The Telegram. — 1893-10-10 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

HENRY HODGE.  PROTHSTANTISM DECAYENG ? T he AVitor.  Ste—l have been reatitag the letters in your papers lately on the above subject with some interest. As a working man, I should like to ask (and lain certain I shall not ask in vain) for a little space in your paper to make a few remarks on the same. I will be as brief as possible. Ivo doubt the question asked by " Protestant 'is an important one. I can enter into hie feelings on the subjeet, althougn not viewing it from the same standpoint. That the Church is getting Romanised there is not the least doubt, but is not thie a reaction on the restrictions placed inn the conscience of the people for centuries, and does not priesecraft cit any sort require a great deal of ritual t—the woe the better for enslaving the people. " Protestant " asks "if the great battle of the Reformation will have to be fought again, viz., salvation by faith alone through a personal acceptance of Christ." But we are told by no less a personage than the Bishop of the Diocese (see page 2 of the 2'elegram) that " the (Mamie of the atonement is not Ciinstianity, and to make the atonement tne whole of their religion was a great act ofdisproportieu and therefore of untruth." What does " Protestant ° make of this! I have been always given to understand that the atonement is the first principle of the chastian religion, the corner-stone of the whole fabric, so that the thing " Protestant " is prepared to tight for, is, according to the Rev. Father in God, not even Chridionity Ituclf. May at not ask, with one of old, " What is truth ?" I should like a few words ftoru " Pr.itestant "on the subject. I ask bar more light. I shook now like, with your pernirmion, to make a remark or two on the preeioue epistle of " A Le Lievre." This epistle places the subject in a different position and on a different footing than " Protestaut's." This correspondent has made assertions and given proofs, and in his seal to prove too touch he has failed to prove auything at all, fie has glean quotations from writers and euunkerated dittereut countries which have prospered.. But is Proteobantisin the whole raises of this prosperity i lain Mewled he has mentioned Fraitee and the United States. hit Protestantism that has given Prance her prosperity, or is it her political and social institutions ! Tire people of France wer., in slavery under Humanism when the people of England were in the highest prosperity that ever they have seen under tire same rhureli. How does your correspondent account lid that And in wiiat state wount the United States have been had they not thrown oil the yoke id England, which the "Divine right men "(the Stuarts) and the Georges tried to impose on them, and made their own institutions for themselves i As to Spain, it was some years since the was a Protestant country. In the height of her glory, when she threatened ugland with destruction, was she Protestant then Your correspondent is ready to prove "that Henry the VeiL. was not a Protestant." I would recommend him not to try to prove anything about this defender of the faith, only thin he was a murderer, a licentious—if not land there are grave doubts) an incestuous --monster, and one who robbed the people of this eottntry nitre than any ruler before or since. If he was not a Protestant himself he was assisted in most ot his vile deeds by great Protestant divines. Space will not permit me much more, and as I do not want this consigned to the waste paper basket, I trill only ask' A. to Deere " to prove one of his assertions. Will he kindly prove that our own country "Ito embed in every conceivable way" on the adoption of Protestantism 7 Will he prove that the pe,-,ple of this country have now a better share of the wealth than they had under Romsnistm or before the Protestant Reformation 7—l am, sir, yours respectfully,