The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-07-11
Men and thes Protestant Church"

~ Under this caption a candid writerin one Of
our Protestant exchanges .nses some reflections,
which may afford subjects for thought to those
who are candid enough to accept them. WILL our
worthy friends of the Evangelical press Of this
city, who are anxious TO gather Catholic
children into their Sunday Schools, take the
hint OF this truthful person, when he says:
''The Church of Rome, wise in it's genera
ton IN - = has won much respect and
Indulgence from, men who cared little for the
absurdity of its faith the narrowness of its
policy so long as TIE neglected chadfe,, cre
lis hospitals. 1heg could torgiro a ,aediacral
priest OF Bishop for the sake Of he Sste, of Mercy
'ro brought into the nineteenth century the lore Of
Cht1stidmity's first age" .
Men are kept outside of our Churches by
another Our Church is
busted in the wrong direction, tithing mint,
auise, and cnmmin,' and forgetting the
-wcightier matters of justice, and mercy, and
truth. They find men stand
outside the Church very often, because not
quite sure that inside and outside are not
pretty much alike" -. = Then the
dssentions that mar our peace are very
mischevious i'll their effect upon men. = =
They turn Indignantly from the field where
mitred Bishops, and hooded Doctors, and
supplied priests rage and contend over a
doctrlnal feather, or verbal straw. But
whether understood or not, the man does turn
away, and as he departs nutters this forsooth
is Christian brotherhood; this is Christian
peace Something like this we
know In the world, we need not seek it in the
Church. Such scorn may he exaggerated, may
be i'll some cases uniustly bestowed. The
turning away may be illogical, for the trnth is
the TRUTH though it be ever so weakly cham
pioncd, and fought for so narrow a
teld-but it is not strange if men sit outside
the house of God, whiting till the household
have got their SGuabbiiHg done before they
undertake to Knock at the door. -
But worst of all consequence is the fact
that Hue Church absorbed by
moods and dogIuas and petty warfaring, has
little tu1e or strength TO graPple With the
plain work of the world. When the Master
was upon earth, those who watched His labOrs
saw that His hands were busy, and His daily
work was done. They saw Him healing and
teaching, giving sight to the blind and light
to the ignorant; raising the dead and inspiring
going on, and could enter upon their part IN II
with a happy confidence that such working
was worth while-anG that the world was
better for every day of it-and that there was
room enough in the world for all and more than
all such work that they could do. But, to-day,
our popular Protestant and Othodox Christi
anty is too little efficient in the plain Christ
like tasks of beneticence. 1t has been left
to Humanitarianism and Romanism to shame
us by their fidelity to the ignorant, and the
poor. The Church of Rome, wise in its
generation, or, shall we say, faithful according
to its light, has, in this way, wen much reSpec$
and indulgence from men of the world who
care little for the aIsurdity Of rs faith or the
narrowness of its policy so long as the neglect
ed children were gathered into its schools, and
the neglected sick into it's hospitals. They
conlu forgive a medieval priest or bishop tor
the sake of the Sister of Mercy, who brought
into the nineteenth century the love of Christi
auity's first age. Men are active and practical
and look for results. If they work done,
you need not stop to demonstrate that that Is
life which docs it. The problem is solved by
motion. The truth stands proven by it's fruits.
Wisdom is justified of her children when those
children are seen repeating the beneheehh
miracles of Christ. "