The San Francisco call., 1896-01-18
FATHER YORKE'S LETTER.
Accuses the Rev. DR.. Wendte OF
Making False Quota
tiOnS,
In answer to DR.. Wendte, Father Yorke
writes as follows:

tlOnS.
In answer to DR.. Wendte, Father Yorke
writes as follows:
To the Editor Of the Calt-DEAR SIR: My ex-
posure OF the peculiar controversial methods
OF the Rey DR.. Wendte has evidently disturbed
MS equanlmlty. He comes to the front this
morning with unwonted alacrity to defend his
quotations and his authorities. l remark with
pain that DR.. Wendte appears TO be deficient in
gallantry. He devotes two paragraphs to his
friend, Mr. John S. Hittell. He has not word
10 say Tor that equally distinguished theolo-
gian, his cook.
that look upon John s. Hittell with horror"
and 'hatred.' ] beg TO assure Mr.. Wendte
that his impressions are absolutely unfounded.
never saw MI H1ttell in my lie, and have
no reason to suppose that ever shall. To me
he is the mere shadow of name, without
parts, passions or affections. If think OF him
al all as person | view him with beneyo-
Ience which hardly rises to the dignity of con-
tempt My feelings are like those OF the late
thompson Campbell. When Hittell was in
posing amendments to the constitution
Campbell was chairman q think) of the COM
mlttee to which these amendments were re-
ferred. once upon a time our theologian COM
planned that his beautiful resolutions were
systematically burked. After some words Mr..
Campbell cut short the. discussion by declar-
ing: II don't want to have any controversy
with man who has quarreled with his
Maker"
NO BENEFIT OF THE CLERGY
DR.. ,Wendte seems sore that l have ques-
toned his competency and his literary hon
eSty. Yet what would he have me to do?
When find him quoting works he has never
seen and quoting them incorrectly am l to
keep my discovery q secret? When see him
relying on men who have been guilty of every
crime known to concoctors of false witness am
to seal to lips with silence? When behold
him mangllng d sentence of the Pope beyond
recognition and serving up the remains
awful specimen of Papal depravity am l TO
look on with a complacent S1mper? No, Dr.
Wendte; these tactics might do in debating
society, but in controversy like the present
they are actions full of moral turpitude. Re-
member, this controversy is serious
matter. Twelve millions of your fel-
with a crime they abhor. In fact,
you are the self chosen champion
ion that those who began the fight were illtt-
crate and unskillful and you have leaped into
the arena 10 show how much better you could
do. When at,the very outset prove that your
quotations are unreliable, your authorities
unworthy of belief, you have no right to cry
out that | am attacking your personal char-
acter. OF your personal character know
nothing. In this case you are your ,letters.
When l drag these letters in the journalistic
tumbrils to the scaffold you have no right to
plead benefit of the clergy.
HIS SOURCES OF IMPORTATION.
am more than surprised that after holding
up his protesting hands in horror at my rude
remarks, Dr. Wendte should confess that he
does not quote his authorizes at first hand.
When he wishes 10 find out what Catholic doc
trine Is he goes 10 the enemies OF the Cathouc
church to learn. Let me ask the common
sense people OF San Francisco what they think
OF this manner OF acting. Suppose visitor
from Mars came to America to learn about the
political tenets of the Republican party, would
he De safe in consulting Democratic news
papers? DR.. Wendte coolly eonlesses that
when he wishes 10 know what Catholics believe
he inquiries of those who hate Catholics
MY AUxILIARIEs
DR. Wendte declares that he is not impressed
with the wide range of my own readings or the
resources OF my library. Let me reassure him
with the reminder that first Impressions are
seldom lasting. He speaks about learned
Jesuits aiding me in my scholastic researches
and racking their brains for arguments to over
throw DR.. Wendte. | am afraid that the rev.
erned gentleman is suffering from incipient
attack of egalocephalitis am alone in this
controversy. verify my own quotations, ex-
anime my own authorities and write my own
letters. Moreover, might add that the argu-
ments of DR.. Wendte are not so difficult or so
new that then refutGtion would unduly strain
even the limited intellectually OF the domestic
hen.
THE VALUE OF JANUS.
OF course Janus is the great armory whence
modern anti-Catholics draw their weapons.
Janus is q work which appeared in Germany
before the Vatican Council. 1t was designed 10
prevent the definition OF the dogma of infalli-
bility. Dr.. Wendte says ii was written by Doel-
linger, Like many other sayings OF DR.. Wendte
this is not true. 1t is very doubtful if it were
written by one person at all, and even the
London Spectator declared in 1870 that its
authors could not be Catholics
But whether written by Doelllnger or not
Janus is utterly superficial and untrustworthy.
DR.. Wendte calls ii an able, learned and cour-
ageous book, but it is a remarkable thing that
in certain quarters every one who opposes the
church is able, learned and courageous, while
men who try to do a mans part in defending
the faith OF their fathers are condemned be-
forehand as untrustworthy, tricky and evaslve.
However, il does not make the slightest
WI Ia % ia r
or not. l do not intend to rely upon him..
Though my library, according to Dr.. Wendte,
is not extensive l think have the means at
hand of controlling Janus citations.
FAIRY STORY.
Like all veteran romancers DR.. Wendte en-
livens his articles with interludes. He has ia
vored with the story of the anonymous
abbe whom it took twenty years to find out
that Rome was fooling him. Will not Dr..
Wendte kindly tell this learned abbes name?
It is such find TO a Protestant controversalist
who is able to overcome q Cardinal that his
name should not be consigned to oblivion. DR..
Wendte says much about Protestant scholar
ship and Roman ignorance. He knows abso-
lutely nothing about Catholic literature and,
sophomore. If Dr. Wendte's letter be speci-
men of Protestant scholarship we poor Papists
are in sorry plight. If the light that is in
thee be in darkness the darkness itself how
great shall it be?
POOR HITTELL.
AS specimen of the scholarship of DR..
Wendte and the reliability OF the quotations
he has brought TO prove an absurd charge
against the church, let me examine these quo
tations one by one.
First, however let me entreat DR.. Wendte
not to shift the responsibility onto the shoul-
ders of poor Mr.. Hittell. 1t is very unkind to
say that HittelPs list is none of the clearest.
1t is easily the clearest specimen of hodge
podge have ever seen. Moreover, DR.. Wendte
copied out the reference correctly. The
trouble is that Dollinger does not say what
Hittell makes him say. In other words Hit
tell has been guilty of forgery pure and simple,
Let me quote DR.. Wendte: 'This is a true
story and its moral is obvious. "
PRODUCE YOUR REFERENCE.
DR.. Wendte has fallen foul of Bellarmine.
He accuses him of being author of the saying:
"Heretcs when strong are to be commended to
God; when weak are 10 be committed to the ex-
ecutioner."
l defy DR.. Wendte to tell me when and where
Bellarmlne gave utteranee to that Monstrous
sentiment.
A CURIOUS CATALOGUE.
will now run over the rest of the quotations
produced by Dr. Wendte in his original letter,
and when ] have finished the public will be
very much edited by and instructed in the ma
ture of Oakland scholarship:
DR.. Wendte writes:
In that extraordinary document, "The Evangel-
ica and syllabus" of the late Plus TX, nearly all
the achievements which form the glory of modern
society-free schools, free science, free press,
liberty of conscience and O religions wOrshiD-arp