The Irish standard., 1902-01-18
A CURIOUS CONVERSION.
A Mshammedan Proves tho Falsity @
PrOtestantism.

Pr0testantlSm.
Some time ago, says writer in the
Catholic Standard and Times, 1 had
the great pleasure of reading in your
valuable paper an account Of curl
GUS conversion which reminds me
that my own was probably as curious
since, through Gods infinite mercy, it
was occasioned by Mocha pmedan,
as follows:
We sat on the forecasts of an
ocean liner, and may admit here
that without any better reason than
my own conceit, l regarded the Mo
hammedan as a knownothing, whilst
| posed as the enlightened Christian,
etc. We discussed religious schisms
and iSms, when l casually remarked
that in the light of history Moham-
med was not verified as that for
which his followers so earnestly ac-
cepted him." The Mohammedan in
quired:
Are you Chrstian?'
Yes"
Are You Catholic?"
No"
But your forefathers WERE"
Il presume they were, at least be-
fore the Reformation"
"Ah! The Reform,tion!" he cx-
claimed. at was then that man
named Luther, holding in his hand
your Holy Bible. in which was writ
ten, AS My Father sent Me, SO send
| YOU; he that Hheareth you, heareth
mo: and 1 am Msith you always, even
to the end: and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against My Church; He
who heareth not the Church. let him
he as the heatben. and the publican
this man Luther proclaimed himself
the Church, saying that the original
was fallen into gross error, and called
on mankind to hear and follow him.
which millions of you did. thereby
branding the Church. her Founder
and your Holy Bible as failures and
frauds. Now. those who crucified
your prophet OF Nazareth had power
over his body only. Was there any
way under heaven in which Luther
could more effectually scorn, deny
and cruelty his Messiah in spirit
than to assert his ability to be or
found Il church where the Messiah
had failed? Is not the soldier
guilty of mutinous conduct. expelled
from the ranks and degraded? But
your Christian soldier Luther said:
am the minister of war. the gen
erals, the colonies. the captains. 1
am the army. Kick over the hundred
or two millions who have gone
astray and follow me- And you an
swcred, :Hallelujah! Amen!' Can you.
sir. point to anything in NIOhamme-
danism so supremacy ridiculous as
this? What would be thought of or
done to the individual day laborer
who, parading in front of the Parlia-
ment or palace, should loudly repudi-
ate all the existing laws and enact
ments Of his government and the
king and your government; throw
those pretenders out and follow me-
Should we not think him possessed?
Then came royal Henry VIII, who
said to fawning courtier: 4 am in
a sad fix. The Church will not grant
even me. royal Henry, a divorcev
True. your Majesty But, my cour-
tier, observe what Luther has done
over there 4 observe, your Majes-
ty.' Why not start up church of
our own? why not, indeed, your
Majesty? I will ordain you bishop
an archbishop, and you grant me a
divorce amen, your Majesty 1t was
done! And again a wavering bat
TALON of the Cross and Crucified
threw down their arms and followed
what? Then came Wesley, Knox,
Calvin. Joe Smith. Brigham Young,
Booth and thousand others. all vie
ing with each other to nail their lies
like banners to the cross: to libel your
Prophet. His Church and testament.
These men Haunted before your eyes
an open book which itself utterly con-
demned every pretension to enact laws
or to dignity their personal opinions
with the name of Church. Yet they
obtained a goodly following.
'Our history shows clearly and we
believe that this is the church which
the Prophet of Nazareth founded and
endowed with authority to teach and
continue to the end. You acknowl-
edge His mission on earth was to es.
tablish church and offer Himself a
sacrifice for all mankind. That
church calls now, as ever, to be heard
and obeyed by all Christendom. Take