The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-08-04

in our communion, and sees himself
compelled to abjure our faith, what
then will great many of lay people,
who, so much more than he, are want
ing in the required conditions, "to prove
all things, and to hold fast to that which
is good" think of the truth OF our
church? Is, then, the Evangelical Lutl-
eran church really the pillar and
ground OF truth?'
"When a man like DR.. Krogh-Ton-
ming enters the Catholic church, there
to find rest and peace, must it not then
be supposed that this church possesses
the truth more clearly and more pur-
fectly than does our own church?
eve believe that such a reasoning
may suggest itself to many, and just for
this reason it may be of Importance to
point out that case like the one at
hand does not necessarily need to cause
any fear for our church and its claims.
"As we have already stated, the step
that DR.. Krogh-T onning has taken does
not contain so J1uch of surprise for
those who have closely followed his de-
velopmcnt. In his later dogmatical
works, especially, it becomes evident
that he approaches more and more to
the Catholic church, so that his en-
trance into this church at the present
time must be considered as a natural
sequence to a position taken long since.
But just here we may find the reason
which deprives DR.. Krogh- Jennings
action OF its importance as witness
against our church, and in favor OF
Catholicism; we all know that even the
greatest OF men, when they live chiefly
in the realm of thought and reasoning,
may be SO completely absorbed in GER
tain truths, that they lose the power OF
viewing matter in all its aspects, and
this, after all, is OF greater Importance,
in matters of faith, than an absolute
sequence OF reasoning, according to the
strict laws of logic.
The difference, or rather the con-
trast, between Catholicism and Prot
estantism, is not principally contrast
in doctrine, although these differences
are more easily formulated; it is rather
a contrast in the different views Of
what constitutes Christian life. Cath
olics and Protestants might with truth
say to each other in the we'll known
words OF Luther: you are of another
spirit than We 1t is, so to say, differ
ent religious atmosphcres which these
two Christian bodies represent, and the
decisive personal question for one who
stands in doubt between these two com.
munions must be: In which religious
atmosphere will my life as Christian
f1nd its truest and fullest expression
whether within the impressive and state
ly portals OF Catholicism, where the
gates often are barred and the windows
closed, where the view is circumscribed
by the narrow courtyard-or in the un-
pretcntious dwelling Of Our church,
where the windows easily open, that the
invigorating air of spring may fill the
rooms, and where the view is wide, and
no one stands guard at the gate"
In letter from Denmark to the Lon
don Catholic Times, Niels Hansen, a
former Protestant rector, but now a
Catholic, contributes the following adj
ditional information about the ilustrious
convert to Catholicity:
4. From his early manhood he has been
an eminent theologan. He began as All
orthodox Lutheran, but his development
went on in what in England is called a
ritualistic direction. Twenty years ago
he published an able work on Comics
sion, in which he maintained that abso-
luton as "a word from God to the sim
ner' is really in absolute conformity
with the Lutheran symbols, though
completely forgotten by the Protestants
of the present day.
with the lapse Of years DR.. Krogh-
Tonning continued his studies and his
reputation continued to grow.
He would have been made a
Norwegian bishop had it not
been noticed that his views became
more and more Catholic This is to be
seen very clearly in his hvc-volume book
on dogma, the greatest work ever pub
lisfed on the subject in Danish or Nor
wegian.
CAS- the single volumes appeared one
by one, it became evident that he was
gradually drawing nearer and nearer to
the Catholic church. The question Of
the Primary was the last obstacle that
separated him from it. In particular
he examined both dogmatically and his
torically the doctrine of the church on
grace and pointed out convincingly that
the Protestant charges about the Semi
plagiarism of the Catholic church arc
completely false. This he specially set
forth in two smaller works, the first in
German, the other in Latin, viz, Die
Guadenlehre und die stille Reforma-
tion,' and De gratia Christi ct de libcro
arbitrio.'
His scientific development was &C
companied by the growth of grace in
his heart. He used to pray: o Lord
teach lis TO know Thv will in truth r.