The Irish standard., 1914-04-25
Discussions of a Convert

~
there was similar disagreement on es-
sential points. 1t seemed as If. there
were no authoritative teacher. The
whole structure rested on sort Of
federation basis. 1t appeared to me
that If there is one thing absolutely
clear in the religion that claims to
be revelation it should be that the
revelation has some one in authority
to interpret it. If it is true that Our
Divine Lord came down from Heaven
and If it. is true that He intended
that revelation to be the guide of all
men. it is surely obvious that that
revelation had one message and no
more. and that the basic principles of
that revelation must be interpreted
in one true manner, if it is to be eff
cacious.
IF there is one thing more than
another that Christ came down from
heaven for. it is that He might bring
forgiveness of sins to those that
would accept it. Yet the Anglicans
differ on this one vital fundamental
point. I taught that Christ gave the
power of forgiving sins to the Apos-
ties and through them to the priests
and bishops for all time. Others
taught differently. Yet we were rec
ognized as preaching true doctrine,
and this condition, came to realize,
was not new; it had. been in exist
ence for centuries. Years and years
had been allowed to pass without the
formation of uniform doctrine on
this most vital point. I asked my
self was this the Church of Christ?
A church in which every man had
the right to teach what he believed
to be the message of Christianity,
although they arrived at so many diff
ferent conclusions about the mes
sage.
II examined further, since now
was determined to discover what in
the midst of these conflicting opin-
ions the Church of England really
did teach. I took up the words of
Christ, This is My Body. This is My
Blood What, asked, did Christ
mean when He said these words?
The words were clear, a plain state
ment; yet when asked for an ex-
PLANTATION of them I was told that it
would require over an hour to give
an explanation of what the Church
Of England thought these words
mean. Then I said that If the
Church of England could not more
simply explain the words Of Christ
on that point. the Church Of Eng
land was not the Church of Christ.
My faith in Anglicanism was then
shaken. and naturally l began to
turn towards Rome, as I called it at
that time. y '''
But now met a difficulty; to
lose faith in the church in which one
has been born and educated is one
thing, but to turn from that church
and espOuse another one is differ.
ent matter. was in a troublesome
position; my faith in the Church of
England was becoming shattered,
but my faith in any other church was
not yet formed.
II felt that 1 was in danger, and I
went to my mother at home for her
advice. She told me to make known
my state of mind to my superiors,
and this I did. i announced myself
ready to read any books they should
prescribe. provided they should al
low me to read whatever books
chose. They took me at my word.
I myself up to this time had not con-
suited any Catholic priest. 1900.
II read the prescribed books,
among them Littledale's Plain Rea-
sons Against Joining the Church of
Rome the most dishonest book
ever read, and numerous other works
on both sides of the controversy. The
further got the more hopeless
realized the case to be. If I stayed
on the side of Anglicanism. I found
against me Cardinal Newman and
other profound intellects; if I left
and joined the Roman
Catholic church i found opposed to
me DR.. Pussy, DR.. Keble and others
as famous. I again consult
ed my superior, DR.. Gall, the present
Bishop of Oxford. and he answered
me with an argument that for long
time was unable to answer.
ut was as follows: How can you
attempt to decide this matter when
intellects Of such magnitude disa-
gree? Stay where you were put by
and do not attempt to
solve the problem by the unaided
use Of your own BRAIN At last the
swer suggested itself to me. Our
Lord did not come to save only schol-
ars and saints, but His mission was
to save fools and sinners.
If the church of Christ really exists,
there must be, as Isaiah says, some
road leading to IT SO straight that
anyone can follow it. That argu-