A Word of Caution by William Warren Prescott

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jun 27, 1912

A Word of Caution

By William Warren Prescott

It seems a fitting time to offer a word of counsel concerning the use of documents and quotations relating to the teaching and the work of the Roman Catholic Church. Those who are engaged in this controversy with Rome are constantly exposed to the temptation of using forcible quotations and strongly worded documents, purporting to be the official utterances of the Roman hierarchy. For example, we have recently received a forty-four-page leaflet, containing this kind of material, some of which is credited to individuals and some to publications, but almost without exception no date nor other information is given which makes it possible to trace and to verify the quotations. Some of these quotations we know to be correct, others we know are incorrectly given, and of still others we have no knowledge. Among the documents used is a portion of an alleged encyclical letter by Pope Leo XIII, which we are reasonably sure must be a forgery, as we find no such letter in the authorized edition of Pope Leo's encyclicals, and its general tone is not that of an official utterance. This so-called encyclical letter has been printed already in some anti-Catholic papers that are not too careful as to the reliability of the matter which they publish.

The necessity of carefulness in these matters is well illustrated by a recent experience. A well-known lecturer and writer, in dealing with the conditions in South America, used, as authoritative, a letter from a recent pope to a South American bishop, in which the immoralities of the Roman Catholic clergy in South America were freely admitted and deplored. To one familiar with the ex cathedra utterances of the Roman Catholic Church, the document, on the face of it, was a very suspicious one; and now the Protestants who used it are being compelled to acknowledge that it was a forgery. This gives great advantage to Roman Catholic writers, who will make the most of it in discrediting Protestant writers, even though they may quote genuine documents.

Another quotation widely used among Protestants runs this way: —

"The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ."

This is plainly the utterance of a Protestant writer, and may be found in "Acts and Monuments," by John Foxe, Vol. IV, page 159, where the author, impersonating the Pope, says: —

"Wherefore no marvel, if it be in my power to change time and times, to alter and abrogate laws, to dispense with all things, yea, with the precepts of Christ."

While the Pope has claimed substantially what this pseudo-quotation alleges, yet it can not be truthfully claimed that these are the words of any pope.

We urge upon our writers and speakers the necessity of using the utmost care that the material which they use in dealing with the Roman question shall be reliable, and to discard all quotations for which a genuine authority can not be furnished. W. W. PRESCOTT.