The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-06-10
HON. r. w. Thompson.

| bObp now OeCEothTy OI tho Navy IL VI"
Cabinet of Mr.. Hayes, has written book
This book was written before Mr. Thompson
was appointed Secretary, indeed it wa
published during the campaign Of the lat'
Presidential election. The book has pro-
baby no merit, because its author has nc
force. 1t was gotten mp as Know-Noth-
ing document and published in the interest
of Mr.. Hayes. It's title is "The Pspacy
and the Civil Powers"
The work has met its reward and Mr..
Thompson is Secretary of the Navy. The
book though in itself worthless affords an
indication of tt afinities of the Republican
party. 1t also gives some clue to Mr.
Hayes afinities, since he has taken its
author to his bosom. Therefore, though
Mr.. Thompson's "Papacy and Civil Power
is not worth reading, it is sufficiently q
historical land mark to be worth knowing
something about. To know something
about 1t, and good deal about it, in fact sill
about it, one need only peruse q pretty.
little brochure written by Rev. Father
Weninger S. j. entitled "RepIy to Hon. B.
w. Thompson, Secretary of the Navy" end
which may be had of the publisher, P.
O'Shea, New York.
Comparisons are not popular, and, there
fore, we shall not say that Father Weninger
is superior to all other writer's since st.
Thomas Aquinas; we merely cay that he
10 SO in our opinion. We do not undertake
to maintain that proposition just here and
now, but we offer in proof of it the tract in
question. Read it, and say what is left of
Thompson. In fact it is compendium of
it demolishes not only
Thompson, but all the other small fry of
anti Catholic casuists. The only argument
against truth is always either error or
fas ehood. So far as misconstTuction of
Bible texts goes, that may be charitably |
% be much of an element in the contro.
7ersy of the present day. All the soph-
suns which once had vogue and which |
eally obscured the ordinary intelligence |
# men in it's view of such questions, have |
low been go thoroughly exploded that they
re no longer put forward with the conf
Ience and good faith which occe cLarac-
erzed their use.
But errors in fact stand on a different |
ooting. They are, as general thing, |
imply falsehoods, knowingly and i'm
Iudently advanced. They are the last
efuge of bad faith and are most un-
paringiy resorted to. The reason of
his is clear. Every man has a Bible ; few
nen have historical library. Every man
f good senee, after the thorough discussion
o which every text has by this time been
admitted, has good idea of the difh
ulties of the situation. He had, in each
Instance, but one text to read; the balance
'as reflection. On the other hand history
, all fact, no argument; all reading, no
easoning. 1t is the field of a man of let
ere; biblical discussion is simply the
York of man of sense. Thousands Of
sing assertions against the Catholic Church
re set afioat. Reading verse in the Bible
nd ponderipg over it will not illuminate
ny one of such poiRts; history, reading,
tudy alone can do it. But how many
ave an opportunity for this. In the mean
lme learned men, eloquent men, men en-
DylDR the aQmlTatlon ana conn0elco OF
he masses essert certain ISLANDERS as facts.
What can the people doH
They can read Father Weninger's books,
with the pamphlet above al.
nded to.
The Rev. author, in that little tract, |
reats of a wonderful number of subjects. |
Tot content with defending the Church, he
hows up the Infamous practices and doc
rines of the FIST Reformers. He refers to
.utbei's work "De ISerpo ATbitrio"
Slave WILL" as opposed to Free Will.
Ie shows how Luther taught that man acts
y irresistible impulse only, according as
rod or Satan overpowers hia will, SD that
le Ten Commandments are not Sioding OF
hristians. He shows how Melanctaon
cid that man can of himself do nothing
at Sin :" how Calvin Gays ave call pre-
the eternal decree of God by
hich some are appointed for eternal sal
alton, others for eternal damnation."
Then speaking of Henry VIII and Eliza