Platform Talk and Public Acts
By Editor
Platform Talk and Public Acts.—There is much said with reference to the modern progressive spirit of Roman Catholics; and the New York Sun is doing yeoman service for the Church of Rome in praising her liberality. In a recent issue it has this item:— The Roman Catholic mayor of Montreal, in his speech welcoming the Christian Endeavor Convention to that town, said that at this time the forces of Christian faith need to be united against religious skepticism, the common foe of all. When, last week, a Baptist Church at Long Island City offered the use of its house of worship to the priest of a neighboring Roman Catholic Church which had been destroyed by fire, the Baptist pastor said: "We are here for doing good, and I hope to see the day when all churches will join hands in one common object, the glory of God and the salvation of souls." The Roman Catholic pastor, in accepting the generous proffer, wrote that it "tends to send us a long step forward in the direction of that universal brotherhood for which we are all striving." The existence and the public expression of such sentiments indicate a progress toward Christian unity which now appears for the first time since Christendom was divided into the great opposing camps of Catholicism and Protestantism. But the real feeling of Roman Catholics in Montreal was shown a few days later, when the Endeavorers were placed almost at the very mercy of a Roman Catholic mob, those composing it having become enraged over a speech by an East Indian, who likened Romanism to heathenism. The mayor was talking for policy's sake; the people were acting out their real feelings and principles. And the unfortunate orator of the occasion has been apologized for and condemned most heartily by some of the weak-kneed Protestant press ever since for telling what was doubtless a wholesome, if not a relishable, truth. The second instance shows, indeed, marvelous condescension on the part of the Baptist, but it would have argued a thousand-fold more for a spirit of union on the part of Romanists if they kindly loaned one of their churches to the Baptists or some other Protestant denomination. Yes, indeed, the Roman Catholic looks forward to that time of universal brotherhood, but that brotherhood to him must be in the Church of Rome, and he saw the Baptist taking the long step. The way Catholics feel is well expressed by the following, which appeared in the Catholic News of some time since:— The Rev. Charles A. Briggs has just come out the worse for a tussle with the inspired prophets. This should prevent him from making vast prophecies as the following: "That in time Protestants and Roman Catholics would be united, work under one standard creed, and break down the barriers which have in a great degree hindered the evangelization of the world." We hear a great deal of "union" and "unity," etc., from the Protestant end of the bargain. It takes two to make a bargain, and if the Protestants are one, then the Catholics are not the other. There is only one creed, and that is our creed. If the Protestants accept that, they are not Protestants. There is only one chance of unity, and that is the total annexation. Our Protestant friends will do well to learn that fact. The trouble is that Protestants are Protestants no longer. Rome is the same.