CATHOLIC CRITICISM RESENTED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 956, 18 February 1911, Page 4

CATHOLIC CRITICISM RESENTED.

A PRESBYTERIAN PROTEST. Christchurch, Feb. 14. The Rev. Robert Wood gave notice at the Christchurch Presbytery this morning of the following overture lo the Presbyterian General Assembly. Whereas this Church, in common with a large pail ol Christendom, looks upon the Reformation olthe Sixteenth Century as largely a return to the doctrine and polity of the Chinch ul the Apostles, a genuine revival ol religion, and a movement that has been fruitful in blessing lo the spiritual, moral, intellectual, social aud political life of the world. And whereas prominent representatives of the Roman Catholic Church iu New Zealand have published very gross misrepresentations with regard to the principals of the Reformation and the personal characters ol its leaders from the pulpit, platform, aud press, as lor example : (1) A preacher of eminence some time ago from the pulpit ol the Roraau Catholic Cathedral of Auckland described the Scottish Reformation iu the following words : “Thus the uew religion of Scotland, planted in slaughter aud watered in blood, was introduced and established. Knox was all through the business the same two - handed swordsman who marched before Wisbart iu days gone by, grim, stern, merciless, uncompromising” : “Disunion aud reunion,” by W. J. Madden, rector R.C. Cathedral, Auckland.

{2) The Lyttelton Times ol February 13th, 1911, reports that Monsignor F'owler, from the Christchurch Roman Cathedral pulpit, spoke as follows on the preceding evening : “He referred briefly lo the leaders of the Reformation as misguided meu. The churches which sprang into existence as the result of the revolt of these meu were man-made churches. The Roman Catholic Church alone held its mandate from God.” The same prelate on the afternoon of the same day at a meeting presided over by Bishop Grimes, said ; “He believed there was wisdom in the Old institution of the Inquisition. That was a startling saying, but he meant it. What was called heresy in those days was nothing but anarchy and rebellion against God. It was necessary to take measures, terrible measures, to repress rebellion, because the life of the nation was at stake.”

(3) Bishop Grimes, of Christchurch, iu his pastoral letter foi 1911, describes the revival of religion of the Sixteenth Century as the “sad revolt known as the Reformation, aud he commends the dogma of indulgences as most Scriptural, logical and conformable to the human heart.”—Lyttelton Times, February 7th, 19m. (4) In a Catechism highly praised by American and Irish Roman Catholic prelates and circulated and sold in New Zealand as “particularly well suited for the purpose of higher religions instruction iu Catholic schools aud academies,” the history of the Reformation is thus summarised : “In order to show that Protestantism is a false religion, or rather no religion at all, it will be sufficient simply to bear iu mind —First, that it was established by four great libertines; second, that it owes its origin to the love of honours, covetousness of the goods of others, and the love of sensual pleasures—three things forbidden by the Gospel ; third, that it permits you to believe whatever you please aud to do whatever you believe, that it has caused immense evils, deluged Germany, France, Switzerland and England with blood ; it leads to impiety, and finally to indifference, the source of all revolutions past aud future.” —Catechism of Perseverance, p. 3 2 4And whereas a knowledge of the history of the past is by no means general in New Zealand, it is humbly overtimed that Venerable the General Assembly, indited to meet at Dunedin iu 1911, take the foregoing matters into consideration with the view of removing the wrong views of our indebtedness to the past, and through our Sunday schools, Bible classes, aud official paper, create an intelligent knowledge of Reformation principles and history.