The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-11-16
| 1.

of a Presbyterian, and were fitting
themselves out for the ministry. The
elder. John, after returning from the
obsequies of his mother reflected much
upon her dying wish that he should
investigate for himself the truths of
Christianity, admitting that she had
some misgivings about the truth of
Presbyterianism, and admonished him
never to bind himself to a profession of
faith in which he did not believe. He
did investigate. He left college. went
abroad and perfected himself in the
law. Meantime he became a Catholic.
Returning to this country he called
| upon his younger brother, James, at
the time prosperous minister of the
| Presbyterian church. Johns avowal
that he had embraced Catholicism as
| tonished his brother, but nothing more
was said on that matter when the
story closed last week The real con-
troversy now begins.-Editor Inter
mountain Catholic
The brothers met again in the morn
! ing in the breakfast parlor. James
was eXteriorly composed, and greeted
! his brother in the blandest tone; but a
| careful observer would have suspected
| that he intended to play the part of the
! civil and courteous host, rather than
brother. Breakfast passed pretty much
in silence. John was disposed to wait
| the motions of his brother, and James
was undecided whether to breach
Catholic question or not. But he could
not converse freely with his brother on
Indifferent matters; he felt that sooner
or later he must discuss the question,
and perhaps the sooner the better. Re
volving the matter for some time in
his mind, he at length, throwing aside
the morning paper he had been pre-
tending to read, broke the silence by
remarking to his brother:
so it seems the result has been that
you have turned Papist?"
II am Catholic" replied John, with
a slight emphasis on the last word, in
tended as a quiet rebuke to his brother
for employing nickname.
TT is strange! What in the world
could have induced the son of Pres
byterian father, piously brought up.
well instructed in the Protestant re-
ligion, and not wanting in natural abil-
ity, to take step so foolish, not to say
so wicked?"
Let me rather ask my brother why
he is a Protestant"
why am l a Protestant"
Yes; 1 am much mistaken or that
is the harder question of the two to
answer"
Il am a Protestant because the Ro-
mish church is corrupt, the Mystery of
Iniquity, the Man of Sin, Antichrist.
the Who're of Babylon, drunk with the
blood of the saints, a cage of unclean
birds, cruel, oppressive, tyrannical, su
perstitious, idolatrous-"
But you are simply telling me why
you are not a Catholic; my question
is, Why are you a Protestant"
Professionalism is a solemn protest
against Rome, and my reasons for not
being a Catholic are my reasons for
being a Protestant"
Jews, Pagans, Mahometans, Deists,
Atheists, protest as earnestly as you
do against Rome; are they, therefore,
Protestants?' 30
Professionalism is, indeed, protest
against Rome; but it is also a positive
religion
Unaffected by supposing the Catho-
lie church to have never been or to
have ceased to be?'
Yes; Professionalism is Independent |
of Rcmanism."
"a Protestant is one who embraces
Professionalism in this independent, pos
tive sense?'
Yes, if we speak properly"
Before telling me why you are a
Protestant, it will be necessary to tell
what, in this sense, Professionalism is.
1T is the religion of the Bible-the
Bible is the religion of the Protest
ants."
"And the religion of the Bible is-?"
"The truths revealed in the Bible"
And these are-?'
1.-THE great evangelical doctrines as
serted by the Reformers against tie
false and corrupt doctrines of Rome,
Irbinb wa community pa11 thp doc
trines of grace"
These doctrines are Professionalism
They are"
so Professionalism is the religion of
he Bible, and the religion of the Bible
s Professionalism
There is nothing absurd or ridicu
Gus in that. Professionalism, sir, is the
eligion of the Bible, of the whole BIZ
Die, the Bible alone-that precious gift
# God to mantle word of God, the
harter of the liberties, the source of
the ground of the Chris I
ian's hope. carrying light and life, the I
blessings of truth, freedom and civili- ]
alton. wherever it goes, and which you !
'apists, with characteristic cunning, I
ock up from the people, because you
now full well, that, were they once s
0 read it for themselves, they would {
make short work with the Pope and {
is minions. break their covenant with I
cath and hell, and put an end to their I
idolatries and oppres- {
ions. E
u suspect, brother, you have ac- E
that from the speech you I
lade at the last anniversary of the S
-merican Bible society. 1t may do
cry well to address such to the mob
nat collects on anniversary week. =
ut can you not give me a clear, dis i
net, and precise statement of what :
really is?"
Professionalism is the great truth as \
erted by the Reformers against Rome, =
lat the Scriptures of the Old and New :
estaments contain all things necessary !.
salvation, and that they are the sole :,
nd sufficient rule of faith and prac- ',
CO." :
IF 1 believe the Scriptures are suf- l.
Gent, and are the sole guide of faith g
Id practice, do 1 believe the whole of :,
h
No; you must also believe the word :,
God as contained in the Scriptures" ',
''And this word consists of certain "
edenda or propositions to be be- y
,ved?" =,
1T does; and these may be all sum- I
ed up in the text-'Believe on the
ord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be u
we'd" !
ITO believe on the Lord Jesus Christ m
to believe" u
The truths he has revealed, whether 81
himself, or other things" Il
These truths are-?' II
The great evangelical doctrines m
unciated by the Reformers.'' to
That is, they are Professionalism.
lerefore Professionalism is-Protest- al
tism! But can you not be a little / Sc
ore particular, and tell me what these of
lths or doctrines are?"
You will find an excellent summasy
them in the Westminster Confession 10
Faith, and the Larger and Shorter w
techisms." tn
.rTbat &c +bav arc PreSb,-+ariepi . / -,