The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-11-14
TRIBUTES TO LUTHER.

The RefOrmer From a Catholic Standpoint,
as Portrayed by the Distinguished En-
glishman, MonsignOr Capel.
CINCINNATI, Nov. 1l.-Monseignor Capei,
who arrived yesterday, is the guest of Arch
bishop-elect Elder, at the Cathedral resi-
dence, though the latter is compelled to be
at Chillicothe to fill previous engagement.
The Monseignor to-day, in two discourses
in the Cathedral, which supplemented each
otherspoke of Luther from the Catholic stand
Ioint, In the morning sermon the preacher
showed that the Churcii was AZ! vssssanizea
body, a corporation Doth human aud divine;
human, Inasmuch as it is made up OF teach
ers in hierarchial order, and divine, because
inhabited by the Holy Spirit. This human
and divine creature, born on Pentecost Sun
day, grew according TO the law OF its exist
ence, increasing but notcreating every organ,
Just as is done by the human frame in as
similating food. Therefore argued the Mon
seignor, the Church in the fifteenth century
was a babe born Oh Pentacost, now grown TO
manhood.
In the next place, il was urged, the Church
is solid in ITS origin, in its object, in its
means of sanctification; in its interior life
which are Christ and the Holy Ghost, and
lastly, in its producing saints. And then it
was concluded to be the Church at all times
and consequently, in the sixteenth century
had this holiness. The MOnseisuor said the
DEGREES of the Council of Trent bore too pain
full testimony to the corruption existing
among the clergy and people; but this is no
proof against the truth and holiness of the
Church; no more than the conduct of Judas
would prove the apostolic college corrupt or
our own evil deeds the falsity OF the COM
mandments. or the crimes narrated in the
daily press show that the American Constitu-
ti0n teaches wrong-doings.
In the evening the Monseignor continued
the subject first disclainling any intention
to offend any one by what he should say of
Luther as a Reformer He said il he were in
London to-day and would ask what was the
state of intelligence in Europe when Luther
lived, ninety-nine out OF 100 would say it
was a state OF gross darkness, and would add
that Luther's spark kindled the whole world
into blaze Of light. He would show that
nothing was further from the truth than
this modern view of Luther's period and of
his influence. He asserted that TO Catholi-
cism and not to Professionalism was the world
indebted for the light that followed the FIf-
teenth Century. Printing and paper, those
powerful agents in the diffusion of knowl.
edge. were invented before Luther
was born. The discovery of this New
World was the result OF the energy,
learning and liberality of Catholic Spain.
AT that time sixty-four Universities OF learn
Ing eAlSleI ali over Europe. O0urCn arCnl-
lecture and the art of that time were OBJ
served, as evidences that the Catholic Church
was not suppressor of learning. The exist
ence of Republics, with a prosperous COM
merce, under Catholic auspices, gave the lie
to the charge that the Catholic Church was
the enemy OF energy, learning and liberty.
Without speaking in any detail of the life
of Luther, he would mention one or two
points that were sufficient to deprive him OF
the title of Reformer. When he was twenty
years of age he took the solemn VOWS of the
Catholic Church. This was voluntary act,
but most solemn obligation. Yet he vol
unfairly broke his VOW. This was not the
mark of Saint Another fact, cited with
reluctance, was that he wrote letters and
left to the world OF such coarse sensuousness
that any pure man would suffer
his right hand to be cut of
rather than write them. Reformers are
not made OF such material The Monseignor
said Luther's heresy was special, in that it
was revolt against the principal authority
and the assertion of a right of private iudg-
ment instead; yet, with singular inconsis-
tency, he undertook TO say what should be
the private judgment of all his followers.
Looking to fruits, Luthers teaching Mon
seignor said. a recent publication says there
are 236 divisions of the Protestant religion
in England alone. On the contrary, the
Catholic Church remains the same every
where, throughout all time. Luther's teach
ing tends to destruction, not TO building up.
1t tends to rationalism and agostism. Com
munism, another of Its legitimate fruits, was
not known in the middle ages. Revolt against
the principal authority leads to all this. No
Nation has ever been converted to Chris
tianity by Luther's followers. 1t would be
impossible when his rule of private judg-
ment was TO govern. Passing to the popular
idea that Luthur gave the Bible TO the mass
es the Monseignor said before Luther was
born the Catholic Church translated the
Scriptures into tongue and into a language
which was the mother tongue of all the peo-
pie Of learning lie argued that Christian