Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12
PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC.

The view of the Latter-day Saints
that neither Protestanism nor Cathol-
lcism Is complete in itself, while each
OF these great divisions of Christian
thought and sentiment contains much
that Is excellent, receives a significant
corroboration In two strong articles
just published One is by the English
vicar of Gedney; the other by Mr..
Robert E. Spur of this country
According 10 the former writer,
the world has grown sad and gloomy,
harsh and violent. under the influence
of the Reformation-Engl no long
er Merry England" and Germany
hard hearted and morose ever since
the time of Luther
The latter maintains that Catholic,
Latin America Is In far more need of
spiritual awakening and regeneration
than the Mongolian countries of the
East
In a word. the first mentioned of
these two thinkers shows that Pro-
testanism. while accomplishing much
for the individual, Is devoid of that
social unity which leads to the joy
full communion OF saints" glorifed
by the Christian hymn writer's; the
second. that, Judged by It's effects upon
nations as a whole, Catholicism when
weighed in the balance, Is found want
ing.
The first labors to prove that the
much derlded ecclesiaticism OF the
Roman Catholic system has many adj
vantages and that It's abuses have been
exaggerated. Thus:
The sale OF indulgences was. no
doubt not the ideally best way by
which to raise money for the build
ing of a church. but 1t is extremely
improbable that it ever did any real
harm to anybody In the world, and
the building of st Peters was incon-
testably an immense gain To have
built that great serene church. and.
generation after generation. to have
illuminated IT on festal nights, is to
have deserved well OF mankind Leo
X, by the way. so often looked upon
as pagan. Issued great bull against
slavery. This fact, think. shows how
very Christian the Church was in her
most pagan days.
Mr., Gcdney argues that Catholicism
makes for the Joy of mankind by the
very method In which il presents
Christian truths-in such a way that
they become living realities to the
people" Again:
Icons and missals. Christmas carols
and miraclc-plays. are so lovely just
hnE
had such intense delight In them. The
people who made these things could
surely never have been unhappy and
they did not work, like modern artists
for select few but had with them in
their work the intelligent sympathy
of the whole people. The faith Is the
one pure flower OF JOY that has sprung
out OF the dark EARTH
He maintains that any one who has
been to Spain Will easily understand
that Catholicism does not send beg
gars to Jail. as Is done in Protestant
countries. The yoke OF life in pre-Re-
formation days was lightened in many
ways, says this writer through the
merciful Intervention of Catholic
usages:
|
| Charles Lamb toward bcggars, their
| appeal liz to our common nature
| There Is no decay OF starving, death
| struck misery In the lands prc-cmin-
| ent of Reformation light. but, Ina
| gine. ye readers of the four Evan
gelists-in these countries II is a
crime to ask aims"
With this picture. Mr. Gedncy con
trasts the heroes Of Professionalism
always gloomy men," Cromwell for
example. He then declares that
Puritan character Mt Its best has
never been lovable one. and cites
two famous examples;
"As seen in its greatest lights ant
saints II is not the character of tn,
Bcatltudes Neither have It's heroes
been conspicuously happy people In tn,
ordinary human scnse. They arc on,