The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-12
WHICH THE TRUE CHURCH,
G0HAy CATHOLIC sAV1NT RE
yOUNCEs ROME.
An Interesting Letter TO the Pore re, rr"-

XyLr. sawed tbc Hateful seeds Of Doubt
One ~ the first fruits Of the C""nci
Mosr Holy Farmer With q full convection o.
the rrnye responsibility ] assumo, hcH ti,,'no W
MAGE most rrspecuuy at the feet Of your uuihcAs
the iOllJwing profession oi iaith -, = ,o,,,cpt
Lave been up to nc p,I ,nrr "f Rome witch
believed In oil sincerity to DO the oniy Canoho a"u
Arostoiio Church. 49, ....,.,,,s
I have made every scntiucn OF my heart ana every
flculty of MY Intellect subseryicnt To th' Wea,o au
elor6caton Of mat Church seorL1g r 1 under
Ge militant banner OF that Church: ,,,
Az a tbenlogian and n historian, have setulo9sy
iabtred Tor the widespread diffusion OF her uoC
trncs In the department Of science as tnonels';
aud In the domain Of the press; as a inissi3nniy
so in Lapland nave devoted my time and efforts
professor cssr al the CahcRef g. ny Of Bald
more, In tho United States Of America,
If presume TO enumernte these fncte. which con
cern myself alone as On humble individual, y -
only with a view Of recording the sim erity OF my
professions and the devotedness OF my services On
behalf Of tho Church OF Rome. This deyotedness
hns remained firm and unshakcn. Notwithstanding
we saa spee,ac,e wSn nc .n5 sshcm,ee prciect
NJ the Roman clergy have constantly Afforded nc.
Whilst deploring these abuses, ! endsavoIea 70
trlbutcd the responsibility TO Individual error. In
the ador OF my convictions J. oiseonn,cted the
CIurch OF Rome from all JOINT LIABILITY in the aes
which were perpetrated IN her name.
confidently believed that TO Papacy was intrust-
ed the divine mission OF solving alb the great re-
ligious and social problems.
Il was yourself most Holy Father, who gave those
convictions the first staggering blow The pubica,
ton Of tue syllabus soWed m my mind the Daneiul
seeds OF doubt " 1t h impossible" reasoned l,
that there should be fagrant contradiction be.
tween the vital eNigenccs Of human society and
those of the Church OF God. IL IA impossible that
the duty of being good Christian involves the
NECESSITY To- cease being citizcn to abstain from all
progress to shut out all ght, and TO 90 back, crop
Ing In the dark, to tie middle ages, with ali thor
concomitant evils AMI pornloious abuses"
NY intellect rose In rcbohOn nganst the lamenta-
bic theories which the Holy see proclaimed, Ufbl tt
or6e but heart st chung TO Tvs CHERISHED conye-
tons.
Tnis internal struggle resulted in the following
compromise between my reason and my fcen-s
"The Pope" Iargued TO myself. being mortal Is
liable 10 err. Unwise couLscls NAV have leo lm
astray Animated with the best intenti0ns, PIus IN.
| has uBconssiously committed an error wnlch he or
his successors will redress Notwitt standing this,
the Church OF Rome less lo y. pure and truth
full Lcrmc then continue 70 her service, imploring
lhr ALMIGHTY to enhgnten those who are placed AT
her helm"
Such, Holy Father. was my 1rst halting-pluce on
the road to Damascus.
II was you agan who urged forward on that
road, unh lght triumphtd over darkness.
The assembling Of the Reumenca Council IN
Rome conyoked for the ayowod purpose OF enacting
into dogmas the doctrines contained IN the SYLLABUS
as wtll az the doctrine OF Popal inalibinty, put
end TO my hestatons, and confronted me face to
fnce with truth,
AZ a Christian. ns a citizen, and ne y student,
obey tr pie mandate In raising ny voice 20 address
| 10 you, before God aud man, the following eoemn
| declaration:
Hoiv Father. In my nanc and in that Of many
| thOus md OF laymen who are laboring under the
same Impressions a. myscif I protest against the
| doctrines which you seem determined to promul
gate, and winch openly conflict with all divine and
which you have orignstcd between Church and
society. Iprotest against the sacregious sentence
| You have pronounced against all progress and
against every department Of science l protest
against the princlple OF Papal infalbillly, when
you aim to establish rs q dogma, In papabc contra
dciiun with the text OF the Gospel md with eccle
siastical traditio
iatai consequences Of these acts. against which
protest with all tile force OF my cnnvicious
Tho need Of religious authority aud unity Is go
imperative that It IL mure than probable that
protests similar to those which l have the
courage to enunciate msy occur but rarely The
great Catholic majority may not perhaps sever all
Connections with the holy See as openly as do
but indeorentism will prey upon the vital organs oil
Cathoncism, and the absolute incomoutibihty Of
Roman doctrines with the social political ex
cics OF humanity Will undermine tho very founda-
tons ~ that Church electually TO determine
her decay and ruin.
In the face Of such serious and irretrievnblc
wrong what consoisilon remains then for the souls
81 the hithiul and behevingt Must they, IN aban-
donhg that Church OF Rome, to winch their convc.
tons urge them no longer TO belong, embark with
rauOnHllsm as their only comr"ss on the troubled
wnIers OF Protestantsm, at the risk Of perishing
among the breakers OF pan.hesnt
sueh are the intricate questions Ihave propounde1
70 myself IN deep anguish and trihuatiOn Of mind,
and winch, through the grace OF prayer, study, and
meditauon have succeeded W unravelhns
Tue shueer' tho maven, which have striven 20
reach In TINS storm was a Charch which has pre-
served inVlolae an intact H." evangelical and
tohcdl doctrines IL Is church which las never
Oeen IN contradiction win the vial and paramount;
eAEenccs OF so"iety WIN progress ana SC enoe, Il
u CHURCH wmc' docs not mitge the spiritual with
Tue 'eupor'l Nhch mas no fOnuh King, and which
remembers mat Chrl.t has aid, - MY kingdom =
not ul uls earth' ~ u church winch does not
impose celhacy 90 nor priesthood, which docs not
SCI lhnuistnoes lHr tle erection OF temples; II ~
cuurcn Mnosc tNl-,ehce uue7 not dcpcni on IN"
supP'lt ui IoT'lsu paYohcls ahd Whlch DOS not
coseiN 80 mohsrous az auomniV rs uat OF
Ionuu aEhlns utaOh-w2rra"t Immediately
" ~ laNlhs veIioIuei the suolme mystery Of ttc
& r.tcd ai,hrnt w ~, ohn,ch wlic has
u', y. .e.n.uVl w '" wy rc-unch established
Wy Its a1u W. 20 the s. noin' or, that Is
csy h ~ b h',h rrs,ien ~, ~
so,5 h, - a., % W., ,i ,'or f ne mas vouch-
M o ,i e,,'It s.,. p"nen whose shelter
ccr,rcv haye tn,nd ~ ou' Ini"1 p lrnin his
Gn"s,olic riurrh II ia tho o,,o nv cSa.nole and
~, -, - ri ~, .. ~. ~, ttrouoh NhuIch OF the
r,,ubsny becsn"o tie Rshors 81 W pan onIS parted
trrni,nrJ ia rs,,n onJ d,n''nna VI N'me were de-
MAJ Ciurch los mir 'i,et ,,,.,z,,, -
boi all ~ H. eyrcii a. v, uneon'oInhaled, the
81 h,s ny pnn,iS NJ W., ne. =,
,, Nv 0, ,I h,,Eh VT u nol true ne Ia
80 ppraIo1S 49, 49, s wy i,, or, OF ieutsla
~ iii s'rcSdo,rh l,o,,,iss pu,t,a,es ale olesiei
Ci,ris,i.Is ~ tJai o wSs9' ""u Nio ou' the ulst
IT, Ra.sa n" a 80 ,po u'pI IT, rr, -. !, ,., A.,
oritc, "t,, ~ 10 ~, i1'hoy unu ELSEWHERE, the
OitnytpA Nn'is 10 ile'u on tne IpVung OF the