The New York herald., 1877-07-22
CATHOLIC SUPEKSTITION-A RE-
VIEW

CATHOLIC SUPEKSTITION-A Re-
VIEW.
To rnE EpToR OF HERALD f 'cs'.
A.gentleman, named appropriately enough Frothng g
ham, whose weekly outraEes upon the Christian re-
ligon recoive ior inexpiicable reason, the
mer,tod honor OF publicity in your columns, a
Sunday brandishcd hts childish weapons
the only real and true Christianity, the Catholic
Church.. The civilized world still the supremacy
OF an august religion, divine!y revcacd whose pro-
found and brilliant philosophy and sublime ethics
have induced the majority OF the nobest INTEL
lects everywhere for nearly two thousand years,
admit It's divine claims. At the present moment mon,
whose intellectual gifts and attanments only
passed by their beautiful virtues, almost daily
passing away IN crowds from tho spurious Christian.
propagated by the dsobedcnce OF the
century and casting themselves into Its arms The
actual civilization in the midst of which live rests
upon It. Yet here have individual asserting in
the most complacent manner that this religion thc
heart Of superstitioni" Mr. rockingham In high dud-
2eon with the s'members the Roman Catholic Church
all the world for celebrating 'the nftieth ami
vcrsary OF tho elevation OF Pope Plus IX Epis
copacy' '.The Pope" he says. "has iss ued special
proclamation promising plcnary indulgence and Tor.
civeness of their sins ali who humbleness of heart
do partake OF tho sacrament" There sacra.
ments Mr.. rockingham should have specified s'lhe
sacrament OF the Body and Blood OF our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ" 'srhe jesuit Fathers " he con
tnues. would make it appear that there nothing at
oil harmful or wronz in this" What have tho Jesuit
Fathers with 1t any more than any other OF the
members, lay or cleric, OF the Universal Church OF
Christ every one Of whom see in II the most sublime
and consoiing doctrine OF the universal faith ''But
injury great 10 humble. ignorant Catholics vino
believe that out OF the celestial treasury which at
Popes command. they shall be paid works
done IN the Church, all ther sins be wiped away
new account commenced with hcavcn'' 1t
Is shame 10 this yo!ubc gentleman that
he knows nothing about tho doctrines OF the Catholic
Church, however great misfortune may bd to him.
but n shame TO him hat he talks as II he did.
Promising that very few II any, Catholics ignorant
OF their religion, although numbers are not as
humble as they ought to be, they would DO able to
.iispl his Ignorance so far as to teach him that the
OF the saints which Chrlsts Vicar dispenses
those who arc in state oil grace do not wipo away
single SIN; and that no SIN mortal vcnia be
wiped away by any other means whatsoever than by
tho blood OF Christ applied TO soul and body IN the
penancc for postbaptsmal sin. But tho 200 OOO 900
Catholics at present on earth, together with that
multitude which no cnc can number, out of every
tongue and nation and people have lived and diod
earth during tho past 1877 years, including vast
gifts ard attachments, whic thoy do believe any
thing SO silly and unmeaning as that indulgence,
plenary partial, 'pays them Tor their done
IN the Church." AS this preacher Of inide!ity
is s.soit'' enough to assert. do believe, to a man,
in tho precise spiritual benefit conferred by him 10
whose anontcd hands Christ intrustcd tho KEYS OF
divine jurisdiction.
Mr.. Frothingham s perfectly right when he says,
'fbis church arrogates to herself the power OF
auciing safely through this vale OF lodg-
ing them ut last in heaven" That Is her nilsson 1t
Is her ratio eristend. But when, with his usual CON-
piacency though he knew all about II, he hazards
assertion, "rhe Pope, the Vicar Of Christ Is
ssupposed possess OF course under Divine guidance,
she power TO allot to aIl mombers OF his fold that
amount OF heavenly grace Tor which each IL
1tted' he falls into that foolish talking into which
subjects they know nothing about That Mr. Fro,hng-
ham.sbould not know anything about Catholic doctrine
not to be wondered at, although Is to be regretted
that hA' displays SO amentabie an uncouscousno ness
OF his o>vn ignorance Dut this be the tenn
per OF MS mind. We must call it a vice.
There are In ''cniightened" age.
HIS knowledge of the Latin language appears to Do
about equal hls knowledge OF Catholic doctrine yet
no talks about IT, and bases arguments on IT. us posi-.
tiyciy and as confidently as he does ON tho latter Ills
ey uology OF the word superstiuon" Will be 10
fXitL, scholnrs--to schoolboys IN the Latin class.
All,r lhe above sketch Of Catholic doctrine, Mr..
Frothil chan proceeds Ia tonQ OF equal confidence,
us follow v'fhis oil belief Is hcart Of super.
stition from its Greek and Latin origin
superstare- 10 stand ABOVE; some standing su-
premc above. our heads Superstition Is tho rccog-
milton OF the vo~efs that stand above and the bciiof
that the inc,uhatoos and nachnatlons of those who
stand above arc partaken OF by us who stand
below" II 1t werN not obvious that Mr.. Frothing-
ham Is wholly dovoidofany bump OF the ridiculous we
should experience anicuty IN believing him to be
,Superstare, TO stand abovcl Superstition,
recognition Of tho powers that stand aboyel IN
hin supply single passngc IN any Latin writer
reputc winch either saperare the proposition
super is used in the scn nscrbcs to IT, unless IN
tho case OF tsc Inter idea mouon Is involved IN
it. .Superstdry nhuus TO stand upon, never In the
sense OF standing above, except ,n so TAR as body
Supersitio in its thnc sense IL virtue. It's mcaniAg
isstanding 1r upon Ihe old ways and especially upon
tho ways OF the Old rclJ2Ion. To make OF IL
some dcrOptory cpitii69, such IA matd rama. or
srisfis mad DO added to IT, Thus In the eighth Encid
OF Virgil, 1880, -Rer Era,6ras dr. ITO Eneas VINO
had VISITED him 10 seek his alliance against
Turnus, King OF the RutuI1):--
Non haze solennia uobis
Has mosc,dapcS. hanc tanti numins arani,
yana supos ~ aoIvcterunquc ignara Dcorum
Irnposuit; sevi, .hospes TruJans. periclis
>ervati fsciuhis meritos3uc novamus honorcs.
SO that superstition IN Its inherent sense and not an
empty superstition wassone that was unmiudi iul
OF tho .snccnt Gods "
The following from taac twelfth snc,d sI6-l7 dis
tincty slatcs much. The Queen OF Olympus, ad-
dressing hcr Ill conducted husband, says
AJjme,stygif cAput implacaDii fontis
Una sutSrs;ftiO superis quD reddita Jeis
Horace oil LbeoGhcr hand classes q sad superstition
tho nappiest epicict Tor Puritanism know-among
tho-diseases Of the mind
Audiru. atqnc togam jubco componcre, auisquis
Anbttione inn1n, nut argent paiiet amore:
Quisqus taSuria tristve supcrstitione.
Aut alto iAentis norbo chiet
-Hor. Sat elm, D.
Mr., Frothtngham may not DO distinguished by any
very remarkable mental gift or attainment, but Il
wod be nashc highest degree unchartabIe to
tGat hc rs not,s have, therefore every hopo
that he wE admit that while Catholics who believe
IN tho Jfgion l0relathcrgthc religion which
desroyeA The ignobe dolatrics OF the days OF MANS
ignoraD co, which has enlightened the world for tho
last Lvso chous 2ad years, and to which mon arc
indebeed for ull that Ia noblc good and true upon
carth---are wisely spporstitoua The folly which
aticns of poor scebic sta0merng human is In
truijh, an '-smpty" aud "sa;p' 'superstition."
r. b. A. HARPER
THE PRIEST IN AHSOLUTION.
TO THE EproR or rur HERALD