Illustrating the Doctrine.
By Editor
Depraved human nature is the same in every age, and will, if the circumstances are the same, manifest itself in the same way. If the doctrine that no faith should be kept with heretics—that they are destroyers of the souls of men, and are more worthy of death than murderers of the body, because the soul is of more value than the body—kindled the fires of Smithfield and unsheathed the sword on St. Bartholomew’s day, it will bear the same fruits still, unless there are other surroundings to restrain and make it impolitic. We have just noticed two illustrations of this fact in the public prints within a few days. A mob attacked Rev. Mr. White, a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in Illinois, because he dared to lecture on Romanism. This is no uncommon thing; probably Mr. White has been mobbed twenty times while engaged in the work of showing the false claims of Romanism. But the most notable case which has occurred of late is that at Antigonish, 10th of July last. Antigonish is a small town in Nova Scotia, about a hundred miles north-east of Halifax, where Rev. Mr. Chiniquy endeavored to lecture in the Presbyterian church. The Roman Catholics broke up the assembly by ringing the bell of the church, calling out, “Fire!” and making other noises. Even so-called Catholic ladies, usually gentle, clamored for the preacher’s blood. One blew a whistle in the church, and cried, “At him, boys!” and others declared that “if the country Catholics were in town, every Protestant in Antigonish would be dead before morning.” We are glad to see that the Presbytery to which the church belongs calls on the authorities to vindicate the laws by the prosecution of the rioters. The pastor of the church, Mr. Chiniquy, and several others were more or less hurt by stones thrown by the rioters. What better illustration could we have of the doctrine that all that is needed is power, to make the Roman Catholic church in this country as much a persecutor as she ever was in Italy or Spain?—Christian Press.