to that will; by
the exercise and manifestation of the spirit
of Christ, the spirit of love, of pity, Of gentle
ness, of meekness. of patience and long suf>
fering, of forbearance and forgivness, why,
lust in so far will the 1drocdte aid you. You
NAV depend on that And then, if we can
not put down the Catholics in that way; if
we cannot, or will not, preach better, pray
more ferventv and more acceptabiy, live
more holly and unblanably if we cannot
eyince higher degree of Christian attain
Ioent, be more upright and consistent than
they, ana DO more good than they, why we
will have to let them alone. Do let poor,
sin-cursed world have the best form and mani
iesiation Of religion it can get; and II III this
we cannot surpass the Catholics, let them
alone.