The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-06-08
RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
Edited by F. H. Argo.
The Episcopal Church too Much Like
The Catholic.

more valuable for the insight it gives
into the mind of the speaker than as q
statement of the character of the Epis-
copal Church. The utterance betrays
both lamentable ignorance and unseem-
ly prejudice. We would not expect to
find in this day, intelligent Professionals
confounding the Roman Catholic
Church with the Catholic Church OF
Christ, to do 30, proves great lack OF
knowledge. both of the times described
in the Acts of the Apostles and of &C.
clesiastical history 1t might be well to
remind our readers that the official title
of the Church, commonly called Cath
Ollie, is the tHoly Roman Church." and
therefore, to be accurate, it should be
spoken of as the Roman Church. To
speak of the Roman Church as the Cath
Ollie Church, is to aid in perpetuating
the claim put forth by our Roman Cath
Ollie brethren, of the identity of their
organization with the Church of Christ.
The Catholic or universal Church can
only be the Church of our Lord in
which all should seek membership !;
therefore, to acknowledge the Roman
Church as the Catholic Church is to de-
clare that all should be members ofthat
communion, even the protesting speak
ers themselves. We now understand
that our Directing brethren mean to|
compare the Episcopal Church with the
Roman Church and in the comparison
find that the one is "too much like"
the other. Taking the words literally,
they allow for some resemblance be-
tween the two which is permissible but
intimate that the likeness is carried too
far. This, however, is not the usual
meaning. The objection comes from
that prejudiced and unthinking class
which regards any likeness to the Ro-
man Church as heinous fault. We
can only say to such that if any resem-
blance to the Church of Rome is damn
ing, sad, sad, indeed, is the fate of all
protestant bodies, since all hold much
truth which is common to the Church
of Rome; if they object to any likeness,
the only thing for them to do, Is to
lapse into the quiescence ofinfdelity,
where nothing Roman can disturb their
felicity and repose.
Much of this prejudice can be traced
to ignorance of the nature and history of
the Roman Church. We remember q
conversation held with a good old
Methodist minister, whose piety, how
ever, was far in excess of his intelligence
during which he re marked that the
Church of Rome could not be considered
q Christian Church. The opinion was t
rather a startling enc, yet very sincere
ly entertained. 1t was as difficult to {
appreciate his estimate as it is to I'M k
derstand the prejudice of those who OBJ 4
ject to everything Roman, when it is b
kept in mind that many truths are held a
in common by the Protestant and Ro- a
nan Church, Neither is it logical to ii
leny that the Church of Rome is s,
branch of the Catholic Church of Christ, p
n fact it is one of the three great his c
oric Churches of Christendom. Yet il
III Protestants believe that the Church k
# Rome embraces many errors in her e
eachings and some sadly misinformed. n
re convinced that the Episcopal Ii
Jhurch is ''too much likeD Rome in fe
his respect. And now to address, our al
elves to this objection, let US examine OF
be title of the Church. The fnll title til
'fThe Protestant Episcopal Chnrch.n sa
1t is called prot estant to signify that ri
protests against what are deemed the ST
rrors of the Church of Rome, and W.
rely could we not expect to find a nj
hurch posing as Protestant, yet teach m
lg distinctively Roman doctrines gr
urther, au examination of our Prayer wi
ook will reveal an entire absence of al,
lat teaching, regarded as erroneous by orr
-otcstants; no reference is made to the un
,ctrme of Mass. auricular confessions, to
aging to the Virgin and the Saints or we
y other of Rome's peculiar tenets. ual
gain, a comparison of any Roman tn,
annual with our Book of Common or
aver, will convince one that the hir
,iscopal Church is not like the Roman eqr
lurch in cherisbing these doctrines, mel
/, should further evidence be de- see
anded. glance at the Articles of Re- the
ion will show that snch teaching is @oi
equivocally condemned. And, not ma
only does the Church protest against Chi
s teaching, but also against the au- has
,rity claimed by the Bishop of Rome. kin
e protest of our forefarhers at the the
ne of the Reformation was directed lust
h against the erroneous doctrines
hnI l,nnrn r.,.,....I 49,, -. d.,