The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-05-12

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secured my salvation at that time.
consider no name salvation secured except
by perseverance, until the end JSnis coro1'a'
opus. The question touches somewhat
upon those sacred privacies which do NOT
belong to the public. This much, how
ever, may say-since it opens q theologi-
cal question upon which my opinion as q
Catholic may be Of some interest-had
death come then know of no good reason
why l should not have met it with such
hope of mercy as becomes Christian peni-
| tent.
The ground which you have broken
makes it necessary to speak of myself, but
l confine what have yet to say to my in
tellectual life as a believer in the Christian
revelation. That time which you have re-
called was the turning point of life. Not
that my faith. began then, but that then
began to prize and cultivate what had.
Since then, whatevar else you may say of
1t, my life has been one of sincere and en-
wavering belief. That revolution in my
faith which your inquiry searches for-that
revolution when abandoned the religious
convictions of my earlier life-nerer TOOK
place. This may seem strange to you, re-
mem bering that having been reared by
Presbyterians, / afterwards became an
Episcopalian, and am now a Catholic. But
l declare to you that have never aban-
doned a single point of religious belief
| which'I ever bad. Il say of religious be-
| negative doctrine is not matter of belief,
it is merely protesting against some posi-
tive tenet of faith merely refusal to be-
lieve.) have cast away many prejudices
of former days; 1 have accepted many
things which once did not believe; and
thus the horizon of my faith has been en-
larged. This transition of mind is never
painful, for it only follows the natural law
of growth. But have never yet felt the
shock of a lost faith; never have been
called upon to part with even one old and
familiar religious conviction, and God grant
that my soul may ever be spared such
desolatioa
Why, then, should look upon SHAT
early Mconversion as a delusion. 1t was
based upon faith which I then had and
still have. look back to it with pleasure.
l feel grateful to Elder Knapp for the part
which he had in it. 1 look back with love
and reverence to my parents first, and after
believe or sought to rouse my believing
conscience to its duty.
How is it with you, my old class. mate
When Elder Knapp knew us you had
faith, infer; and that faith probably COW
cred as much ground then as mine. Now,
you say, you are Free-thinker. This
cannot mean that you are free to think and
say what you believe to be true; for in this
sense am as free in my thoughts as you.
You mean, / suppose, that you will accept
no external authority as a guide in matters
of religion. This freedom would be en-
barrassing in every other science, and lead
to ignorant presumption. May it not per-
haps be the same in that deepest of all
sciences, which looks farther than sight
and sound can reach Practically, 1 take
it, you reject the whole Christian faith and
all revealed religion. The result of your
thinking in this direction has not been to
build up anything, but to destroy. I pity
you.
1t may sometimes be necessity to tear
down and destroy. But to me it ia always
a sad thing. I would rather plant new
mournful thing to see lying PROSTATE on
the ground a noble trunk which many
busy hands in nature, working long and |
patiently, have conspired to uprear, which
has braved SO many winters, bl0omed 80
many summers, and sheltered and adorned
the soil where it grew. More keenly
being removed, We see how deeply the
roots were fastened in the ground, how
closely they chung to it, and how the
bosom of the earth was rent in the parting.
Is it not so with a religious conviction in
the soul Can an old faith, the growth of
years, be uprooted there without causing
pain, without leaving desolation Once
you believed in God, as living, loving,
personal Being, who created youth no
die mood to forget you afterwards, but to
;herlSn you as rather. You believed
hat wondrous history of Bethlehem and
Calvary, which shows US SO dear to God,
and brings Him SO near to us. These con-
7ictions had grown up with the growth of
7our faculties, and like plantation of trees
lad thrust down their roots and spread out
heir branches, and become part of your
life. Can such a growth be removed with
nut liberation of heart, without leaving
behind it desolation And what have YOU
wv to fill the void3
You reply, suppose, that the work, how
yer painful, was necessary that these
hings were superstitious errors, and, for
ruths sake, ought to be eradicated. have
10 occasion to argue that now and here
tut from my soul pity you. And con- |,
ratulate myself that the love of truth in !,
ne has never called for such destruction.
And in you, my dear sir, may it not have
een sad mistake May it not be that
ONE great and holy truths of Revelation
aught to you have suffered in the teaching,
ave been coupled with errors, been color
d by prejudice, been pressed out of shape
o suit some harsh false system,-aye, been =
tripped of their flesh and blood by rash ..
and thus deprived in great part
life and beauty 1t NAV he that fha Old