The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-08
WAS A NOTED CONVERT FOR
MER HEAD OF THE BAPTIST
MISSIONS IN MExlCo-LABORED
LONG TO DISCOVER TRUTH OF
CATHOLIC -CLAIMS-FOUND VER-
LEGATION IN HOLY SCRIP.
TURES.

William H. Sloan, a distinguished
Baptist missionary, for twenty years
head of the missions of his denomina-
ton in Mexico, became a Catholic af-
ter long and anxious study, in 1908.
His death is the occasion of note
worthy sketch of his life in The Mis-
sionary, from which we take the fol
lowing:
William H. Sloan moved to Kan
sas while still boy, and in very needy
circumstances he began typical
American career, winning by his un-
aided labors proficiency in all branch
es of the printers trade, then regu-
lar and thorough college education, in
Guiding the degree of A. M. During all
those years he worked every spare mo-
ment for his support. Then he took a
full course of ministerial training in
the Baptist University of Rochester,
n. Y. Licensed to preach, he enjoyed
several years of successful passionate
in prominent Baptist churches.
Besides being intensely religious
and fluent and powerful preacher,
Mr.. Sloan had a distinct tendency
towards the adventurous calling of a
foreign missionary. He held for sew
eral years a prominent position in the
Baptist missions of Burmah. Mean.
while he had married and very hap
PLY. The climate of Burmah being
quite unfavorable to the health of his
wife and growing family, he returned
home, and soon after joined the Bap-
fist missions in Mexico. Naturally a
linguist, and always fond of study, he
soon mastered the Spanish and be-
came as fluent in it with tongue and
pen as with his native language. In
few years he became the general
superintendent of the Baptist missions
in Mexico.
From time to time Mr.. Sloan's con-
science had been stung with sharp
misgivings about the Protestant posi-
ton. These were accompanied by in
terror struggles of an exceedingly
painful intensity. He never spoke to
a Catholic on religion, except to strive
to pervert him, but now and then he
procured Catholic books. Being of
the kind of mind that studies rather
than reads, he finally found his con
science occasionally in open rebellion,
which he suppressed with honest but
painful exertion.
This process lasted good many
years, extending over the latter half
of his twenty years sojourn in Mex
leo. He has placed on record his in
terror experience there. Although he
was confronted not seldom with the
worst sort of Catholics, yet he was
less scandaliZed by them than by the
welcome they were given by the Prot
estant missionaries when they apos.
tatized. L fought Catholicism by day,
he has remarked, and studied it by
night At last he knew the Catholic
religion thoroughly we'll, both in its
living results in priests and people
and in it's doctrine and history as it is
known to the learned and witnessed in
the writings of friends and foes.
His change of belief at last was
completed, and it was a mental trans
| formation as unWelcome as it was
| compulsory. The call of truth had
gradually grown imperative, whilst
Protestant error grew more and more
repellant Religion of any sort is al
| it's best propagandism, and the Prot
| estantism in Mexico, to quote Mr.
| Sloan's own words, was maze of mul