The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-07
1 JEWS ESTIMATE OF CATHOLICITI
IND PROTESTANIISM.
baltimore Nirror,l

don, England, recently contained an article
in which it contrasts Cathollcity and Pro
testantism, and in which it deals the latter
some trenchent blows, aud shows the utter
Inconsistency of it's teachings, and that
logically it cannot stand. Logically, the ar
ticle Gays, Professionals should become jews
Re- hecting minds certainly cannot be salts
fed with the teachings of PrOtesuantism,
because therein there ia q total absence OF
compliance with the primary laws of the
mind, and no basis whereon to establish
faith. Hence the tendency of rejecting
minds among ProtestaDts to infidelity {:
hence the utter want of respect for dogma !;
hence that confusion worse than the con-
founding of tongues at the building of the
tower of Babel. We give a portion of the
article in the Jerish Calendar
"Take for ms auce, says this Jewish
journal, the divinity of jesus. All Christ
enGop, whether Catholic or Protestant, be-
lieve that Jesus was God manifest in the
flesh. and that Mary ia His mother L. is
clear that if Jeeus is God, and Mary is HIS
this is unhesitatingly admitted by Catho-
lies. But talk to PrOtestants of the mother
of God, aud they Will all be up in arms, and
cry blasphemy Toe inconsistency ia
clear. The Reformation should either
have denied the divinity of Jesus or ad-
mitted that Mary was the mother Of God.
1t has done neither Can this be satisfac-
tory to logic and conscience Take an
other instance. Catholics and Protestants
both admit the reality of miracles record
ed in the New Testament. They further
believe that these miracles were perform
ed by way Of credentials in support of the
teaching epjoined by Scriptural person
ages. The conclusion ia therefore clear
that as the performance of miracles in
those days could only have influenced those
in whose days they were wrought, and who
either witnessed them or heard of them
| from those who witnessed them, the power
| of performing miracles must have cOntiu-
ued in Christendom, since the necessity for
them was "a great after the death of these
personages as it was in their days. And,
| indeed, the distinct promise was given TO
the followers of Jesus THAT the power of
working miracles would continue with
them. Accordingly the Roman Catholic
Church has at all times performed mira
cles, and claims to do 30 to this day. Thus
| the stigmata of Louise Lateau was cor
! sidered by the Roman Catholics the effect
of a miracle. Thus the conversion OF
the Jew Ratisbonne, in trice, by the ap.
pearance of the Virgin to him, is ascribed
| to miracle. Thus the appearance of the
Virgin in the grotto of Lourdes to some
children is declared by the faithful to be a
miracle. But ell these miracles are rejected
| by Protestants as mere haliuclnatIons or
frauds. On what grounds can the evidence
of those who witnessed these miracles be
| rejected anu CDoE0 EcCOTuS UObpCi5 UC
| main tanned They both rest on the evil
dence of eye-witnesses and, considering
the public manner in which these modern
miracles were performed and the tests to
which they have been subject by men who
| lack neither candor, knowledge or oppor-
tunities for investigating the eubject' the
| balance of credibility is decidedly on the
side of modern miracles. Surely, in those
several cases of lamentations, even in oul
days the number and credibility of the
witnesses who testified to the reality of the
miracles performed by the relics of the
canonized saints are at least as great 81
| those of the confessedly illiterate early
| disciples of Jesus, or the simple minded
women who acted such a conspicuous part
| in the events which led to the establishment
of Christianity. Where is Protestant con
sistency in receiving one set Of miracles
aud rejecting the other Z And why, il
Jesus was really God, should not piece Of
dough, if he willed it, be transformed into
his flesh, and drop of wine into his blood
| Is it becauee after the conservation the
| elements still present the same appearance
which marked them before the transmuts-
| tion Z Then what is the good of Dye-
tery admitted by Protestants the same al
by Roman Catholics if it cannot cover such
phenomenon Is it more unreasonable to
admit this mysterious transma tatlon than
| to believe that three is Que and one ia
| three The result of euch comparisons,
and the reasoning oaseo upon Cnem must
| be q shock to the logic and consciences of
many o thinking Christian, and the alter
native which forces itself upon him is, either
| to decline believing all these inconRruities
and inconsistencies taught by his Church,
and to admit that the Jews after all were
| consistent when they refused credence to
all these statements upon which tie struc-
| ture of Christisnity is reared, or to admit
them 10 their full length aud breadth, as
does the Roman Church, and c52seqr rntly
to embrace her. There = NO way out OF
this dilemma, aG3 secess;c.a from the
Anglican Church will continue, while the
causes producing them will be tolerated.
Nothing but another reform ending in an
approach in the direction OF Judaism, can
save Professionalism and the sooner this
new reform be undertaken, the better
chance will Professionalism have to preserve
itself. If it delays any longer, it may be too
late. It may in the interval have lost some
of it's leading minds, and there may not be
sufficient earn estness, spiritually, and in.
tellect left to cope with the gigantic evil