The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-05

w mere GfOU6SLdllIS nave any
ecclesiastical organization, their
boast is that it is democratic in
the fullest sense. The fact is that
it must be essentially anarchical.
For the first principle of Protes-
tantism is, that no man and no
body of men have any power what
soever from God to bind the con-
sciences Of other men in matters
of religious belief; and that in
cludes, of course, the practical
ethical side of religion. Hence
Germans, Japs, English, Russians,
are fully justified, according to
Protestant principles, in going to
war They are simply using their
sacred Protestant right of private
judgment; and it is ludicrous for
any man to criticise them on Prot
estant principles.
1t is true that there are notions
of right and wrong in the heart
of man which no heresy, no in
fidelity, no organized anarchy of
thought can wholly obliterate.
But the Protestant who appeals
to them is abandoning his funda-
mental principle, which says that
man's notions are his own bust
ness alone, that no man, no body
Of men have any right to say him
nay should he wish to propagate
his notions, no matter how anarch-
zeal they may be.
But kings in the days of their
unchallenged tyranny established
the New Religion; and today mob
rule upholds it. Preachers teach
not what they have found out to
be true and believe to be needed
by their hearers, but what will
please them and keep them from
going to some rival church.
Not so long ago the power of
Germany and Of England was the
great argument for the truth Of
Professionalism. What that power
aimed at, what it inevitably led
to, was kept in the background.
And now that inflated national
pride, embittered national jeal-
ousy, unbridled lust for conquest,
for gold, and for the ignoble
things that gold can buy, have
kindled the torch of war, we do
not hear so much Of this Protes-
tant note Of wealth and luxury as
a sign of divine favor. The
wretched hysteria Of too many
pulpits has found just one theme
more. Because the mutilated
fragments of the Gospel and the
poisonous heresies of some little
conventicle have not kept the
world at peace, the Gospel itself
is denounced as a failure. 'Not
creeds, but Deeds" says one
preacher, who forgets that there
can be no rational action without
definite conviction and definite
principle, and that the Church has
from God the mission to form
those convictions and to establish
those principles in the minds of
men.
The very men whose labors to
create disloyalty and rebellion
against Christ s Church have been
only too successful, now turn
round and assail the Church be-
cause she has failed to crush their
propaganda Of anarchy. They
blame the Church for their own
doings. It is extremely hard to
believe that they are honest with
themselves in making this out
rageous charge. In the piping
times of peace they cross land and
sea to make proselytes, to enlist
new recruits in their unholy war
against the church; they applaud
the infdels Of France and Portu-
gal and Italy and Mexico, whose
avowed aim is to blot the name
of God from out the heart Of man.
And then. when the work of Satan
is finished, they have the unpara-
lleled effrontery to turn round and
say that it was Rome that made
the people atheists. Their own
avowed principles lead their more
logical and candid disciples down
to the abyss of unbelief; and this
inevitable fruit of their own la
bors merely deepens their hatred
of the Church. Il it be blindness
of the involuntary kind, and not a
mere pretence kept up in view OF
the collection-box, it is surely one
of the most mysterious ailments
that ever afflicted mankind since
the blindness of Pharaoh and the
hardening of his heart against the
people of God.