The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-09-21

courage waxed so violent that he ruahed
into a farm yard, seized q pitchfork, which
he grasped nervously, and putting his back
against wall exclaimed, Let the animal
| come, 1 put my trust in Providence, and
| will meet him like Briton ~
With just as much reason, we venture to
think, does Arehdeaeon Denson utter his
screech against the Bishops. They will do
him and his party no harm, and therefore
nc might spare his CO. religionists the scan
| religious superiors. To us it looks as il
the laity of the Protestant Church were
quietly withdra wing from the Influence of
Bishops and clergy of both parties, who
may wraDgle and scold as they wisb, but
who will find when they come to give
practical effect to their views, that they
want the vital energy of living Church.
Unless Bishops and priests have q doctrine
| to teach, with an authority which the iaity
recognize, their opinions are worthless and
their disputes are sham battles.
To us Catholics this exhibition 10 simply
absurd, and at the same time very natural.
At first we are struck by the idea Of q man,
holding the position as an Archdeacon,
openly defying not one Bishop but all the
| Bishops of his Church, that we can hardly
tell whether We are more amused at its
incongruity, or panied at its disobedience.
| religion should suffer persecution at tho
hands of his own religious snperiors by she
imposition of doctrines aud practices
which his conscience condemns. What 10
Bishop9 What is priest What is q
Church Is that allowaSle in the in
salvation of men Which would not be-
tolerated in regiment of soldiers, or
on board q ship, or in any human institu-
! ton that was meant to last Surely it ID .
pftiable sight to sec a minister Of religion,
venerable'by Office, by years, and by at
| tot 20 nrVY md ~
fensively, defying the Bishops. 1t it alb
surd, no doubt, and to an unbeliever muss
be very laughahle. But to Ms Catholics it
presents itself as the natural outcome Of
Protestan tism in all it's sections. High
Chulch and Low Church, Bishop Of Glou-
are all alike, forming their opiAions By
private Judgment, and coming to the oppo-
site conclusions which that disinteRraeing
principle makes inevitable. They. differ
to-day about the Confessional. To-mos-
row 1t will be something else. And IL the
il hard to calculate at what rate, or with
what consequences, the Estahlishmens
would work.
It let's in light too on tho charsster of
the high Church party. From them. IL
from any in the Protestant Church, We
quences OF Catholic truth. Men who pre-
tend to sncb views as theirs on the priest
hood with its dignity and its sanctity,
who must be so strong on the divine au-
thority of Bishops whom the Holy Ghost
has placed to rule the Church Of God,n
ought to treat their Bishops with more no.
spect. And If the Bishops did take line
which they thought independent, they
ought to demonstrate with Difference, and
bear 1t with patience. At least We have
known one, the greatest Of the Anglicans
who would 90 act, one who recognlzedin
- Hs~4x< A. -sk w-R1
have ceased from the publication Of the
Tracts Of the Times had his Bishop 30 COM
manded. While his faith has remained
with them-if it has-his spirit seems to
have left the Anglicans, who calling them
selves " Catholic" make very little Of the
Bishop indeed.
1t may be that Archdeacon Denison and
his party think the question of Confession
too important, and for a right settlement
Of it risk an appearance of disobedience. II
they do, their position is q serious one. If
they believe that Confession Ia divinely
constituted means of sanctifcation, speci.
ally as preparation for the reception of
the Most Holy Eucharist, and the Bishops
will not san ction its use, it's seems high
time for them to consider if they are not
already virtually "driven out" And In
stead of holding on to the Protestant
Church, which repudates this Fundamental
principle, and sowing discord in body
which they profess to serve, they ought to
look abont and see if they could not find q
more cougenial home; and If the Comics
sion movement had this effect, that making
many feel the need of relief from the sins
IF which they were conscious, and showing
them The fotility of seeking such reliefin
| Church which officially, through its chief
pastors, disclains giving it, it led them to
consider the claims of the Church In which
confession by, and absolution Of, her
members" is not only tolerated, but obi
,atory, we should see meaning of what
IN the surface of an absurd discussion. To
ls who love the holy practice, the struggle
n the Protestant Church comes as testi-
nony from human nature itself to its use
md power. Aud when we see the "yearn-
ngs, longings, strivipgs for the good they
comprehend not" we cannot refrain from
raging that our Protestant brethren,
cropping blindly in the darkness, may
ouch Gods right hand and be lifted up and
We must condemn their errors, expose
heir principles, and blame their conduct,
Vhen reprehensible. But we are not in
ifferent to their fate, and we watch with
intense interest every effort of nature or