The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-07
Lecture by Rev. Es. ". WhItchcr-
nlOv H1c Became I, rns,,o,,,

Opera house last evening to hear thc Ice.
tnre given by Rev. b. ". Whlcher of
Utica, N. y, on the subject Of "Ilow he
became Catholic"
The speaker was introduced by NJ, y
s. Collins, and proceeded to give a STRAIGHT.
forward statement of the reasons why he
renowned his faith and resigned his rn..
ton as Clergyman in an Episcopal church
and became Catholic laym,n. The lee.
ture was entertaining from its historical
and photographed character, while from
its dealing with the differences existing
between the faith of The Protestants and
Catholics, his audience followed him
Closely and became deeply interested in his
line of argument, which was almost un-
broken from the beginning to the end.
lie SAID it had been suggested to him
some time ago that he should give his rea-
sons to the public for his change of faith,
but many causes deferred him from doing
it for several years. He had all along felt
that the youngest Catholic who had drawn
in its religion from its mothers breast
could give more cogent reasons and argu-
ments why all should become Catholics
than could he himself. In consenting to
lecture he endeavored to make his address
simply true one-a plain statement Of
facts as they occurred.
In connection with most Americans he
was taught from youth to believe every
thing bad of the Catholics, and was taught
from the cradle that they We're idolatrous.
wicked prosecutors; that lying and deceit
were their characteristics, and as to their
priests no opprobrium was too profound to
paint the damnation they merited. lie had
come to learn that they were not persecu-
tors, and by reading the histories of Queen
Mary the Huguenots, the Waldcnscs, the
inquisitions of Spain and Italy, he had
| found there was not word of truth in the
charge brought against the Catholics in
connection with those times. The Catholic
church had never issued an edict in all the
history of Europe that ever sanctioned the
shedding of drop of blood or the infection
of any pain for their own advancement or
for the punishment of their enemies. This
much he believed ut the age of twenty,
though still full of Protestant prejudices.
While in college and recovering from i'll
ness, he was given a volume of fiction,
which contained in it discussion between
Methodist minister and sea captain,
who was also a Protestant, upon the sub
| iect of the invocation of saints. The old
captain could not see why Catholics were
not Just as good Christians as any one,
while the minister contended they were not
Christians at all, but were worse than Pa
gans. The captain could not see why
they were idolatrous, and considered it no
more idolatry for them to say 'hail Mary
pray for us" than for the Methodists TO ask
''sister Susan" to lead in prayer Although
the subject was turned into rdicule yet it
lead the speaker to think upon it. The
charge of idolatry was brought sincerely
by the Protestants; there was no doubt the
Protestants were perfectly sincere in then
belief that the Catholics were idolatrous
The doctrine of incarnation the Protes
tants laughed to scorn and while they al
agreed that Mary was not the mother of Goo
yet all disagreed in what the relationship
consisted. The Protestant, too, knows ne
higher homage to God than the service hi
renders on Sunday and when he sees thu
Catholic seeming to honor the SAINTS will
the same worship he considers it idoatry
The Catholic had a service in the sacrifice
of mass on Gods altar, more stupendou
than all others and as higher above praye
as God is above his meanest creatures. TIL,
Protestant thinks this is elevating the san
to God whereas he does not think of bring
ing about an equality by lowering God t.
the saint. The Protestant had the SAM
service to God on Sunday as they would OF
Monday, should it be the 4th of July or tn
22d of February. They rendered prayer t.
honor to the heroes of the country as the
, did to God. When asked as to the differ
ence the answer was that the intention
made the difference.
: The speaker entered the Theological
seminary of New DIRK in 1871, with n
shadow of doubt but that the doctrines o
the Protestant Episcopal c,'urch wei
right. He, however, defendo y Catholic
, from the charge of idolatry and persecu
} ton. This defense was, however, cor
sidered dangerous by the faculty. II
determined to study Popery, as he kne,
4 the origin of the churches which Luthe.
3 Calvin, Wesley nd Fox had established
5 he now determined to find who was I'll
t first Pope and who first taught the doc
trine He therefore procured and read I'll
Fathers of the early centuries. II
: found that the Fathers maintained thel
= was but one church and the See of s
C Peter was the head. None a!tempte
s to prove it, SIMPLY because nobody d,
c MED it, All spoke of the church as I'll
spouse of God and the bride of HEAVIER
b To reject this doctrine was to reject Chris
+ He was prepared only TO reject it, y,
+ could but see that light was revealed
G was either Catholcity or intidelity and
+ this the speaker considered the mass of Il
v world would soon come. lie then wei
i to Appleton and sent to Paris for the Lat
i text of "lhe canons and DEGREES of Il
: Council Of Trent" This lie read vii
c care. AS a result he would say that in /
single instance were the real doctrines {
@ the Catholic church correctly copied |
: the Protestant text books.
c These false representations had bee
4 handed down from father to son and CO.