The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-29
Corrupt Teachings of the Church
of Rome.

Va ANOAAAOs
The faith of all evangelical Protestants
in regard to many vital doctrines of the
Gospel is so different from that of the
Church of Rome that between the two
there is "a great gulf fixed" More than
this; we have long and vehemently as
serted that respecting matters Of practi-
cal morality, the teachings Of that com
munion are corrupt and detestable. Is
this accusation we'll founded? ? That oues-
ton is now undergoing an agitation in
France, which fixes the public eye upon
it with an intensity hardly equalled in the
time of Pascal, when the Jesuits gnashed
their teeth in pain under the sting of
his Provincial Letter" "a production
which, for elegant argument and wither-
ing sarcasm, has probably never been
surpassed, and which marked its author
as one of the most brilliant intellects of
the world.
Those who are we'll acquainted with
the drift Of public opinion in France,
know what prodigious uprising has been
witnessed there of late against " clerical
domination" by which phrase is meant
the domination of Roman Catholics
That there is at the same time marvel
lous work of the Holy Spirit, and great
turning of the hearts of vast multitude
OF the people towards purer faith, can
not be doubted. Yet for the present this
movement is for the most part simply a
revolt against Popery as an intolerable
spiritual tyranny. 1t may be, indeed it
doubtless is, very largely supported by
those who are themselves infdels-a nat
ural outgrowth of the baptized heathen-
ism long reigning around them. But the
upheaving is tremendous. Monasteries
and converts, with which the country
was crowded, have been closed, the pro
perty accumulated has been confscated,
and the inmates dispersed. The Jesuits
in particular, those seducers of men, {" Sc
ductores hom1una' } have been dealt with
by the government Of the country under
most decisive measures. One Of the. most
sweeping in its character is the law which
takes secular education out of the hands
of the clerical party. This strikes the
Jesults with a mortal blow, since from
their organization under Ignatus Loyola,
three hundred years ago. they have with
cunning crattlness concentrated their en-
ergies upon this line of action, and not
without effect
No one has been so prominent and ef-
tective In sustaining the Republican and
ruling party in It's position, and in de-
teatlng the Jesuits, as NJ Bert, the Min
i8ter of Public instruction under the late
administration of Gambetta. He is con-
ceded to be man of very high attain.
ments In scholarship and science, and as
a debater Is equalled by few men living
In the great debates which have beer
witnessed In the Chamber of Deputies dur
ing the last three years, he took a lead
ing part, and demonstrated from a purely
political point Of view the perils to which
the tranquility and morals OF the country
were exposed by the teachings OF the
Jesuits. He denounced this Order as a
sect which, wherever it found home
has provoked war, and has at one time
or another been hunted out of every coun-
try In Europe. He devoted himself es-
pecially to exposing their immoral doc
trines from the days OF Pascal to our own
time, and demonstrated that they are
now still teaching the most odious doc
trnes IN practical morality, not only to
young men and women. but to children
Of tender years. The effect Of this speech
upon the public mind is said to have
been extraordinary, and the sale Of the
journals IN which it was published was
enormous. The wrath Of the Jesuits and
their supporters was, Of course, innamed
to the utmost They denied the accusa-
tions, and denounced them as vile slam.
ders. But NJ. Bert was not to be dis
posed of in that way. He has turned
upon them with witness. He has pub-
lished volume Of 665 duodecimo pages