The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-07-29


to see the dogs of war let loose and see
England get good thrashing from the
French republic.
cENSoRIoUS CRITICS.
In the letter announcing his intention
of joining the Catholic Church, Rev.
Henry A. Adams, the Anglican clergy
man of New York, is severe in his strict
ures on his former co-re]igionists, espec-
tally the vestry men OF the church. In
giving his reasons for abandoning the
Anglican faith he uses these significant
words: With bleeding heart, l turned
to study the foundations of the Roman
claims, and read for the first time the
splendid arguments of that half score OF
giants who have worked out the question
with a learning far beyond that of my
teachers, and with a sanctity and diein-
terestedness beyond words-beautiful to
me, so fresh from the time. serving,
money -worshiping and truth. evading
atmosphere of my commission. At last,
without an effort, with the sense of deep,
unfathomable peace, my soul rushed out
to meet my intellect returning from it's
search convicted, and all my nature knew
that light was come. After the years of
anguish and of doubt and struggle I
passed into Gods ''strong city, even
into His tabernacle, there to be hid for
ever from tue strife of tongue.
His former associates have naturally
demurred to the aspersions cast upon
their church by one whom they look
upon as an apostate. They could readily
forgive him for abiding in such lauda-
tory terms to the leaders of the Trac-
tartan Movement who passed over to
Rome nearly half century ago, but
when he disparages their communion by
applying to it the odious words money
worshlping and truth-evading," their
Protestant spirit is aroused and they Wig
orously upbraid him for his plain speak
ing. They even accuse him of mental
weakness and insincerity because he re-
nounces Professionalism. They have not
particle of sympathy for him, even
though his heart was bleeding when he
began his investigation of the Roman
claims and remained with them until the
light of heaven dawned upon his soul
and he was convinced he was in error.
He acted in accordance with the dictates
of his conscience and in anguish Of spirit
left them for holier and better church
to work out his eternal salvation.
There is one great secular paper that
is magnanimous enough to defend Rev.
Mr.. Adams from the censure of his Epis-
copal critics. and that is the New York
Sun. In last Sundays issue it says his
statement Of his reasons for changing his
faith shows no sign of intel ectual weak
ness, but On the contrary, the statement
as a whole was clear, consecutive, strong,
sensible, and coherent. Moreover, his
explanation proved that he is consci-
entious man, and that is the main thing
in transferring his religious allegiance
from one church to another. He refused
to remain in false position, though by
getting out of it he sacrificed material
advantages priced by every body. Then
the Sun goes on to say: '&Mr. Adams has
simply joined long procession OF Pro
testants who felt the need Of the support
of church they could learn to believe
in as infallible. At this period of re-
ligious skepticism even in the ranks OF
the clergy, nay, in those ranks more
especially, it is not surprising that this
tendency toward Rome should appear.
When Protestants give up the divine
authority of the Bible, what other au-
thority have they to rest upon, save the
authority of an infallible church? They
must go one way or the other. They
must pass over into agnosticism, or they
must yield their wills to the church,
trusting it as divine. Therein lies the
great and enduring strength of the
church of Rome. It stands of itself and
on it's own foundation. 1t claims the
final and infallible authority. It has no
Briggs controversy over the Bible, for the
Bible rests upon the authority of the
Church. The feeling that dependence
on such church authority is essential
does not indicate imbecility. It indi-
Gates craving and sense of helpless
ness which are common in humanity in
the presence of the awful problem of tx
ietence."
No Catholic theologian could have
stated the case more clearly than the
New York Sun has done it in the proceed
ing passage. Protestants who reject the
of the Bible as their rule of
faith must rush into agnosticism or be-
come members of the Church of Rome.
Rev. Mr.. Adams was ri ualistic minis
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