New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-04-25
CATHOLIC STANDPOINT.
A Further Answer to Correspondence that
has Appeared in the Paper.

to find in this reply none of those per
sonal references so painful and worthless
which characterize the usual religious de-
bate In iact it was such treatment as
I had expected; for I was convinced at
the outset that your correspondent was
Truth-seeker, and that he assailed the
Christian position not out of hatred or
ill-will as 50 many do. but because he
considered the position false one.
The reply complained about some un-
gentlemanlv acts of mine towards the
close; am not aware of their existence;
I feel that the Christian position has no
need Of an ungentle manly apologist,and
I stated at the outset that feeling or rid
icule would be kept in the background.
AS historical facts some things were
pointed out-things bitter to the non
believer; yet such proceeding is fully
within my right. If your correspondent
can prove any of my statements to be
false or ill-founded, will readily accept
his proof and not hasten to assure him
that the ':gentleman seems to disappear
and .sthere IS nothing left but the (infi
deN in embryo In discussion one is
privileged to call a statement false or
an assertion brazen if it is shown to be
so.
But while have been Used royalty the
treatment which my criticism received
was not so satisfactory. I expected that
some defense would be set up of those
statements against which my arguments
were directed. Instead of such an at
tempt, your correspondent would rule
out of court the evidence whereby I
showed that, so far as the Catholic posi-
ton is concerned, there is no historical
foundation for his assertions. "His facts
are Catholic facts; they are not legal
tender outside the church." Here is the
case of drowning man grssping at a
straw. VIII the straw save him? Let US
see. Take his first statement which I at
tackled the doctrine of the Inherit
ance of sin became part of the church creed
ae the councils of Ephesus andCarthage-
I held that it did not, that it was always
part Of Catholic doctrine, and in proof
quoted witnesses which. covered the
time between the inception of the Cath
olic church with her Divine Founder
(about "a A. d. and the dates of those
councils If it could be shown that dur
ing this period there was no such Catho-
lie doctrine then your correspondents
position would be secure; for there
would exist positive evidence not only
of a growth but of additions to the body
of Catholic belief But such is not the
case. Your correspondent could find no
proofs, at least he gave none,and against
nv historical testimony he hurls the
epithets ..catholic". ".s:manufacturn;:' ''not
legal ten1er'' etc But THIS "~vo,dly
subterfur~ will not work. N-!iv' Dc-
cause the historical testimony "f Origen,
Justin, Martyr. Tertullian and Others,
whom quoted, is cCrroborated by the
very heretics against whom they wrote
A hereto bears testimony to the existence
Of a doctrine by denying it. If the doe
trine did not exist the hereto could not
attpck it, Now if the doctrine Of inher-
itel sin did not exist. Tryphs (90-14S
\. D.) could not have attacked it! But
even if we had not such corrooorating
proof we could rely on the Catholic wit
nesses themselves: for who knows best
the beliefs of any society or church?Cer-
tainlv the members have the best know
ledge thereof. And in any court of JUS
tice the testimony Of every human being
no matter of what race or creed is as
sumed to be true until it is proven false.
Has your correspondent proven that my
catholic witnesses gave false testimony
when they spoke about inheritance of
Slu. mas lle SIlO"u Llldt tAcY are tiAtuU-
factured to order9 This is not a case of
''intallibility:: it is question about his
torical facts. And if your correspondent
cannot produce historical evidence in
proof of his position, if he has nothing
to offer in rebuttal of the facts gave,
except hints at evidence destroyed by
fire or Catholic forgeries and perjuries
as the rule, then it becomes far more
graceful and creditable to yield the
point.
'sThis belief regarding inherited sin
was only the opinion of individuals with
the councils it became the official doc
trine of the church." The church as a
social body is made up of individuals.
7