Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28

Catholic and Protestant alike, speak Of such
writers as Gibbon and others with whose
principles, they find themselves unable to
agree Their view throws a welcome light
on our main subject-the critical study of
history When directing youthful and un-
formed minds they would wisely advise them
to read under the direction and supervision
of such older men as deserve their conf
dence and to confine themselves at first to
such histories as are every way sound and
reliable. But their language is very differ
ent when addressed to those more advanced
! In years and more mature in wisdom. For
instance, the American Ecclesiastical Review,
the leading monthly among our Catholic
fellow citizens, and highly esteemed by their
clergy in particular, has published for the
last several months a series of remarkably
able and learned articles on Clerical
Studies" In the issue for last January his
torical studies are specially treated, not as
they are pursued in colleges and seminaries
under the direction of professor, but as
they are expected to be followed up by clergy
men in after life. The writer, Rev. J.
Hogan, ST. DID. of St. Johns seminary.
Boston, speaks thus of Gibbon and other nom
Catholic historians: "In a country like this
the study would not be complete without
some knowledge of the subject presented
by Protestant writer's. In anything like
habitua intercourse with those outside the
church, the facts of her history are con-
stantly coming up, and are frequently made
a matter of discussion. To be prepared for
1t, the priest has to know other versions of
things as well as his own, and where can
he find them better than in the favorite
historians of his opponents. OF these it
will suffice here to mention a few.
A MARVELLOUS WORK.
"The first is Gibbon, With all its
blemishes, The Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire is one of the greatest his
torical works ever written. In the vastness
OF its proportions, its prodigiouS mastery of
details, clear conception, when not blinded
by irreligious prejudice. In its condensed
thought and magnificent diction, it remains
unsurpassed, not to say uncqualed. in its
special sphere. 1t is still widely read, not
only as a classic of the English language,
but as most graphic picture of church and
state during more than 1000 years. No
special student of controversial history can
remain a stranger to 1t.
THE second is the History of Chris
tianity' and the History OF Latin Chris
tianity' by Dean Mlllman. His corrective
notes on the Decline and Fall of Gibbon
had prepared him for.1 and possibly sug-
gested to him. an original, work on almost
the same subject. As q fact he covers al
most the same ground, tells substantially the
same story, his chief personages are the
SANE, same but 1.-the the purposS u different that Of
fall OF the empire, thhtSlof Milman to de-
scribe the rise and growth of the church
But he does 1t all as a, PEotestant Of some
what skeptical disposition might be expected
to do it. His opposition to the Catholic
church has made him. as well as his bril-
liant literary powers, a f9yofite author among
Protestants; his Judgments are for the most
part accepted without Iqubstion; it behooye3
consequently the Cathpliet student of history
to make himself acqgaihted with his very
''The third Is the .Noiumlnous and able
History OF the Christiafi Church by Dr.
pected, III 9h
The last we would ,ggeption Is "A History
OF the Christian CHURCH, by Prof Fisher OF
Yale, In a single volume the learned writer
presents, naturally from the Protestant
standpoint, the man facts of the church's
history-a most convenient means for the
Catholic student to know how Protestants
generally view us"
WHO CAN REFUTE A SHEER?
On the Protestant side of the question. we
may mention that not only Milman but also
Gulzot has deemed II worth his while to
edit Gibbons work with corrective notes
Neither OF these eminent writer's fails to
expose the unfair and unsatisfactory treat
ment accorded In Ii 10 the early history of
Christianity. In the following passage of
his Introduction to the book, Mlliman gives
criticism OF the same which cannot be
read without profit. "Paley, with his in
tuitiye sagaeity. saw through the dim ,,lty
OF answering Gibbon by the ordlnar xirts
OF controversy; his emphatic sentence, Who
can refute sneerg contains as much truth
as point But full and pregnant as this