WANING OF PROTESTANT FAITH.
A WRITER, Prof. L. Kayser, LL.D., in the Catholic Mirror of June 26, writes on “Protestantism and Catholicism,” taking for his text a discussion of this subject by Francis de Pressense, son of the well-known Protestant writer, the late E. de Pressense. The contention of Professor Kayser is that the two pillars of Protestantism,—Holy Scripture authority to each individual, and justification by faith,—are becoming things of the past. He thus quotes M. de Pressense:— “In old times a Protestant would take his Bible, and, reading it, or simply turning over its leaves, every word shone before his eyes as a divine word. To-day, when he opens the Sacred Book, he must begin by asking himself: ‘This part, is it really authentical? Is that word so? Was it said by our Lord himself, or is it merely the conception of John that I read? Is it from an eye-witness, or is it not more likely a statement to be looked on as a compromise opinion between Hebrews and Christians of that remote period? And, again: Modern Theology gives us a Bible of which the disintegrated parts would require, indeed, to be printed in various colors—according to the various times and different writers—and a Bible that savants alone, after innumerable efforts, will be able to read with discernment.” “And now what about justification by faith . . . in Jesus Christ—no doubt—Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary and risen from the dead? Says again M. de Pressense: ‘Modern Theology gives us a Christ impalpable, intangible, something like a crepuscular phantom, with neither divinity nor humanity, without historical reality in the past, without heavenly divinity in the present, without supernatural divinity in the sacraments.’ In fact, higher criticism has already treated very badly the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. When its work will be finished, it will be interesting to see how justification by faith can—for Protestants—be consistent with the notion of a purely human Christ, however unequaled their high criticism may make him.” And in conclusion this Protestant writer feels that it were better to cast away the cup which this unbelieving Protestantism offers, and, if nothing else be found, “cling to the fringes of his cloak,” or perhaps “stick to the footsteps of his disciples, were it only for the sake of being touched by the shade of Peter, that cured the sick of Jerusalem!” The reference to the shade of Peter is to the Roman faith. In the above arraignment of much that is called Protestantism there is much truth; but that kind of Protestantism, tho it may bear the name, is false to every principle of the original. The vital principles of original Protestantism are the principles of Christianity. They are an open Bible, the living Word of God to every man, personal faith in a personal Saviour, no interference on the part of a church by a creed or a state by law. These exist, tho all who may be called Protestants fail. All the so-called great Protestant bodies may abjure faith and mutilate the Word of God, yet there will arise witnesses for Jesus Christ who will testify to the saving power of personal faith, to the divine life received by the Word. As of old they may be persecuted by “Orthodox” Pharisees or “Higher Critic” Sadducees; nevertheless, they bear witness for God, and are his church in the earth—the children of Abraham, not by human succession, but by faith, and divine regeneration.