The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-01-24
Concluded.

In one breath Mr.. Gillette speaks of
the "errors and crimes" of the catbo-
lie church as past and in the next
says "she rejects nothing" of her
ancient dognsas and practices. Hence
he contradicts himself. Yes, it is
true, she retains all her ancient dog
mas and practices semper eadem-al-
ways the same, is her proud boast, and
the non possumus-we cannot-of
Plus IX-rings as clearly and unfal-
teringly in answer to the threats and
double meaning proffers of Vic
tor Emanuel, as did that of Peter the
fisherman, in answer to the iron
heeled Nero. Her teaching has al
ways been the same and her infallible
dogmas of faith and morals, which
Christ commanded the world to hear,
never reversed. Our Lord has told us,
''hear the church, its head st. Peter
and all succeeding Popes, never told
us hear the Bible, Martin Luther or
Mr.. Gillette. She does not teach the
existence of hell to-day and reject it
tomorrow, as some of our dissenting
brethern do, who indeed should curse
the day, and will sooner or latter, that
the first "Reformers' caused them to
separate from the church of Roman,
and be carried about by every wind
of doctrine since. Now especially we
find them going to pieces, more and
more everyday, on the hell question:
| Where now is that "one- faith, one
Lord, one Baptism )" why now not
| listen to that church our Lord com.
manded us to hear and established for
the express purpose of teaching us our
faith? True Mr.. Gillette and all of
his kind claim infallibility personally
and advance their opinions without
proof or reason as infallibly true on
the most abstruse and difficult ques-
tions, everyone of them is a church in
himselfand infallible, SO many men,
bers so many different opinions essen
TALLY differing, each of course infalli-
bic, so many minds so many
churches. So 1t goes with our Pres
byterian neighbors. They never
know their faith and are boiling down
the little they have every day and
now want to cheat the devil out Of
hell. Hear how Dryden beautifully
describes their faith in the following
stanza
By various texts we both uphold our claim,
| Nay, often ground our title on the same;
After long labors lost and times expense,
Both grant the words, and quarrel for the
sense.
Thus all disputes forever must depend,
| For no dumb rule can controversies end.
Let us hear Shakespeare:
Mark you this, Bassanio
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
| In religion what damniug error
But some sober brow can bless 1t
| And approve it with q text.
To deprive Mr.. Tilden of the Presi-
dency was bad enough, but to deprive
the devil of his internal throne is too
much ola good thing. God himself
will have to look to his heavenly abode
else our dissenting brethren will
euchre him out of it. The following
epigram would seem to express pretty
accurately, the confession of faith
adopted by Mr.. Gillette and his assent
ing friends.
We now reject each mystic creed,
Tocommon sense a scandal;
| We're more enlightened-yes indeed,
The devil holds the candle;''
Let us take glance at the world OF
to-day and find out where do we find
"the thumb screw and the auto de fe''
that my adversary says, are in the
catholic church.
There is not one catholic govern
ment of Europe which now ersecutes
for conscience sake; on the othel
hand scarcely is there one protestant
government, which does not in one
form or other, even at this day; Bel
gium is catholic, and Belgium allows
equal rights to all, protestant and
catholic. The inquisition has been
long since banished from Spain and
Portugal, and those no longer perse
cute dissenters. France is catholic
and protects protestants equally al
catholics, pays protestant clergy more
than the catholic as the former have
wives and families. Bavaria is catho
lie; and Bavaria allows equal civi
rights to Protestants as to catholics
} Austria is catholic; and Austri,
adopts the same equitable policy
: Bohemia is catholic; and Bohemi,
initiates the example of the othe
catholic countries and the same ma,
be said of Hungary which, like Bohe
mia, is dependency of the Austrian
empire. Italy is catholic; anC
Protestants, even when the Pop,
} ruled supreme in Rome, were allowed
places of worship and public GENE
teries at the very gates of the eterna
city itself. So far has this federation
been carried under Plus IX-ther
King and Pope, that but a few year
since parson of the church of Eng
land delivered a course of lecture
, against "popery" at Rome itself; an,
, Cardinal Wiseman answered them
Poland, poor bleeding and down trod
, den Poland, is catholic to its yer,
hearts core and Poland was seldom
| til .Xl a..