The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-20
SUFFERING FROM DRY ROT
Rev. DR.. Case on the Needs
of the Pacific Coast
Churches.
The Methodist Preacher Talks About
the Value of Discussing Re-
ligious Beliefs.

Rev. DR.. W. w. Case preached as fol-
lows at the Howard street Methodist
Church:
Text: Jude 3-"Earnestly contend for the fat b
once delivered to the saints
Subiect-"Contrasts between Romanism and
Professionalism"
have no desire to encourage bitter contro-
versy that would engender bad feelings or stir
up bad blood, but am in favor of controversy
that leads to the quicKening of thought and
that makes it possible for the common people
TO ascertain the truth and to know the reasons
of their belief.
The knowledge of the truth concerning God
and His church is of more Importance to the
people of San Francisco than knowledge of all
other subjects put together
If the multitudes in San Francisco will not
go to church to get religious truth let them be
reached If possible by the newspapers.
The fact is there are two great systems of re-
ligious faith in this country known as the
Catholic and the Protestant If the Catholic
faith is right the Protestant belief is fa,ally
wrong. If the Protestant has the truth the
Catholic is in fatal error. 1t is matter of the
most vital Importance that every means be
used to ascertain which is right. If the Catholic
religion is true then 1 want to stop preaching
Protestant error. If the Protestant faith is the
| truth then Catholic priests should desire to
stop preaching Catholic error and to set about
preaching the truth.
The Protestant churches on this coast are
suffering, will not say dying, from kind of
dry rot. Professionalism does not seem to stand
for nything worth contending for The Bible
tells us TO contend earnestly for the faith once
delivered to the saints, but modern Chris
tians, or at least some of them, protest against
contention for any religious principle what
ever. Everything that looks like boycott or
persecution should be condemned and thrust
aside, but fair and honest and candid discus
elT nf foil To N -.
the welfare OF mankind demands it.
God said in ancient times, 'My people are
destroyed for lack OF knowledge" think he
authorizes me to say the same thing to-day
God people are being destroyed for lack of
knowledge.
do not come tonight to make an attack
upon the Roman Catholic church. 1t is my
purpose 10 show that there is vital and radi-
cal difference between the two systems of relig-
ion, and that one or the other should be ADAM
doned as untrue and dangerous to the best
Interests of society. Both cannot be true One
of the gentlemen interviewed by q press re-
porter a few days ago said: ''We should avoid
debating religious questions, and especially
with the Catholics, because we Protestants an d
Catholics agree in far more things than we
differ" take exception to this statement,
and shall show that we are as widely separated
as the poles in our belief and principles of re-
ligion.
In what I have to say tonight shall not
argue for Professionalism or against Catholi-
cism, except as the statement of the two creeds
shall carry conviction to the minds of those
who hear me.
DR.. Buckley, editor OF the New York Chris
tan Advocate, says: 1.-THE issue between Ro-
man Catholics and all Christians outside of
their communion is radical, is capable of no
accommodation whatever"
The Methodist Church has TWENTY-FIVE ar
ticles of religion, and at least thirteen of them
are direct protests against what is held to be
Catholic errors.
Catholics and Protestants differ radically.
First-As to the rule of faith.
Protestants say, ''The Bible, and the Bible
alone, our rule of faith"
The Roman Cathlic rule contains 135 large
apochrypha. These are composed of apostle l.
ical fathers th1rty-fve folios, eight volumes of
thirty-one volumes of canons and DEGREES OF
councils, fifty-one volumes of the acta sane
forum (acts of the saints, amounting in all
to 131 volumes folio. Certainly in this respect