The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-10-15

out having read Denihc" This sentence is the
measure of the books worth.
MISTAKES OF MYERS.
A new interest III the truth of every person and
thing connected with the great tragedy called the
Reformation has been aroused by the appearance OF
Father IDENTIFIES great work on Luther and Luther
ISM To this work we refer III another place; and
while we wait for the result of the wider diffusion
of such an eye-openng and conscience-awakenlng
book it is well to clear the way by showing what is
already available by way of preliminary, for popu-
lar use Some time ago it was our pleasure to di-
rect attention to a sngularly helpful controversial
work by Rev. William +. Randall, of the Church OF
the Assumption, SIT Sydney street St. Louis Mo,
entitled Mistakes and Misstatements of Myers" In
this book the patient and learned author tracked
through its every falSehood colossal or pigmy the
textbook called Myers History" which is being
foisted upon the American public through the
facilities afforded by the public school system and
the latent bigotry of many of those upon whom the
selection of public textbooks depends. Father
Randall points out In his introduction that, as
under the provisions of the American constitution
guaranteeing religious liberty and freedom of
science is the right of pupils in the;pubc schools
to reject this textbook of Myers He gives thou
sand reasons why it should be rejected not only by
Catholics but by every student DESTROYS of learning
the truth of history, not its travesty. Though we
selected some specimens of his method, In notice
h,
gend tempts us TO add some bearing directly upon
the life and work of the arch-apostate and his COM
panions We follow the reverend authors own plan
of giving first the literal text from the book and
then his own gloss or comment OH the same:
Martin Luther
Myers: years Of study, reflection and mental
conflict within the closter had awakened in
Luthers mind doubts and questionings as to many
of the doctrines of the church"
Comment.-It not study and reflection that
ruined Luther, but pride and passion. Luther was
angered by the selection of Tetze rather than him
self to preach the ndulgenccs. He sought pre-
text to oppose Tetzel, and engaged in public
troversy against his methods with wonderful ardor;
but enthusiasm and passion bore him onward be-
yond his calculations and he had not the humility
to acknowledge his eXtrayagances and retrace his
steps.
Myers: His last lingering doubt respecting
the matter of ecclesiastical penanees and indulg-
entitled mistakes and Mistatements of MYERS" In
ences appears to have been removed while, during
official visit to Rome in 1910, he was penitenti-
ally ascending his knees the sacred stairs OF the
Lateran, when he seemed to hear inner voice de-
caring The just shall live by faith
Comment.-So are seriously told that SUI
theirs 'last lingering doubt" was removed in 1910;
no longer can he believe Catholic doctrine. Yet on
October Is, 1918 at the conference at Augsburg he
publicly professed his faith in all the doctrines of
had never intended to teach anything offensive to
Catholic doctrine. to the Holy Scriptures to the
authority of the Fathers or to the DEGREES of the
pope.
Again, he broke with the church, the author
says because che seemed to hear an inner voice de-
caring The just shall live by faith " But that is
Catholic doctrine, and i'll no way conAictiye with
the doctrine of ndulgences. The error of Protest
antism on this point Is that it teaches, did
Luther. that "Ihe just shall live by faith alone"
1t is the appendicitis that kills the living body of
truth.
The Ninety-Five Theses
Myers: "The form which church penances had
taken III the hands of Tetzel and his associates.
making sins past and prospective article OF
merchandise, was so opposed to reason and the
teachings of the Scriptures, that Luther deter
mined to make an appeal to the conscience and in
telligence of the world"
Communicative pages back the author wrote:
"It-is and always has been, the theory (doctrine)
of the Roman Catholic church that the indulgence
RENTS merely temporal penalties" Why then, does
he now say that Tezel and his associates made Sins
past and prospective article of merchandise"
1t is very certain that they did such thing, and
no proof has ever been adduced to show that they
sold either ndulgences or sacramental absolution.
And even if they had their conduct being IN direct
violation of ecclesiastical laws, would furnish
Luther argument for rejecting the church.
The authors accusations seem to us to be not
only dishonorabc, but dishonest.
Myers: Gle drew up ninety five theses or ar
ticles, wherein be fearlessy stated his views re-
specting indulgences"
Comment These foolish propositions over
which so much fuss has been made, disclose
neither originality profundity. As to the spirit
i'll which they were proposed and defended Luther's
own words declare. Under date Of Trinity Sunda5,
1918, he thus wrote 10 the pope "fhr propositions
which put forth Most Holy Father, are in the
form of theses and not OF doctrines: of enigmas
propounded in an epigmatic STYLE These ninety
five puerie and false theses, Mr. Myers distorts into
truths boldly and eloquently proclaimed" We can
understand Luther's excitement and incompetence,
for he was party to hot discussion; but Mr..
Myers enthusiasm over number of absurd and
wholly indefensible articles which he himself DOGS
het believe, seems to indicate some mental abnorip
a6fy