The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-29
The Ennre Protestant Faith in six Art,clss or
tho Modern Gospel Of Sincerity.

IN denomination so that you 6eliete.
we are Justified and saved by faith
ART. =. 1t does not signify what vol
oe1'ero 80 long as You do the right thing.
@%Ss be Of 5sa ;saS..
ART. 8. Is does not signify what YOU
DO 40 that you mean what's right.
We are judged by our intentions, not by
ART. 4. 1t does not signify what you
mean 80 that you are sincere.
ART. 5. Sincerity is practised in varioue
ways-6y strong inclination or strong
antipathy to something, by being right 10
ones own eyes, free of doubt by jgnoranc e.
| ana not caring to know more.
You are sincere if you knoU no better.
therefore take care OF to know any better by
| inqnirlnr. Heaven ia for the sincere, and
unm olested by doubt.
You are sincere, also, if you feei-as 30
maNy great men do-a hearty dislike to the
long string of Christian dog mas they teach
IN the Apostles Greed, and out of the
bloie, and to the metaphysical things about
ian Creed. To have q hearty distrust for
what ls GALE d Christian truths, or for any
ABSTRACT truth at ali, is form of sincerity
as valuable as it is common, which is ac
CURED without trouble or thought, aud
Kept as easily without thinking; therefore
Noo' hoohiuB " UcCOttOR HI Oh COG think
it, deny II; and If you do know anything
ABOUT 1t deny it with q hearty contempt.
n SthiDg like heartiness, especially in dis
ike, ior the Protestant virtue of sincerity
You are sincere, dear reader, if you thlnk
you are always right without seed Of help |
from any Church authority or creed. Take |
care, therefore never to allow your indie |
pendent belief in your own private iudg
ment to be disturbed by being told Won |
ought to inquire to make yourself sure, |
Very likely you don't want TO know more
about the truth of things. Why, then,
should you make yourself uneasy 7 Inquiry
Is a deadly foe to the comfort that goes
with the nse of private judgment, which is
quito sufficient of itself.
AGAIN, you are sincere,i if you are hearty
in liking anything This gives us an az
pllcatlon of Protestant principle of since
city most Invaluable for our quiet of mind,
Tor most mems liking is to get money.
20 enjoy themselves, to be we'll of, to be-
better off than their neighbors. In all this
they areperfectiy nncere. And, in following
c cut at any cost, and anyhow, they can
lot fail of earning the reward of reiigiousj
nncerity. 1t has been called, rather i'm
oolitel =, the world, the flesh, and the
ealiy like it, And they say they think it
light. If they know no better, 60 much the
'etter for them. Why should they be
lis9 uieted in their faith 2 If they don't
'ant to knoN better, they are only pru-
entity Watching over their rights of con-
eSter, they are only using the nseans for
eePlng it pure and untainted with scruples.
ART. q. Here, then, are a few conditions ]
that virtue of sincerity which embraces
! it's vast compass the whole Protestant
ellglon. To entertain 30 doubt about :
our own ways, to make no account of any
octrinee, creeds, or authorities, which is 7
u1te natural to know no better, which is i
lulValene to Innocence, or to think you
now quite enough, or that you know better
AN anyone else can tell you, be it priest,
,ok, or church, which is only manly self.
lance, to add to these a genial love of
easure, profit, and reputation, which ia =
oroughiy human, and, Therefore, beauti- 7.
L. All these are the spiritual gifts of N
iad, which deserve truly the name of
acerIty, because we can be hearty in
en-. 70
This sincerity, therefore, is the all sniff tn
9nt virtue that compensstes for the want
every other virtue, whether of truth or
suce. Nothing more is wanted for the
lie Protestant. HIS religion is, 'sincerity,
d nothing but sincerity" not faith or
eed. His characteristic is Thorough hon
q, whether in his ignorance or in his HI
ror. No matter 30 that he does not fidaet AN
rself about the theological niceties. He re.
ks, ike man, to his own worldly pros
rlty, not wasting his time in dreaming Co
out "a future state," which, if it Is to ter
ne, can take care OF itseif in it's own sea- An
]. boI
Anyone, who, with true heart, follows mi
'se counsels is taking the broad and ere
u prehensive road of sincerity that leads 1
perfect satisfaction with self, interior cos
ice. This Protestant eincerity-now, pro
1pily, adopted by the more educated
oiic-is far higher, deeper, and grander
u the old charity that was once in vogue.
arity only covered a multitude of sins, -
Protestant sincerity covers all; and, n
at Is ~ ore, turns them all into virtues, II
V hat, then, in short, is the 1ule of reii-
n for true Protestant? Be sincere. i Kef
yer harbor any doubt about your being to /
te right. Mako 20 inquiry. Keep yonr pc
or lnce safe from disturbing scrnples IN n,"
er the custody of your ali sufficient qua
Tate judgment. And follow out your MAI
ngs and dislikings, whatever they are, D
n man. L .
bis is the gospel of sincerity compre.
ding the whole Protestant Faith, which, 2G.
ever keeps, is at once freed from the G.
Itdom of Truth, of Creed, and of p!ao
Fch. He cares for nothing, and las NJ
Ia himself the oDlv thino worth onu w