The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-02
THE POPE AND THE SALVATION
ARFlY.

whole of North America under his arm
and walk, off with 1t and afterwards do
with it as he pleases. To that end his agents
in this country are working night and day
trying to make everybody Catholic, and
as soon as that is accomplished then good
bye liberty. We will then be all bound
hand and foot, our lips will be sealed, and
we will henceforward struggle to release
ourselves in vain.
Some time ago the New York Sun drew
attention to the existence Of the
Salvation Army in this country, stat
ing that it was the only real danger from q
foreign source that we had to fear, in a re-
l:gious way. A Baptist minister disputed
the position Of the SUN, to which the latter
replied:
"We publish elsewhere letter from a
Baptist minister, taking the ground that
our remarks justifying American suspicion
of the Salvation Army as purely foreign
organization, under the absolute control OF
a single and irresponsible foreigner, apply
with equal pertinency to the Roman Cath
Ollie church and the Pope.
eve are surprised that an Intelligent and
an educated man should make such a sug-
gestion seriously, for, Of course, there is
no likeness between the Roman Catholic
church and the Salvation Army, and none
between any Protestant church and that
sensational evangeliz.ng and philanthropic
enterprise. The s.rmy's religious doctrines,
80 far as it can be said to have body Of
doctrine, are Arminian, for General
Booth started out as Methodist preacher;
but it cannot properly be compared with
the Methodist church. It has no system of
theology. It has no regular ministers. 1t
has no government except the absolute mil
itary despot:sm set UP by General Booth
on his own motion. 1t Is no more church
and no more comparable with a church
than is the Children's Aid Society, or any
such ph:lanthropic organization. 1t is a
voluntary enterprise entirely uncontrol liable
BY anyone except General Booth. It
appeals to no faith as system based on
divine authority. but .is purely an expert
mental undertaking devised by him indi-
vidua!ly. General Booth has simply
brought under military organization body
OF men and women who are interested In
the spiritual welfare of the poor. 1t is not
intended for all society, or to propagate a
theory Of universal application. It ts only
for religious ana charitable work among
the outcast and the "unchurched. : to use
the term Of Salvation Army literature. 1.
.Of course, such an enterprise bears no
sort Of resemblance to the Roman Catholic
church, with its definite faith, Its Systematic
theology, its claims to . authority as divtnely
founded and commissioned. and the uni
versatility its name expresses. Its faith ts
the faith Of a great majority
of Christendon,. It's foundation was not
laid by 4 single man for experimental pur-
poses but is believed by the many millions
Of its adherents to rest on an eternal and
absolute truth as represented N Jesus
Christ himself. Our correspondent denies
that claim and rejects that faith. He be-
lieves that Baptist doctrine expresses such
divine truth; but he cannot deny that the
Roman Catholic church claims no author
,ity for itself which 1t does not believe to
come from Christ Himself. Our corre-
snnndant n Bantfst because he believes