The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-08-26
PERTERTED FAITH.

zoe an important member OF the
Literary class in New England. We
are so indifferently posted concern
ing the celebrities of that region,
that we cannot appreciate the ne
cessity on his part for a published
statement of his reasons, and those
of his wife, daughter of Nathaniel
Hawthorne, for abandoning Pro-
testantism and entering the bosom
of the Church of Rome. Perhaps
the interest that was found by so
many readers in the "Apologia" of
Newman, may have suggested to
them both the propriety of enlight-
ening the world concerning the
conversion" of other distinguished
parties. Be that as it may, the
statement of this gentleman was
read and commented upon at the
time, and the criticism it evoked
from the n Y Independent has
drawn from him a reply.
In the latter, Mr.. Lathrop en-
deavors to vindicate his change of
relations on rational grounds. His
explanations are badly mixed, and
he appears to us singularly unfor-
tunate in the illustrations he draws
from the secular courts. That his
mode of dealing with the subject
may .be sufficiently exhibited, we
cite the following passage:
Catholics bow to the utterances en-
cdthdf0 of the supreme earthly Judge or
pontif in spiritual matters, the scope of
whose decisions is carefully and precisely
limited by the Constitute D0qnatica Pyi0G
De Ecclesi0 CHRISTI as you will see on refer
ring TO 1t and they do this in the same
manner that we free citizens of this Repub-
lie are bound to obey the decisions of the
Supreme Court and the proclamations of
the President, to which we are loval be-
cause, without such loyalty, civilization
and government would be impossible The
same principles of duty and consummatelv
intelligent obedience, which hold society
together, must apply to the organization
OF human multitudes in the universal
Church. Personal study and interpreta-
ton of the Scriptures are allowed to Gath
olics and encouraged among them. But
theirindiyidual Judgments are not accepted
as divinely inspired or authoritative Pro
$estants, on the contrary, seem to magnify
personal judgment into q sort of fetish
They claim practically absolute individual
lnfallbihty for their interpretations of the
Bible and of Christian truth; forgetting. il
would seem, st. PauIs admonition i'm his
~ no I
beseech you, brethren, by the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, Hat ye al speak the
same thing, and H0t there be me- digisions
uDtong y0U.' Our Protestant friends de-
clare that, whatever else may happen. they
will never surrender their right of personal
judgment"
1t is strange that an intelligent
American, reared in the Protestant
Episcopal Church, should deliber-
ately pen such a comparison be-
tween the See of Rome and the
Supreme Court of the United States
or the Presidential Office. He surely
does not deceive himself. but merely
seeks to embarrass his critics
Whatever may be the true relation
Of the Pope to his subjects, his
American repre- entatives are en-
ploying every Imaginable device of
ingenuity to convince us that the
Church of Rome employs none but
spiritual power over them. 1t never
appeals to the secular arm ia en-
force its authority We are even
unblushingly assured that she never
did so in the past Yet this gentle
man compares the Jurisdiction of
the Vatican to that of our own
secular tribunal, and wants to know
if absolute submission in the one
case is not as reasonable as i'm the
other
One is tempted by such writing
10 q contemptuous exclamation, and
"a prompt dismission of the author
But there is no pleading so silly
that If may not lead some weak PEG.
pie astray, and even this illustra
zion may appear plausible to some
unguarded mind. II is, however
absurd i'm confouudng the tempo
raj and the spiritual spheres, and
still more in supprossing the true
issue ON the subject Of private
Judgment" The gentleman on the
stand knows well that executive