Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-04
CATHOLIC VS.. EPISCOPAL
EIsH OI, IRELAND REPLIES no REV.
r.. s.. THOMAS.

| ELsHOp IRELAND REPLIES TO AEY
! Il. 8. THOMAS.
He Boldly Intilnates That Mr.. Tholna.
PIagiarizes--And Controverts Dr. Pussy,
| Argument-A Vigorous Defense OF Ca
| tholicism.
Last night, al hitherto on occasions Of
Bishop Ireland's coDtroyersed discourses
room. Immediately after yespers the bishop
agcended the pulpit He looked somewhat
pale from the indisposition, amounting al
most to serious illness, from which he was
suffering the first two or three days of Last
week. Every head was turned III breathless
attention toward the pulpit, and The
bishop looked down upon the vast sea Of
uptnrned faces with calm dignity, and
after several moments of silence which the
fall of feather might have broken, he gave
out his text in low but distinct voice. His
sentences throughout the lengthy discourse
we're slowly uttered, and even when warmed
| to his subject he was not hurried. Sentence
after sentence, and argument after argument
were delivered with such calm dispassion-
ate earncstness and deliberate positiyeness
that needs must carry conviction to the I'M
| lnense audience, if not of the lncontrovertl
| bic truth of his deductions, at least of tho
speakers own faith in what he preached
Many times during the lecture, the congte-
CATION audibly showed how keenly the
salient points were appreciated. The subject
was "The Protestant Episcopal Church and
Religious Communism" In reply to Rev.
| Il. S. Thomas, the Bishop said:
Going ye, therefore, teach all nations. -Matth
| 2sth chap, 1920 w.
The opponent this evening is Rev. Il. s.
Thomas, of the Protestant Episcopal church in
| this city.
Lam grateful to him that he has fit to
| comment on my lectures against Professionalism.
He represents peculiar phase Of Protestant
ism-the Protestant Episcopal church--a very
Proteus among modern sects, well known for
it's skill in changing it's position according to
the direction Of the attack. When brought to
face other branches Of Professionalism, which
secls, schems, dissenting conycnticles, it leaps
upon lofty Catholic ground, and would fain
| spread dis1nay amidst their ranks by the echoes
Of the old-timc trumpcts Of church authority.
An English poet, Dryden, has depicted the
Episcopal church in this attitude:
90 Her front erect with majesty she bore,
The crosicr welded, and the mitre wore.
Her upper part of decent discipline
Ni,,,,, II {f., {,t;, a
And fathers, councils church and clurch's head,
Were on her reverend phylactcrics read
Should the Catholic church, however appear
in the front, the Episcopal tactics change at
once, with rapidity and sclf-posscssion that
pmazc. The Episcopal church becomes most
Protestant among Professionals. Tradition and
council are tried by scripture, and scripture by
reason Authority in church is laughed at, al
a spectre Of dark ages, from the vain terrors Of
which, it is declared the valiant Henry, anG
the virgin queen Elizabeth some three centuries
ago. wrcstcd forever England and her fortunate
dependencies. The same poet has the old
church say to her Anglican adversnry-whcI
the combat is engaged between the two:
But you tradition by the scripture try:
Pursued by sect, from this to that you fly;
Nor dare one foundation to rely.
The Word is then deposed and in this view
You rule the scripture, not the scripture you.
Thus (said the dame, and, smiling, thus pursued
! see, tradition then is disallowed
When not evinced by scripture to be true;
And scripture, an interpreted by YOU
Aware of the special characteristics Of Tho
Protestant Episcopal church, ] had always
within me, while delivering my lectures against
Professionalism, tho feeling that my Episcopal
Fri. e,, =. H.,
fancy corner Of tho Catholic ground, might
deem that my arguments were not in
tended for them or, at least were such as
to do them no sensible harm. | had come to the
conclusion that separate lecture was neccs-
sary, to establish the complete Professionalism of
their sect. The occasion was wanting, and
Rev. D.. s. Thomas has kindly afforded it.
This reply has been the more gratifying, that
his mere giving it goes far to prove my thesis.
was simply announced AZ being at war with
Professionalism no mention whatever was made
OF the Episcopal church. Mr.. Thomas, never
thclcss, at the call of Professionalism, appears
among its trusted defenders in the arena he
instinctively took to his true colors.
Mr.. Thomas breads controversy. 'The grow
ing spirit of federation in this 18th century, y
he says Ought to discourage Christian pollen.
ics,' and then, he tells u.s. the protestant
clergy have something better to do, as "thcy
am, certainly, pleased that my clerical friends
! In Professionalism esteem highly the care of
souls. But beg leave to remind them that the
first duty of Christian pastor is TO feed his
flock with truth. The commission of the chief
pastor to his delegates was, Going We, there
fore teach all misunderstanding them to OBJ
serve all things whatsoever ! have commanded
unto YOU" Holiness of character, even,
SO much valued by Christ, is made by himself
to be the result of truth. His prayer to the
Father for his disciples is "sanctify them in
truth thy word is truth" To teach Christ s
truth men must be sent. How" asks st.
Paul, .shall they preach, unless they be sent
ilocka to prove that they
have commission to preach, and this done, they
owe to them tho full teaching of Christ, not
leaving out, to use the words of the Master,
''one jot or title" The graces of sanctitca-
ton, to be relied upon in the care of souls, will
not surely be looked for among the theories of
philosophers, Or the mere resources of human
nature: they are Christ's gifts. Pastors must
tell their ilocks where the gifts arc treasured
up and through what channels they Gun be Sc
cured. This work the world will call contro-
versy; yet Christ and his apostles enioin "a, and
men protesting to be Christs ministers should
not heed the world. THE growing spirit of
federation in this 10Th century" is but indiffcr-
ence to truth: it is the sleep of death passing
over souls. Mr.. Thomas should ask himself II
there is no danger that by rocking souls into
this Sleep he is not rushing them to perlition.
The principles he advocates were not those of
the Savior, who said: Preach to every crea-
ture: he that believeth not shall be con.
demned nor those of st. Paul, who wrote to
Timothy: Preach the word in season and out
OF season y 81 rebukc with all patience
| and doctrine"
Once entered upon this task, Mr.. Thomas, |
am pleased to bear him testimony in this re-
gard, fultills it-not, indeed. with all doctrine
but with all patience. There is in his dis
course no bitterness, nor acrimony, as there
never should be in religious controversy
vein of humor, even, occasionally
runs through his delivcranccs. He
speaks in one place of the vauntinp
Goliath strding ND and down tho Wiley nf stri fe