The Irish standard., 1892-11-26
THE TRUE FAITH,
George Parsons Lathrop Tells How
the "Wall Of Mist" Between
Protestant and Catholic
MAY EASILY BE PENETRATED,

A Tidal Wave Of Conversions to
the Catholic Church in the
Next Century.
We commend to our readers, says the
Boston Republic of late date, the fol.
lowing able and instructive article from
the pen of George Parsons Lathrop, a
famous scholar and distinguished con-
vert to our church. This latter fact
makes the article doubly interesting,
1t has been said that Catholics and
Protestants live in two different worlds,
and this, us you all know, is in some
sense true
The world of clear, coherent faith; OF
serene insight into the supernatural and
divine, and the world of mere opinion,
of individual private Judgment which
leads always to difference and ind;fer-
ence, which processes to divorce belief
from reason and ends too often in helpi
less naked rationalism--th these two worldd
OF men certainly cannot be one and the
same. Yet this fact does not necessarily
prevent us who dwell in humble but dill
rect communion with Him who is called
"Wonderful," "God," 1.-THE Prince OF
Peace" from coming directly into rela-
tion with those our neighbors, acquain-
tances and friends who dwell just over
the border, in that dazzling but some
what befogged region which may be
termed the debatable land, or the land
of endless debate.
In fact, we do meet and converse with
them every day. We trade and frater-
nize with them. We can understand
perfectly all that they think and feel.
But they cannot understand us. There's
the pity. And there, too, is the problem.
How shall we lead them to understand
us and the simple, yet sublime, truth to
which we are loyal?
At this mere question, as though by a
word of magic incantation, the barriers
between the two worlds of thought arise
and interpose themselves like solid
wall. The wall, however, is only one of
mist. 1t can be penetrated. have been
Protestant and now, happily for me ]
am a Catholic--that is christian in the
true, uncompromislng faith of Christ.
Therefore [ know something about the
two worlds and a good deal about the
barriers between them.
It seems to me that the most practical
thing I can do is to give You very simply,
in the light of my own observation, a
few instances of the way in which the
non Catholics Of New England regard
Catholicity and it's adherents.
In the first place, they are brought up
with an indescribable dread of it, which
they imbibe in childhood with their earl
lest associations, and before they are
even conscious that it is being in them.
This indescribable dread-when you
come to inquire and analyze it--turns
out to be also indefnable. It is like the
hobgoblin OF the nursery. Every one Of
the sacred nurslings is confident the hob
goblin exists and would like to hurt
them if he could, but no one of them
can explain just what he is, or why he
should wish them harm. The terror of
these people has no logical beginning
that even the most patient search can
trace, and it always, when Investigated,
falls back upon an absolute defiance OF
logic.
For example, I have Congregational
friend with whom for years have dis
cussed every topic that came into our
ken e1hanstivey and with the freest
comparison of views, not at all in the
manner of dispute, but simply for the
profit of candid intellectual interchange.
We had often spoken Of religion, and
many times alluded to the Catholic
Church. On this last subject he ap-
Epeared to have prejudices which did
not share, and frequently told him so,
giving him my reasons, although I did
not then dream that I should ever he-
come a Catholic. When, at last I was
received into the Church, it was natural
to suppose that he would be the first and
the most eager to obtain my views on
this, as on eli other matters, and I told
him I would gladly answer any questions
that might occur to him. But on this
ono topic he promptly said: sNo, we
had better agree to disagree. IfI thought
as you do, / should be whore yon are,
and il you thought as / do YOU would be
where / am. The utter platitude and
vacancy Of that reply almost paralyzed
me. But, !" I said, 81 know you have
certain ideas about the Catholic Church
which I never thought were correct, and
nov that 7 am IL the Church Z can show