New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-04-11
MORE OF CREED AND REASON
The Original Author of the Review Article
has an Answer for his Critics.
he Points out to Mr., Sheran His Man,
- -. Weak and Unreliable Conclusions.
Creeds do not Establish Facts. Natura
Laws are not Bound to Obey them.

Ur66QS 90 nOG 1SGaUllSu L dCGS' Noou1Sl
Laws are not Bound to Obey them.
Editor Review: In the Review OF
March 2sth appears a reply by VIM
Sheran of St. Thomas Seminary. St. Paul,
to an article Of mine formerly published
in the Review relative to the doctrine OF
Inheritance of sin and total depravity
Although Mr.. Sheran's standpoint of
reasoning and mine are radically differ
ent, I appreciate the manner in which
he proceeds to reply to my arguments.
He writes in the courteous manner of a
gentleman, and admits what a man writ
ing from his standpoint can easily af-
ford to admit. There are some men who
never attempt to answer arguments on
religious questions in any otherway than
by indulging in names of an uncompli-
mentary order.
He commences Of course by remark
ing that my arguments are "amusing,"
that they do not amount to anything
and thatsince Ihave been talkingso much
about facts, ''then by all means let us
have them" After reading thus far,
began to feel uneasy, for expected that
he would march up formidable array
of solid and steel plated truths that I
could not resist, but little additional
depth into his essay showed me that there
was no danger of being annihilated.
His facts were almost all Catholic facts,
manufactured in the usual manner
Catholic truisms and no real facts at all
They are of the kind that have to be be-
lieved in order to possess any value what
ever. They do not stand of themselves,
but are dependent upon the ''infallible
authority" for prop and support. They
are not legal tender outside of the church.
Here are few samples, culled from Mr..
Sheran's lengthy article: ''The Catholic
church is the apostolic one; the twelve
apostles wrote it's creed. St. Peter was
the first Pope in Rome. He hando
keys down to the next Pope - nu
the chain of apostolic succession has ne
yer been broken" "The Catholic church
is infallible and its faith changeless.''
s'The Catholic believes that the Bible
contains the subject matter of faith and
morals, not because he finds it there, hut
because an infallible authority tells him
it is there" "The Catholic position in
reference to Bible questions is the only
position consistent with right reason"
Under cover of this infallible authori-
ty, Mr.. Sheran goes to work to 'iissect
my arguments. He starts out by say.
ing: "From Catholic standpoint total
depravity is not and never was dogma
of religion If that is the case, then sc
much the better for the Catholic church
but what does he mean then when ht
says that ton account of the original sill
the descendants of Adam and Eve los
the friendship of God," that they be
came his enemies, that "their will was 81
weakened that they could not Away
choose the good" and that ''their mind
were so clouded that they did not clear
ly understand the things OF God" I
from these sentences we strike heword
railways" and "clearly' we have the ide
of total depravity as absolutely rs wa
ever proclaimed by any church. Th
difference therefor between the Catholi
and Protestant doctrines on this poin
is only one of aegree. At any rate, leav
ing all sophistFy out, they all teach tina
man in his normal state, such as CO.
makes him, nowadays, is only raw ma
terial to be manufactured over again b
the agencies of the church in order to b
fit for heaven. Otherwise he will b
condemned to hell. ~
Mr.. Sheran claims that the Catholi
faith has never "changed and magnifie
through the ages as SNOWFALL is inrol
ing down HILL" and also that the dot
trine of inheritance Of sin did not original
with the councils of Carthage or Epht
sus. AS for, the latter, I never said ths
the idea originated there, but what I di
say was that it was moulded into cree
of the church at that time. And tn,
this idea has changed and magnifed
illustrated unintentionally by Mr.. She
an himself when he describes how til
creed has been made. The first thing
does is to summon holy witnesses, dea
or alive. The first is King David
takes of course men of high standin,
small fellows have no voice in the ma
ter. David testifes that his mother col
ceived him in sin. The next witnes
jeremiah, claims that he had been san,