Protestantism and infidelity. An appeal to candid Americans...

Front matter

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Preface

I HAVE now been in this country for upwards of thirteen years, during which time I have labored as a Catholic missionary throughout the United States. I have traveled from place to place giving Missions, with scarcely any interruption, and have repeatedly traversed the country in every direction from Virginia to the Mexican boundaries of Texas, from New York to Minnesota. I know America, and know it far better than my own native country.

In the course of my Missions, it has often happened that Americans expressed a desire to hear me in their own language. Whenever I addressed them, I was struck with the profound attention with which they honored my extem-

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porary efforts. I noticed on such occasions, and, indeed, in all my intercourse with the native inhabitants, so many excellent qualities of mind and heart, that I could not but view, with the sincerest feelings of compassion, so noble and intelligent a people seduced by religious error, when it would be so easy for them, by a little candid inquiry, to overcome the prejudices of education and habit, and discover that the Catholic Church is the only means of salvation for men.

Americans, I do not mean to flatter you ; but I may safely assert that there is no nation upon which the Catholic Church looks with more tender solicitude than upon yours ; none more worthy the labors of priests and people for their conversion.

My vocation as a Missionary among the German and the French population has seldom allowed me to address you from the pulpit. Urged on by a deep feeling of duty to aid in disabusing you of the prejudices of your Protestant education, I have thought of fulfilling this important duty of Christian and brotherly

PREFACE. Vll

affection through the press. I hope, with the blessing of God, that my argument, if examined dispassionately and meditated on with candor, will prove amply sufficient to induce every candid man among you to acknowledge the truth of the Catholic Church.

All that is needed to test a man's sincerity, is to place before him those first principles which, like the sun in heaven, are evident by their own light. For him who closes his eyes against such evidence, whole libraries of controversial works would prove insufficient : he deliberately adheres to error, because he is unwilling to make the sacrifices which conversion to the Catholic faith would impose upon him. The mists that rise from sin exclude the sunbeams of the truth. I fear, indeed, that not a few are guilty of deliberately rejecting the well-known truth, particularly among those who find it for their worldly interests and convenience to remain Protestants.

It is not for such men these pages are written, but for that larger class who are Protestants only because they were born and

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brought up in Protestantism ; who are sincere, willing to examine, and determined to follow their convictions. To this class it is my earnest wish that all my readers may belong.

Throughout the whole of this appeal, I mean to be plain spoken ; this I owe to the importance of the subject, and to the honesty of your character; I am prompted to it by my own disposition, I am authorized in it by your example, and still more so by the plainness of the Gospel. The Gospel calls everything by its own name, and makes use of no more circumlocution in characterizing a lie, than in testifying to the truth. Disguising none of my convictions, I will tell you the truth, and even unpleasant truths expressed in the plainest language. A physician is guilty of no wrong in calling his friend's sickness by its real name, and prescribing for him the best remedies whether palatable or not : should he act otherwise, he is not a true friend. I am your friend, God knows. Never have I harbored or experienced any bitterness of feeling towards Protestants or Infidels. My only sentiment

PREFACE. IX

towards you, is that of love and compassion ; my only wish, to extend to you a brother's hand, and to help to save you. Your salvation is my only object in offering you these pages ; and I have no doubt that, before laying down the book, you will be fully convinced of it.

My arguments, I hope, will be solid ; but in order to give to the work the character of a friendly conversation, rather than of a dry polemical discussion, I shall occasionally introduce sdrne incidents of my missionary life. While such incidents will serve to illustrate my proofs, they will, perhaps, also enable you to read the work with less fatigue and more interest.

Americans, read, reflect, and decide for yourselves.

THE AUTHOR.

Table Of Contents

FAGB.

Pekfacb V

Inteoduction 1

CHAPTER I. The Character OP PROTESTANTisir 8

SECTION L

The Distressing Nature op the Protestant Doctrine as Compared with the Catholic, on the following Points :

The Primitive Condition of Man and the Fall 7

The Redemption • • • • 13

The Church 17

The Means of Salvation 31

Baptism 34

Confirmation 36

The Eucharist 37

Penance — Indulgences 49

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TAQH,

Extreme Unction 58

Holy Orders 62

Matrimony 66

GoodWorks 68

Purgatory • • 72

The Communion of Saints 76

SECTION n.

Protestantism a Eeliqion op Despair 85

The Charge proved 86

Ulterior Consequences 88

CHAPTER IL

The Principle of Protestantism 104

Strength op the Catholic Principle, which is, that the Teaching op the True CntiRCH op Christ is the true Kule op Faith 104

Unanswerable Proof, founded on the mark op Apostolic-

ITTj THAT THE CaTHOLIC ChURCH IS THE TRUE ChURCH

OP Christ 106

The Other Marks op the True Church op Christ belong

ONLY TO THE CaTHOLIC ChURCH •••• 122

Unity 124

Holiness • 131

Universality ..•»... 139

Indestructibility 143

CONTENTS. XIU

PAGE.

CoNCLusiVB Proof op the Infalubihty op the Catholic Church, as the True Church op Christ — Her Infallibility IS the Rule op Faith 153

SECTION n.

The Weakness and Absurdity op the Protestant Rule

op Faith 163

The Private Interpretation op the Bible has none op

the Requisites op a True Rule op Faith 166

The Rule of Faith must be —

Clear 166

Complete 169

As old as the Faith itself 171

Universal 173

Accessible to every one, and Final 174

The Protestant Rule op Faith lacks all these Characteristics — The Catholic Rule op Faith possesses them all 177

SECTION I. Religious Prejudices 191

The Pope 191

The Clergy 194

Confession 198

Indulgences 203

TheBible 204

Saints 206^

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PAQB.

Mary 212

Celibacy 216

Holy Mass 220

Communion 221

Use of the Latin Language • 222

Ceremonies 226

Abstinence 229

Exclusive Salvation 230

SECTION II. Political Prejudices 234

Allegiance 244

The Inquisition 244

Despotism 249

Civilization 250

Morality 254

The Sabbath 256

The Sovereignty of the Pope and his Civil Government- 257

Eepublicanism • 261

Freedom of Discussion 265

CHAPTER IV. Infidelity the Ultimate Consequence of Pkotest

^ A.NTISM 278

SECTION I.

Infidelity Refuted. Seven Conclusive Aeouments

AGAINST Infidelity 280

The Undeniable Existence of God 280

The Undeniable Immortality of the Soul 283

CONTENTS. XV

PAGB.

The Undeniable Necessity of Eeligion 287

The Undeniable Necessity of a Divinely Eevealed Religion 288

The Undeniably Divine Mission of Christ 291

The Undeniable Superhuman Character of the Church

of Christ 304

The Undeniable Axiom "Where Peter is, there is the

Church" 306

SECTION II.

Objections Answered 309

The Incomprehensibility of Mysteries 309

Everlasting Punishment, 315

The Supposed Contradiction of Revelation with Geology and History, 327

Conclusion, 333

PROTESTANTISM

A RELIGION OF

DISTRESS AND DESPAIR.

The assertion that Protestantism is a Religion of distress and despair, may astonish you, but I shall make it evident from a characteristic of Protestantism, to which, I think, sufficient attention has not been hitherto called.

That characteristic is the startling fact, that Protestantism, as taught by the early Reformers and as held in substance to the present day, has rejected precisely those articles of the Catholic Creed, which are best calculated to inspire consolation and hope, and has set up, instead, just such doctrines as must inevitably sadden and crush the soul, and ultimately lead to utter despair.

That characteristic, if true, as I shall show it to be beyond all doubt, is, you will acknowledge, fatal to the claims of Protestantism 2 1

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considered as a Divine Religion. It is so evidently incompatible vi^ith the wants of the heart and the requirements of reason, that on the supposition of Catholicity and Protestantism being both of them mere human inventions, it would be easier to explain how Protestants could have become Catholics, than to assign a valid reason why Catholics should ever have become Protestants ; for who would not choose to believe doctrines tending to cheer and console, rather than such as are only fit to crush the heart and lead a man to despair ? I consider it one of the most astonishing facts in all history, that j^our ancestors rejected Catholicity with all its consolations, and adopted, instead, a Religion of distress and despair. Such a choice could never have been the effect of calm reflection, but must have been, as history proves it was, the result of violence and blind passion.

To prove my assertion it is not necessary to demonstrate the divinity of the Catholic Church and her doctrines ; I shall do that, in a brief and conclusive manner, in a subsequent part of the work, when I come to the discussion of the principle of faith. Neither is it necessary that my Protestant readers should in all respects agree with the early Reformers. To establish the point at issue, it is enough to show that the early Reformers held the doctrines of distress

DISTRESS AND DESPAIR. S

and despair which I ascribe to them, and that the doctrines of Protestantism at the present day are still the same in substance in many respects, and in principle the same in every respect.

I do not undertake to write a long and tedious polemical discussion, nor a symbolic like Moehler's or Buchmann's ; I simply intend to make a comparison between the doctrines of Protestants and Catholics, and to examine them in their nature and logical consequences.

I feel confident that at every step in the comparison you will find a convincing proof of my charges against Protestantism ; and the Catholic doctrine will appear to you not only consoling, but so much in harmony with all the wants of man, that it could only have proceeded from a Divine hand, bearing upon its face the evident seal of divine truth and beauty. I have as little doubt that you will discover, that Protestantism, by its rejection of Catholic doctrine has disfigured the beauty of the Christian Creed, and robbed you of the sweetest and holiest consolations of life, along with your only hope of eternal salvation.

Having reviewed the principal points controverted between Catholics and Protestants, I shall be justified in asking you with astonishment, How could your forefathers have ac-

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cepted so extraordinary a Religion ? and how can their descendants cling to a religious system so void of hope and consolation ?

In the next place, I will show you, that the only obstacles to your return to the Catholic Church, are a lack of earnest examination into the principle of faith, and your adherence to unfounded anti-Catholic prejudices.

Finally, I shall briefly, yet unanswerably, refute Infidelity, the last logical consequence of Protestantism.

Accordingly the work is divided into four chapters, treating successively of the Character of Protestantism, of the Principle of Protestantism, of the Prejudices of Protestants, and of the last logical consequence of Protestantism, Infidelity.