The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-28

LENT.-The following is the commu-
nication referred to in our paper yester-
day morning:
THE REV. MR.. CURRIE ON LENT.
Editors L'ltelligencer:
The Rev. Mr.. Currie undertakes to
correct you for attributing a Catholic
pastoral on Lent to an "EpiSc0pGL
Bishop" II he had remained content
with pointing out the mistake, should
not notice his letter. But he has gone
out of his way to misrepresent Catholic
doctrine, and in doing so contradicts
himself.
justification by works." This is not
true. The Council of Trent, session
sixth, chapter 8, defines ':faith to be the
beginning of human SGLUGtiO7l, the JOu1I-
lGtiOn ami root of GU Justification"
Catholics hold that faith is as necessary
to salvation as good works. The latter
are not meretorious until justification
has been already obtained.
Mr.. Currie cannot plead in extenua-
ton of this blunder that he is one of
those WHOSE duties have not led them
to know either Church we'll, or the
gulf of distinction between them" He
processes to be minister of the gospel
and could have procured information
| on this or any other Catholic dogma by
the generous outlay of few dollars for
books on Catholic doctrines.
He speaks of the Catholic doctrine on
the "Virgin Mary" the "Holy Catholic
Church" and the forgiveness of
"three first centuries" This is vague
| assertion and becomes impertinent
when these "accretions" are considered
As the result of Pagan influence. If
the gentleman will come next Sunday
to st. James, Catholic Cathedral at half
| fhrna n1alNRG QRnH hi4 intplIl-
gent congregation as substitute, he
will learn that the modern Catholic
doctrine regarding the forgiveness of
Sins" is the same as that OF the three
first centuries and of the New Tesla
ment. The same has been proved OF
the other specified "accretiOns," or II
requested the proofs may be repeated.
"Crinne al 1Mo disco o,4mcs."
From this specimen of Mr.. Currie's
knowledge of Catholic doctrine, your
readers will learn TO doubt his future
teaching on the subject.
But he even cOntradicts himself.
ave do not" he says, latter the man
detaix." Yet he informed us
that both churches, the Catholic
us well as the Episcopal, and the
''OItiey" of the reformed Churches" set
apart certain days as fast days, that
they set apart the same nUmOer, that
thpy 90 SO UL Tue sumo LtWC VI tue yuhL1
ana give to the period the same name"
Are not all these "details?" Are not
the rubrics of the Book OF Common
Prayer, and the order of Episcopal wor-
ship "details?" Can man fast in gen.
erul?" Moreover, the special laws of
the Catholic church regarding "meat,
fish. hogs lard and butter" are laws OF
abstinence, not of fasting: two things TO
he clearly distinguished. Mr.. Currie
further tells us that he fasts because
"Chriss commands it," win he tell us
now where Christ commanded the fast
ION certain days." or "the number of
days" and during the season of Lent?
There is not syllable about the asst
of Lent can be shown in the whole Bible
if you neglect the teachings of Tradi-
ton.
In conclusion, he is not happy in try
ing to curry favor with the reformed
Churches" of the city, since he calls the
older ones the "LcGdImg" churches, and
seems to care little for the opinion OF
the junior sprouts of the Reformation.
And rs for the Catholic Church all be
seems to have proved is, that he does
not know her doctrines, and that he en-
joys in his church the benefit of a more
com Portable Lent. Respectfully,
II. A. BRANN, d. ID.