Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-12-15
tUatohman s. journal.
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1869.
Letter Of thc Pope to Protcslanls.

= WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1869.
Letter Of the Pope to PrOiestants.
It may not generally be known to our read
' ers that the occasion of the calling Of tn,
D Council which met last week at Rome, ha,
inspired an Apostolic letter from the Holy
d Father to all Protestants and other nom Cath.
olics 1--WE cannot restrain Ourselves he
Rys, " on the occasion Of the future Council
D lSom addressing our Apostolic and paternal
words to all who do not follow the Commu-
Mon Of the Catholic Church" He does this
to warn and coniuro aud bescech them to
see that the Churches they support are not
built on Peter that they cannot therefore
have the true deposit Of Faith, and are sepa-
rated from the means Of salvation" He re-
CARDS the meeting Of the Council as fne
q opportunity to avail themselves OF the
Catholic Church, satisfy the longing Of their
hearts and liberate themselves from state
in which they cannot be assured of their sal
yation." He calls upon them to offer I'M
ceasing prayers to the God Of Mercy, that
He will throw down the wall Of separation.
and lead them back to the Holy Mother
Church, in which alone the mysteries of heav-
only grace are dispensed" and conjures
them quickly to return to the one true Fold"
The Holy Father also fears that he will
have one day to render account to him. who
is his Judge, if he does not give Protostants,
so far as is in his power, the sure means to
know the way which leads to eternal life, and
closes with the assurance that He is wait.
log with outstretched hands and ardent desire
the return Of hisoprring sons to the Catholic
Church, that he may receive them into the
mansion of the Heavenly Father, and enrich
them with his unspeakabe treasures"
We read this letter only few days ago in
a Catholic journal, which probably has no
circulation with Protestants. We confess to
little surprise that in a matter so vitality
affecting the welfare and salvation of all nan
Catholics, there should not have been effectual
measures taken by the Holy See to convey
this letter and its wishes and advice, to those |
to whom it was ostensibly addressed. We
have reason, we think, to complain of the mis-
CRADLE way in which His Holiness discharges |
the function so dear to him, and we cannot
doubt there is reason for the fear he expresses |
for being called to account by his Judge, for
not giving Protestants the sure means Of
Knowing the way of eternal salvation. 1t is
q strange thing that the " Good Shepherd"
takes no special means to reach his lost sheep
that have gone astray upon the mountains.
Bound by his Supreme Apostolic Ministry to
embrace all men in his charity, and especially
to seek and to save the wandering sheep of
his fold, to forget even the ninety and nine
that have not gone astray, and search till he
finds the lost one, what has he done on this
great occasion2 Surely, his lofty purposes
and his vicarious mercies might justify some
care in carrying them out But what has his
Holiness done to have his letter reach his err
ing people? He wrote to them one year ago
on the 18th of September last, and printed it
in the Government journal at Rome. But
no Protestant takes that journal. How could
we be expected to know the wishes of our
| Holy Father when he does not even take
pains to see that we get his letters? Is his
conscience satisfied that his tremendous re.
sponsibiity to the lost sheep of his pasture
is fulfilled by the cheap method of publishing
his behests in an obscure newspaper, and leav-
ing it to us to find out as best we can the only
way to the Heavenly Mansion2 1t is very
certain, as things are done at Rome, that not
one Of those serious words which concern tho
eternal destinies of millions of Protestant
souls, will reach one in hundred thousand
Of them. And now the Council has assem-
bled, Protestant christendom still remains in
Ignorance Of the letter which the Vicar of
Christ" has addressed to it. Has the Pope
been so absorbed in heavenly meditations as
to have forgotten the penny post2 Could he
not have issued his orders to all his bishops,
/ requiring them to see that his letter to Prot.
estants reached its destination? Is the Prot
estant world to be lost, not one sheep restored
to the "outstretched arms" of the Good Shep.
herd, because of the insuficency Of the hu.
man means by which the Pope exercises his
/ heavenly functions? We think we "who
d are as sheep gone astray" and who have nc
+ means Of salvation" are entitled to a little
: more consideration. fit was well to address
r US an Apostolic letter it was well, surely, to
= have had it reach the mark.
y We may, however, assure our readers that
II the letter makes no attempt to argue or rea.
+, son with us. h rests upon the idea that We
are lost, aud the Catholic Church is our Sa.
viour. Assuring us that we are wrong, he
makes no attempt to remove our errors. lie
C simply announces that he has the supreme
b right to decide our faith, and to enrich u,
!, with heaven. lie calls us to the repose Of
! faith in his iniallblc guidance, and bids US
return unto our rest in the arms of his SUI
d preme authority. He invites US to pray that
p we may return to his fold Come back, he
c says, without argument without explanation
= without condition, and ave will receive you
into the love of the Heavenly Father"
We convey the invitation of His Holiness
TO our Protestant readers, without any advice
r in the premises. 1t is not our fault that II
a was not presented for their earlier considera.
ton.
Confederate bonds to the amount Of