The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-05-17
Rev. j. M. Henderson's Letter

The wall of partition between an hon
est christian in the Roman Catholic
Church and an honest christian in the
Holy Catholic Church is not so high but
that men of ordinary candor can reach
over and shake hands. Man is bigger
word than Church and the unive rsa)
brotherhood of man is a truth that is
stronger to unite than difference of re-.
ligious opinion is to divide. The ST.
preme end which all christians have in
view. is the salvation of human souls, re-
move this aim and no church has right
to exist. But any church seeking this
grand end is deserving Of tolerance at
least. [ was trained in protestant
church which classed Paptists with idol
ators; the Rev. Mr.. Harrison was reared
and trained in Church which classes
Methodists with hereties or pagans, vet
all the power Of early training cannot
prevent me from Bdmiring any manly
qualities and Christlike traits which he
may manifest, for, although he is Ro-
man Catholic priest and L, Methodist
clergyman, yet we are men and breth.
ern who aim for the same heaven and
base our endeavors upon faith in the
Redeemer. Our little controversy is,
as he said, with principles and not
with men," I am the last one who
would act otherwise and trust that I
will be judged by my conduct and not
by what some 'strife-stirrer" may whis.
per into the ear of the Rev. Mr.. Harri-
son, He should follow the leadings of
bis own mind and not the ADVICE of per-
sons who would use him to "gather
chestnuts from the fire." Hands off
gentlemen and the world will see that
Roman Catholic priest and Methodist
clergyman can discuss great principles
and at the same time maintain their in
tegrity and dignity as men.
I shall now reply to several PROPOSE
tions laid down by the Rev. Mr.. Harri-
son.
He said-''The Church is perfect or
ganizat;an and may be viewed in ma
terial or spiritual sense as having body
and SOUL"
Answer-True, and that soul is the
unity of the Spirit and that body is the
temple in which all who have been
'born again. are living stones. The
body is properly called. "The Holy
Catholic Church," or t'The Church of
God Universal" but there is no rerson
to call it ''The Roman Catholic Church."
Methodists believe in "The Holy Cath
olic Church. and are part Of it and be-
lieve that Jesus Christ, not pope, is
the true head
He said-''To belong to the soul of the
Catholic Church is to live in accordance
with the spiritual light ono has re-
ceived."
Auswer-That may be the way to be-
long to the soul Of the Roman Catholic
Church, but to be part ofthe Holy Cath
olic Church one must be .'born again"
and except he be born again none can
enter.
He said--To belong to the body of the
Catholic Church is essential to salvation
for those who are properly instructed.
Answer Roman Catholics teach
that their Church is the body and that
those who are properly instructed must
belong to IT in order to be saved. The
Creed of Plus Y closes as follows, II
do at this present freely profess, and
sincerely hold this true catholic faith,
out of which, no one can be saved"
He did not except those who had not
been properly instructed. Rev. Harri-
son makes the exception and / am not
pre- pared to dispute it beyond quoting
Plus Y.