The New York herald., 1872-12-01
sen A. H. ana naIEpast seven p M. The Rev. DR..
Potter OF Grace church. win preach In the evening.

Protestant Cathedrals-A Protest Against
ssLayman."
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
In the HERALD OF Sunday last letter appeared
signed "Layman." Certain points In II that feel
drawn to make few remarks regarding oblige
me to request that you will kindly allow me their
insertion In your impartial journal.
In the first place have to say that the letter in
question was evidently the production OF one of
Low Church views, and for this reason could only
expect 1t to De written as 1t was, in an anti
Catholic style. look upon it as protest against the
proposed erection in this city Of cathedral by
the Protestant Episcopal Church. 1t put forward
variety OF objections to the project, which I may
classify generally as follows -First-That several
uptown churches were In debt and had their pews
nearly empty. Sec0nd-That the Bishops OF
Manchester and Peterborough are said recently to
have expressed some doubts as to the expediency
OF the English cathedral system. Third-That
1t was an efrete institution OF the Middle Ages;
besides. there can be no hope OF approaching in
architectural splend0ur the ancient structures OF
Europe; and last-that cathedral is out OF
place In this country except in the Catholic Church.
or as "Layman" felt pleased to term It, the
tiOns do not desire to directly comment on them.
therefore leave them to be, as they no doubt
In m notice Of this matter do not q wish to give
any me offence. merely desire to expose Views
that are shared in by millions. and that. II they
were not misunderstood or rather mlsrepresented,
there are millions more would hold them. It may
appear rather strange to some minds that Catho-
as Head or the Church and Chrst's Vicar on earth,
can rejeice to learn that the Protestant Episcopal
community intend to erect cathedral In the city
and rejecting Catholic cannot but in this prof.
ect although 1t be under false colors, at once q
gandest Of Cnrs IN IN s Eae
namely, the dignity and authority OF the episcopal
order. Thus he rejoices. which he only does the
is to destroy and abolish forever that which is the
glory Of the Christian Church. / know well what
Is s ey
sons, but in reality through want Of win. They
associated with with ali that catnolicity loves v s
and Professionalism desires to forget 1t recalls the
Others It figures to the mind Thomas Beckett
yielding up his life as martyr on the atar-step In
England as she was ana France ana SPAIN as thew
are STILL and it gives us hope for the future. What
has been left to England in her cathedrals de-
are In name and in bare walls still existing, and,
as 1t were, silently testifying to that truth they
nave i0st put not forgotten, ana thus encouraging,
England's most gifted to leave her universities
and go search Tor the truth in that greatest OF
cathedras, within che Eternal City, whose soil is
purpled with the Apostles blood. This cheers the
children of Holy Church in England, and causes
silent asles Of her "a ancient churches viii i'll again gain
have heard within them the same Latin chants as
OF old. And we, too, Catholics OF this great me-
altar raise its walls in our ctys midst, 1t gives us
to hope that its desOation because of the absence
marble on F ayenne reav ee the
CATHoLICUs.
Reasons for Becoming q Catholic.
TO THE EDITOR OF TIE HERALD
When boy about seventeen years old behcld
Catholic Prayer Book for the first time in my life,
and upon seeing the words "Blessed Virginn in 1t
they reminded me very forcibly OF the forty-eighth
verse Of the first chapter OF st. Luke, where In the
Douay version, 1t is rendered thus:-"Tor He hath
regarded the humility OF His handmaid for, be-
hold, from hence1orth all generations shall call me
blessed" This language of the mother Of Christ
preyed upon my mind for many long years on ac-
count OF the Catholic Church, and it only having
verified its utterance for nearly nineteen hundred
years. from age to age, without ceasing Yes,
her remarks haunted me at all times and in all
places; and when relapsed more and more into
infidelty they never departed from me, but were
always constant monitor, until at last, by the
grace Of God, they became instrumental in leading
me into His Church. Yet did not unite with this
Church until had examined the claims OF all the
sects schisnls and denominations of the Topped or
w1thered branches from the ever-blooming tree OF
Catholiciry.
Now, let me ask the clergy and laity OF these
branches whether they think that by any OF the
coctive powers OF the minds OF fallible men such
conference could have been produced as the literal
fulflment OF this prediction Of the "Bessed Vir-
gin," which not only proves the inspiration OF the
Scriptures. but also that the Catholic Church is
not human but q divine institution, anu how
palpably and grossly inconsistent these sects and
denominations are in their unsparing condemna-
tion OF the Church for proving these two import
ant things, namely, its divine origin and the in
spiration Of the sacred Scriptures. This ends my
Now for the second. After concluding that all
sects, schisms &c. were built on q sandy founda-
tiOn because none Of them could prove the three
infallible marks Of the Church OF Christ, namely
subsistence in all ages the teaching OF ali nations
it, then concluded that either Jesus Christ, with ali
honor to His holy name, was what He claimed to
be, or else the grOssest fmpOst0r that lived,
and according to all parity Of reasoning, unless
could find church extant and visible as verify
in the world that filled these three marks OF sub
sistence teaching and purity oown until the pre-
my inquiries Of the clergy and laity, Of all
sects, schisms and denominations whether their
particular Church, could I'LL these three marks upon
their giving negative. reply would say could
not unite with them. Their cupability in the sight
H 80 they ana not ada
such Church in existence by saying the Catholic
Church was originally the true one, but that 1t be-
came corrupt and that God Almighty raised up, to
purify his own Church. such men as Aries Luther,
Calvin Henry vIlI., Knox, Fox, Wesley and Brig.
ham Young. Do you not all perceive that such pre-.
misses and conclusions virtually make Jesus Christ
q liar and an imp0stor, and IL tantamOunt to the
gates Of hell having prevailed over his Church9
This Is my second reason; but my third and last is
directly connected with 1t.
Let all enemies OF the Church Of God gaze with
their most 0utstretched vision and see n they can
behold one vicar Of Christ from st. Peter to Plus
K.-of which there have been 262-who has ever
sacraments or fundamental principles of the
Catholic Church. Did they not cut OF as withered
branches the Arion, Greek, Lutheran and Anglican
heresies, including thousands Of ecclesiastcs from
priests to cardinals, and millions OF laity, because
they wished to make encroachments upon the
never-changing truths OF the Church Of Christ
II the Pope had attached his signature to Henry
Wills divorce bill would not all the nends IN
calnate and their satellites, have shouted with
demoniac JOY on account OF him having violated
the express commands Of Jesus Christ where He
q tndiaQOluh1As nnf h,,td On