The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-05-17
Che Cwo Brothers. f. Ry S 8Tssfss
Controversial Dialogue Between Presbyterian and His
Catholic Brother, and Its Sequel.

I ity. You are attempting to convict the
church of superstition, in order to be
able to conclude against her authority.
You must, then, prove that she author
ICES superstition, as the condition OF
setting aside her authority, and, there
fore, that what she authorizes is SUI
perstitious, as the condition of prov
ing that she authorizes superstition. 1t
is, therefore, not for me to prove that
the cultus sanctorum is useful, but for
you to prove that it is useless, and,
therefore, superstitious.
1T is an undue Worship"
That is the point you must prove"
Any worship which God forbids,
does not exact, or approve, what you
term the cultus Sanctorum?"
Your memory is apparently very
short Let me ask you by what au-
thority that you assert that God for
bids it, or does not exact or approve
ito"
In find no authority for it in the
Scriptures"
THAT is not certain: but you cannot
appeal to the Scriptures, for you have
no legal possession of them and are
not authorized to interpret them, and
because you bring your action, not on
the revealed, but on the natural, law.
beSlueS, llS ldCI liIdl you illiO ilp filA
thority for the cultus sanctorum is not
sufficient for your purpose; you must
have authority against it, and you can
conclude nothing against it, unless you
find it prohibited by the law of ma
ture."
Il know, by the light of nature, that
God does not exact or approve, but
forbids, all idle and vain worship"
Undoubtedly; but what is idle and
vain Worship"
THAT is begging the question, or
making your accusation the proof of
the truth of your accusation-the or
binary Protestant method of proving
what they assert against the church.
But proceeding in this way, we shall
never be able to come to any con-
clusion. Is not any worship super
stitious in which the worshiper looks
for effects from inadequate causes?'
perhaps So"
"Thus it is superstition to fear bad
luck because we have seen the new
moon over our left shoulder, or be-
cause we have done a piece of work,
put to sea. or commenced a journey on
Friday: to expect to discharge what we
owe to God by paying divine honors
to what is not God, to please him by
vain observances, or to obtain bless
ings by means of prayers to lnanimate
or senseIess objects-objects which can
neither bestow the blessings nor inter-
cede with God for them; for in these
and all similar cases, the causes are
inadequate to the effects. On the con-
trary in all cases in which the effects
feared or expected are feared and ex-
pected from adequate causes, although
there may be error, there is no super
stition."
BE it So"
''Then in order to convict the cultus
sanctorum of superstition, you must
show that the effects we expect from
it are expected from inadequate
causes"
"That can easily be done. The saints
cannot atone for our sins and be our
mediators'
Granted; nor do we expect anything
of the sort from them. All we ask OF
them is their prayers"
Even that is superstitious, because
the saints have no power to hear your
prayers or to pray for you
How know you that?"
"They are TO longer living"
I'm the flesh, conceded; but the
church assures us that they still live
in the presence of God, and if they do,
then can hear our prayers in heaven,
and do for us all we ask of them; and
how can you, from the light of nature,
say they do not so live?"
Your veneration of relics is super
stitious, for you acknowledge that they
have no life or sense TO help YOU"
1--WE do not expect them 10 help us"
"Then the veneration is idle, and,
therefore, superstitious."
"In the respect we pay to the relics
of saint, it is the saint we honor, and
whatever we expect from the inter
.cession of the saint, and through that
intefcession we expect from God, who
lis honored in his saints, and who him
self delights to honor them"
ITO be Continued.)