Presbyterians and Methodists Versus Catholicism
By Francis M. Wilcox
Two great religious conventions have been in session during the last month. The Presbyterians have been holding their General Assembly at Bristol, Tenn., and the Methodists have been holding their quadrennial General Conference at Minneapolis, Minn. It is interesting to note the attitude which these two great Protestant bodies assume toward the Roman Catholic Church. The Presbyterian Assembly was divided on the question of the stand which they should take regarding the aggressions of the Roman Catholic Church. Last year at the Louisville meeting a committee was appointed "to report some practical method of advising our whole people concerning the dangers involved in the pernicious activity of that powerful politico-religious organization known as the Roman Catholic Church." This committee made a report to the assembly in Bristol, Tenn., May 23, 1912. "They recommended that the church," according to the Washington Evening Star of that date, "start a movement among the evangelical churches of Jesus Christ in the United States and Canada, to throw down the gauntlet to the Roman Catholic Church in America, to undertake a comprehensive plan of evangelizing Romanists, and to establish a foundation for the support of converts from among the priests, monks, and nuns until they are fully instructed and enabled to learn gainful occupations." Judge Allen C. Hall, a prominent lawyer of Nashville, submitted a minority report of this same committee, making strong protest against any such campaign, declaring that it would serve to precipitate the church into political entanglements. The spirit of the minority report prevailed. After a spirited discussion of the question, the assembly rejected the majority report presented by its committee. In this connection attention might be called to a somewhat similar action by another but smaller church gathering, the Episcopal Council of the Diocese of Virginia. At Harrisonburg, Va., May 25, Dr. Angus Cranford introduced into10the council session a resolution protesting against the tendencies and practises of Romanism. Of this the Washington Star of the same date says:— It is charged that the United States government discriminates in favor of the Catholics as to teachers and methods in the Indian schools in the West; that the Catholics do not respect and recognize Protestant marriages; that the cardinals in America are demanding too much in public ceremonies, often trying to be recognized as dignitaries equal to or superior to the governors of States, and also that certain government property is being used by the Catholics on public occasions for holding mass. Special reference was made to mass being held on Memorial day near the Washington Monument. After a heated debate Bishop Gibson was empowered to appoint a commission to collect information and report at the next annual meeting in Charlottesville in 1913. The Catholic question came in for earnest consideration at the General Conference of the Methodist Church. Early in the session Dr. W. F. Rice, the conference representative from South America, proposed a strongly worded resolution expressing disapproval of the action of the Edinburgh missionary conference, which refused representation to Protestant missions in Catholic countries. He recommended an active propaganda against Romanism. The conference considered that this resolution was couched in unfortunate language and in too harsh terms. It was therefore submitted to a committee of five, of which Dr. Rice was the chairman. According to the Christian Advocate of May 23, this committee reported to the conference, Wednesday, May 8, the following resolutions:— Whereas, The limitations imposed on the recent World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh set aside all Protestant missionary work in Greek and Roman Catholic countries, which action saddened and outraged our growing native churches; and,—
Whereas, Methodism, since its birth in a protest against dead formalism and ceremonial, has ever stood for aggressive evangelism in all lands, and the Methodist Episcopal Church has been for more than seventy-five years actively engaged in work in those lands where Greek and Roman Catholicism predominates; and,—
Whereas, In all those lands, which form a large part of the missionary field of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the teachings and practises of Romanism deprive the people of the Bible, pervert many of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, and foster superstitions which alienate the thinking classes and bind heavy burdens upon the poor; therefore, be it—
Resolved, That the Methodist Episcopal Church recognize its plain duty to prosecute its missionary enterprises in Greek and Roman Catholic countries with increasing zeal; and be it—
Resolved, That we most vigorously protest against any future exclusion of missions in Greek or Roman Catholic countries from ecumenical or other similar missionary gatherings; and be it—
Resolved, That it is our duty to oppose the machinations of Romanism, and to counteract its attempts to gain an ever-increasing control of our public schools or to use the public funds for sectarian schools; and finally be it—
Resolved, That we feel the deepest sympathy with, as well as love toward, the priests and people within the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches who are working toward a more spiritual interpretation of the Christian faith. After hearty speeches of indorsement these resolutions were unanimously adopted by the conference by a rising vote. We are pleased that this question has come before these large representative gatherings. It is an evidence of the wide-spread agitation that is rising from every quarter over Roman aggression. We would that our brethren of the great Protestant churches everywhere could view the Roman peril as outlined in the prophecies of the Scriptures of truth. Daniel 7, 8; Revelation 13 to 18. This delineation of the character of this great system furnishes the proper setting today of the protest against Romanism. We are glad, however, for the widespread agitation of this burning question. It demonstrates that even though the forces of evil will triumph in the end so far as this world's history is concerned, the triumph will not be secured without a struggle. Many in every quarter are taking alarm, and there will be found men, noble and true, who, actuated by the spirit of old-time Protestantism, will stand for God and for his truth. We are entering upon thrilling days in this earth's history. The line of demarcation between truth and error will be sharply drawn. May God give us wisdom rightly to represent the spirit of the gospel in the controversy. Courageously and consistently we should seek to give to the world the warning against the last great apostasy. While we stand boldly for the faith once delivered to the saints, we must not stand in self-confidence, but in the strength and also in the meekness and humility of our divine Master. And while we combat evil principles, let us seek in love to rescue from their thralldom those ensnared thereby.