The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-27
HANDLED THE A. 2. A.
Rev. Mr.. Christensen Defends the
Roman Catholic Church.
He Calls Attention to Articles Printed
i'll the Loyal American, the Organ
of the A. p. A.

Roman Catholic Church against the attacks
made by the a. p. A. and sympathizers.
The sermon was discussed considerably
among the members Of the church. 1t was
as follows:
The text: Let another man praise thee
ana not thine own mouth; a stranger and
not thine own lips."-Proverbs xvii. 2.
1T seems TO De an accepted canon of
courtesy among Protestant denominations
to minimize their differences, TO speak no
EVIL one OF another, and to cover with a
very ample mantle OF charity their sins,
~neSlgences and ~ignorances. Against the Ro-
man Catholic Church, however, they all
make common cause as against a common
foe, and papal anathemas of heretics and
are met with a fusillade of in
vective and abuse which do no credit to
the heads or hearts of those who indulge
In this sort of warfare. 1 verify believe
that if l were to denounce Pope Leo as the
Man of Sin or Antichrist and the Roman
Church as the Scarlet Woman, of the Apoc-
alypSe; II L were to hold up her clergy as
d~runkards and libertines, her nuns and
sisters Of charity as women whose very
presence is pollution to a community; if
1 were to declare that her churches were
arsenals where traitors TO our country
were storing arms and ammunition Gust as
II has been gravely told me that this church
was the depository of weapons of war for
the h. G.. Il. and Sons of Liberty during
the civil war, although the cornerstone was
not laid and the church parish had no ex-
iStence until 1850; if L snail say that her
monasteries We're sinks of iniquity and
qens OF corruption; IL L were to do all this
L should be considered by some to be rem
dering my Master a better service than
by according honor where honor is due and
pointing to the records of faith, and love,
and good works which the annals of that
church furnish. l am quite prepared also
for the criticism engendered of bigotry and
ignorance; that no better things are tC be
expected from q minister of that church
which is separated from Rome by nothing
thicker than a paper wall; and 1T is by no
means impossible that l shall be suspected
of being a Jesuit in disguise and in the hire
of the Pope 10 lure unsuspecting men and
women into the trap which Rome is ready
to spring upon the unwary. Let us con-
fiGae n 669t the 6us iraI Rei2Pleif or with Wejr ael5ref fot the
and sitting evidence, may natur-
ally fail to observe the difference between
us and Rome, although they note the man
ifest resembiances which are so patent;
the similarity in the interior construction
of our respective ediices; the prominence
given to the altar rather than to
clergy of vestments different from
ordinary attire; the Importance assigned to
churches administers what both churches
call a diocese; the Observance of feasts and
fasts like Christmas and Good Friday, as
well as many of the saints days; a worship
| regulated by set forms instead Of being eX-
temporary; the frequency of the celebration
OF the holy communion, sometimes in the
| very early morning; lenten austerities volun-
tarily imposed; by bishops; in
a few Of our churches incense. candles,
acolytes and the confessional. An unthink-
ing observer, especially If he be prejudiced,
as most unthinking observers are, may rea-
sonably conclude that the difference, il any,
between the Episcopal Church and Rome are
so light as not to justify separation. But
let us see If the points of divergence are,
after all. such triflng matters. Briefly. the
Anglican position is this: "A thing is not
necessarily bad because Rome teaches or
practices ii. If 1t were we should have to
forswear the New Testament and abjure
the apostles creed and the Lords prayer.
We should have to abandon the fundamen-
ment by Jesus Christ, the resurrection OF
the body and the life everlasting. We re-
Din nn1 drnor ri nInnG1 oil that &C. nr1n.
TALLY catholic IN doctrine as well as in
usage, while we protest against all errors
catholic and Roman. The creed of Mecca
Ior example is catholic, and we accept 1t;
the Tridentine DEGREES are Roman and we
Another dogma which we reject is that
Of papal supremacy. We hold that the keys
Peter ere ai hdnsoB but to all tine fIse apostles. More re:
over, the development Of this doctrine
crystallized in 1870, when the Ecumenical
decreed that the Pope of Rome was by vir-
tue of his primacy not only universal
bishop, but infallible. 1t is embarrassing
to insult the intelligence of the many per-
sons who hear me by explaining that in
fallibility does not mean impeccability or
sinlessness. The claim of Rome is that the
Pope whenever he pronounces judgment
eX cathedra in matters of faith and morals,
his Judgment is to be accepted as final and
without dispute. He is likely to sin like
any other man. and in his final act he can
not err when he p~ronounces judgment in
questions pertaining to faith, and if he re-
Church he anathematize and Anglicans
must bear the anathema fearlessly, for the
dogma Is nnscrlptural ana unSathoiic.
worshiping the saints. In fairness it must
be said that Roman theologians define wor-
ship OF three kinds. The first is called
Lactria, and is accorded only to the AL
mighty; the second and next lower degree
OF worship is the Myperdulia, and means
i the prayers to the saints, notably to the
blessed Virgin; the third and final is the
homage paid to relics Of saints. The An
4 l-pnx NV ono xvnr-hf- 90 ~AAry
worship only one being, the Lord God of
heaven and earth, not even the blessed
Elrs1n-whom no one honors too highly,
as a creature and like other women under
the redemption purchased by the Lord
Jesus Christ. By her dogma of the i'm
maculate conception, which became a mat
ter of faith in 1854, Rome exalts a human
being and creature to the place OF the AL
this. it is Roman Catholic. If I
must 1 will say, that while 1
S gae due the 20 moth nq of o msh Lord t Jesus c h14Gr
there can be but one who is altogether love-
ly and the chief among ten thousand. More
over. L want a. God, not a goddess. If L
had been u heather / might have said great
Is Jupiter. l do not think 1 could have said
great is Diana of the Epheslans, even if l
at Ephesus. Another doctrine which An
glicans reject as uncatholic is that of trans
ence of the body and blood of the Lord Je-
sus Christ in the blessed sacrament, but we
believe they are spiritually received by the
soul of the faithful COMMUNICATE, and that
the bread remains bread and the wine re-
mains wine. The Roman priest holds up a
pears to be. If it were il would be idolatry
to worship it, but II is not a wafer. Ii is the
real body of Christ, and hence compels adj
Grafton. We cannot accept this construc-
ton. The priest Is no miracle worker, and
the wafer remains a wafer. II may be that
upon the sand, but we have convictions, and
by them we must stand or fall. Now says
one: How can you speak kindly of a
church which brands you as a heritic and
conSigns you to the uncOvenanted mercieS
of God because you reject this doctrine?
Did you forget all this% Neither do j for
get the example of the Great Head of the
not again. and we trust that we have so
learned Christ as TO endeaYor 10 overcome
evil with good. If we should reject or if
we should condemn everything that Rome
teaches and practices we must put under
the ban the great majority of the Christians
of the world to-day. Some of the grandest
churches and greatest and most splendid
essentially Roman. She IS pre-eminently a
ministering church,; she cares for her poor
and afflicted in the remoteSt corners of the
earth. Her Sisters of Charity, those laugh
tiers of divine love, are by the cots
Of suffering and fever-stricken cities
which Protestant ministers too
often desert in fear and trembling.
prisoner in his felon's cell, and even 10 the
very sca1old, holding up the cruciix as
the pledge of the power of Him who is able
10 give 10 the uttermoSt Her churches are
always open, and from her affairs the in
cense of prayer and sacramento offerings