The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-12-03
The Catholic Church from a Protestant Stand
point.

point
The Washington correspondent of the
Cincinnati Telegraph gives the following
synopsis of discourse delivered at the
third annual meeting of the general associ-
alton of Congregational Churches. 1t was
delivered by the Rev. L. w. Bacon, of the
Congregational Church of Baltimore, the
subject being, I" tile Futurc Of the Papal
Church in America"
The Rev. Mr.. Bacon took a general sur
vey Of the Catholic Church in these United
States, touching on the several elements of
it's strength. intrinsic and extrinsic, doc
trinal and disciplinary. tie emphatically
asserted that Catholic bounds and limits,
which lie termed /" Imitation" cannot be
found in any Protestant system in the
interests of morals. This he deplored.
''Faith is the holding of dogma and this i'm
plies works as well as belief" He cautioned
his hearers against sncering Mt the idea of
infallibility-it is simple Catholic logic,
the inevitable conclusion of the Papistic
premises. 1t was held in practice before
the late Council as well as since, the only
ground of objection being-its being made
. condition of salvation. He then asserted
Ito be more careful l should perhaps say
he iptimated-that the Protestant system
fails to meet the yearning for positive GER
by name, to several Protestant intellects of
repute who have gone over to the Church
of Rome, aaa whose Published reasons for
doing 80 show q general concurrence on
this point. In proof of this he directed
their attention to the Catholic Publication
House in New York, where they are sure
of receiving the poiItest reception and
finding a number OF works of this charac-
ter, any one of which will dcservedly chal-1
lenge their attention. He here particular
lied the "Gropnss after Truth" by
Joshua Huntington, formerly L Congrega-
tionalist like themselves, and one or two
ether books of the same character. This |
Mr.. Huntington they must have known IA
she very man whose pious mothers life |
was written by Rev. Dr. Wisncr, " one of |
the saints of the Church." Propahly the |
speaker intended the clause quoted as n |
compliment to the lady aud not to her |
biographer; l am certain, however, that |
he declared the desire he had of dcducting
so much from the funds of their publication |
exchequer as would purchase from the Ca |
tholic Publication House in New York u
number of Mr.. HuntinGton's 9 Groupings |
after Truth" for the enlightenment of Pro
testants in this country. They would then !
have their eyes open to their own defects,
and how it is that the Roman Church at
tracts SO many of their best men. Mr..
huntington had found peace and repose in
that Church, " that kind of peace and re-
pose winch Is found Mt that shop, which Is
not the genuine article, l assure you" He
pronounced the conversions in this country
from the Protestant ranks to those of Rome
as highly respectable" including many
OF " the most intelligent and most infuen-
tial Protestants )" and put the question,
where would YOU find purer soul than
that Of Father Baker, or u better theolo-
MAN than Father Hewit7n He here bamed
from memory several other converts, aud
these only the few, lie SAID, that occurred
to him at the moment. Now what have we
to boast of on the other sIde7 he emphati-
cally ipterrogated. Will you name for
me any reputable conversion from the Ca