CANT.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4629, 5 November 1883, Page 2

CANT.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sis,—Occasionally I am amused at the temerity and conceit of little piping speakers who, in their vigorous onslaughts on the Catholic Church, play "such fantastic tricks," and utter suGh stupid nonsense, as must " make angels weep." To the local street preacher, to the selfconstituted rev. minister (God save the " reverend "), it is child's play to teach the Pope and a full Council their religion; while of men like Dr Newman or Cardinal Manning, or the late Dr Vaughan, of Sydney, this street preacher, or his brother in some little tinpot chapel, like the Rev. Cato in the Baptist, would not think^them at all " foemen worthy of his steel." He must shoot his feeble arrows at higher game. He must have nothing else than the whole world-wide Catholic church-he must have that or nothing as his object of attack The "Roman Catholics are not Christians" according to Reverend Cato (Canto would suit him better). Indeed they are not; and it it is about time that the discovery was made, and telegraphed and circulated throughout the world, No one

will think after the powerful fusillade of this reliable authority that Alfred the Great, Augustine, St. Louis, St. Ambrose, St. Anselm —with how many others — although they were strict Roman Catholics, were worthy of being ranked as Christians. Is not the Rev. Cato deserving of a brass monument for telling us this ? There can hardly be a doubt on the point. Yet perhaps it would be well to await—before we subscribe for it—the further development of this prodigy of the Nelson district, until his little narrow sect of almost yesterday's birth can do for the Civilising arid Christianising of mankind-I—not what the Catholic church has done—but at least something besides raising the wind at teameetings, soirees, and anniversaries. Up to the present time, fndeedj the Baptist church has hardly had a very glorious or famous history. Apologising for encroaching so much on your valuable space,—l am, &c, Anti-Cant.