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XIII. A Novel Proof in Favor of Protestantism.
— Whilst Protestantism loses shred after shred, torn by the ruggedness of its own road, the remnants of truth and Christianity received from the Church, it becomes more and more materialistic; it approaches more closely to Luther's ideal — Luther, its first apostle — and shouts with him, "Let us eat, and let us drink, and let's be merry!"
Amongst such as have lost the faith by the Reformation, there are nations — England at the head of all — which, by their geographical position, or their commercial talents, manage their affairs and play their cards well, make plenty of money, enjoy all the pleasures of this life, such pleasures as are now-a-days considered the only and last destiny of man. Now, will it be believed that men in their sober senses, ministers of the gospel, draw therefrom an argument against the Catholic Church? But so it is: "Protestants are better off than Catholics; therefore the religion of the former is the best."
A French minister, the writer of a large number of tracts, has made the above argument the subject of a whole book, which enjoyed a few days' popularity. But the author came to a sore end of it. For the "Journal des Débats," a paper not at all in the interest of Catholicity, has demolished the work and broken the argument beyond any hope of life.
Read now:
"'Catholic and Protestant Nations Considered, under the threefold Aspect of Prosperity, Enlightenment, and Morality; by Napoleon Roussel, a Minister.' When we opened this book we hoped to be able to write in its favor. But, in spite of the best intentions, we cannot view it as a good book or as a good act. The author has written a book, the key-note whereof is the most stupid and most demoralizing materialism. Indeed, if a minister of the gospel has no other moral, but such, to present to the world; if Protestant or Catholic, he can draw no better conclusion from the reading of history, then there is nothing left for man to do but have a good time, good eating, and good drinking; and the more money you have the better man you'll be — such reading chokes the heart.
"Mr. Roussel intended to institute a comparison between Catholic and Protestant nations under the threefold relation of prosperity, enlightenment, and morality. Unfortunately, in such comparison, morality, which should take the head place, occupies only the last and the smallest; then comes the enlightenment: but well-being stands at the head of all, as announced. . . .
"In two volumes does Mr. Roussel demonstrate, with many figures, that Protestants are in this world more happy than Catholics; that they have larger incomes, possess more stock, richer silver sets at table, more shirts, and a larger assortment of shoes. Until now we have believed that, at the last judgment, God would place the good on one side and the wicked on the other; but, according to Mr. Roussel, mankind will be divided into two different classes — the fat and the lean. God shall no more search the hearts and the reins, but the bellies of men. Were Mr. Roussel to give Saint Peter the keeping of the gates of heaven, he would give as a countersign that no person should enter unless of elegant manners and well dressed: Protestant theology requires, in order to be saved, that a decent dress is indispensable. . . .
"It is worth its while to see how self-pleased Mr. Roussel is in squaring up the accounts of Catholic countries and of Protestant countries: it is a regular keeping of books in double entry.
"On the ground of temporal welfare Mr. Roussel and Protestantism are the masters; they are the wealthiest. Compare, for instance, sad and beggared Ireland with her Protestant sisters! Mr. Roussel exhibits, from official reports, the schedule of a parish of four thousand inhabitants, all Catholics — a circumstance he takes particular pains to have noted down. Now these four thousand Catholics own, between all, one cart, one plough, sixteen harrows, eight saddles for men, two side-saddles, seven table-forks, ninety-six jaunting-cars, two hundred and forty-three stools, twenty-seven geese, three turkeys, two mattresses, eight ticks, eight brass candlesticks, three watches, one school, one priest, but no hats, no clock, no boots, no turnips, and no carrots. . . . A stop to this catalogue. Mr. Roussel goes on whole pages; and, after having thus gone his round of the hospital, he exclaims, with a feeling of triumph: 'Let us cross the Channel, and after having visited Catholic Ireland and her misery, let us examine Protestant Scotland and her prosperity.'
"Like those who have the jaundice, and to whom every object appears tinted in yellow, Mr. Roussel unearths things from depths into which none would think he could penetrate. Proceeding in his tour he pits Catholic Switzerland against Switzerland Protestant. Here you have a traveller who arrives in a Catholic canton and at once exclaims: 'How nasty! how yellow, black, and livid they look!' Then no doubt about it: all Catholics are yellow. But here is another impression: 'We arrived in about two hours at Flüelen: this hold of Catholicism was announced by four people with goitres, six more who had the itch, and yet half a dozen ragged fellows who seemed to come out of the grave. . . .' You see how things improve in his journey; at first the Catholics were yellow, but then they all have the itch. Let us turn from such saddening sight, and look to the bright vista of a Protestant land: 'Oh, what dales! what a cultivation!' exclaims Mr. Roussel. 'What abundance! what industry! Zurich and its beautiful environs appear to me like the abode of wisdom, of moderation, of comfort, and of happiness. . . . We entered a cabin, and were presented by its mistress with milk and cherries, who also laid on the table nine or ten silver spoons. . . .' Mind it well: ten silver spoons! Oh, what a holy people! Those yellow Catholics, and livid peasants could never show the like! No, indeed! But do you fancy to follow Mr. Roussel into Spain? Even there, by dint of many quotations, he will prove to your heart's content that the roads are out of repair, the inns are dirty, and people must eat on pewter plates. Then, oh, what a contrast between that country and England, that land of Protestantism, endearing itself by its silver plate, railroads, white linen, etc.!
"But we are not bound to follow Mr. Roussel in all his peregrinations; we do not doubt the accuracy of his statements, and we allow his Protestantism the benefit of its silver ware. At the same time did he not feel some compunction as he was wending his way through Ireland? Did he ever ask himself whether the Protestants were not somewhat to be blamed for the misery which harrows that Catholic country? If the Protestants represent only one-tenth of the population, what right have they to lay their hands on the whole property and revenues of the Catholic Church? But when Mr. Roussel attempts to show that Catholics are no more oppressed in Ireland, because there are four archbishops, twenty-three bishops,* two thousand five hundred churches, more than two thousand priests in Ireland, was he so insensible to every notion of admiration for a people who yet out of their poverty support their Church, whilst Protestant prelates and ministers live on the fat of the land, and enjoy all the profits of confiscation? . . .
"But Mr. Roussel's most luminous and most irresistible arguments are kept in reserve for France. Hear him at once: 'Persecuted for ages past, robbed of all they had, French Protestants ought to be to-day, not on a level, but under all the rest in point of wealth. Is it not so? Were we to consult only public opinion, we might say that the reader's conscience has already given its verdict. . . .' Please observe the queer office that conscience has to fill up here. But let him continue: 'We do not intend to make any assertion, even with evidence before our eyes, unless we can rest on arguments; and those we have presented on this matter are all authentic and of the gravest bearing on the question. . . .' Here, we have trembled for Catholicity. What is coming? What thunder is going to fall on its head? Let us breathe freely! It is a bag of dollars — a shower of big coppers. Mr. Roussel informs us that he has secured an abstract of the taxes on personal property paid by the Protestants in the Department of the Seine. The list is stereotyped; he holds it in his hand, and, on such basis, he avers that the average amount paid by all the inhabitants of Paris is thirty-three francs, fourteen centimes; whereas, what is paid, on an average, by the Protestants is eighty-seven francs, one centime; whereupon he remarks: 'French Protestants own three times as much wealth as their Roman Catholic countrymen.' Catholicity must knock under at such a blow. Undoubtedly it will never get over this statement of the tax on personal property. But why did not Mr. Roussel, while busy in adding and subtracting, why did he not examine another book of taxes — those paid by a class of people whom certainly we do not wish to offend, but who pay very considerable taxes for personal property — we mean the Jews? In that case he would have found the Israelites far more rich, and accordingly far more virtuous, than the Protestants.
"Once more, we do not wish to contradict Mr. Roussel's statement, nor mar his happiness. Let him stand, in his glory, on the top of his pyramid built by blocks of dollars and cents, and shout Gloria in Excelsis. Some one has said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. We might make one or two more quotations far better to the point than those of Mr. Roussel; but it is not our province to write a sermon. Perhaps it was an honest wish of Mr. Roussel to write a moral and religious book; but a sectarian spirit has blinded him, and to our regret we must repeat that the conclusions he comes to are essentially materialistic."
[Signed] "J. Lemoinne."
---
* Roussel should on this day add one cardinal, more bishops, more priests, more churches, and make the argument even more forcible against himself.
— Whilst Protestantism loses shred after shred, torn by the ruggedness of its own road, the remnants of truth and Christianity received from the Church, it becomes more and more materialistic; it approaches more closely to Luther's ideal — Luther, its first apostle — and shouts with him, "Let us eat, and let us drink, and let's be merry!"
Amongst such as have lost the faith by the Reformation, there are nations — England at the head of all — which, by their geographical position, or their commercial talents, manage their affairs and play their cards well, make plenty of money, enjoy all the pleasures of this life, such pleasures as are now-a-days considered the only and last destiny of man. Now, will it be believed that men in their sober senses, ministers of the gospel, draw therefrom an argument against the Catholic Church? But so it is: "Protestants are better off than Catholics; therefore the religion of the former is the best."
A French minister, the writer of a large number of tracts, has made the above argument the subject of a whole book, which enjoyed a few days' popularity. But the author came to a sore end of it. For the "Journal des Débats," a paper not at all in the interest of Catholicity, has demolished the work and broken the argument beyond any hope of life.
Read now:
"'Catholic and Protestant Nations Considered, under the threefold Aspect of Prosperity, Enlightenment, and Morality; by Napoleon Roussel, a Minister.' When we opened this book we hoped to be able to write in its favor. But, in spite of the best intentions, we cannot view it as a good book or as a good act. The author has written a book, the key-note whereof is the most stupid and most demoralizing materialism. Indeed, if a minister of the gospel has no other moral, but such, to present to the world; if Protestant or Catholic, he can draw no better conclusion from the reading of history, then there is nothing left for man to do but have a good time, good eating, and good drinking; and the more money you have the better man you'll be — such reading chokes the heart.
"Mr. Roussel intended to institute a comparison between Catholic and Protestant nations under the threefold relation of prosperity, enlightenment, and morality. Unfortunately, in such comparison, morality, which should take the head place, occupies only the last and the smallest; then comes the enlightenment: but well-being stands at the head of all, as announced. . . .
"In two volumes does Mr. Roussel demonstrate, with many figures, that Protestants are in this world more happy than Catholics; that they have larger incomes, possess more stock, richer silver sets at table, more shirts, and a larger assortment of shoes. Until now we have believed that, at the last judgment, God would place the good on one side and the wicked on the other; but, according to Mr. Roussel, mankind will be divided into two different classes — the fat and the lean. God shall no more search the hearts and the reins, but the bellies of men. Were Mr. Roussel to give Saint Peter the keeping of the gates of heaven, he would give as a countersign that no person should enter unless of elegant manners and well dressed: Protestant theology requires, in order to be saved, that a decent dress is indispensable. . . .
"It is worth its while to see how self-pleased Mr. Roussel is in squaring up the accounts of Catholic countries and of Protestant countries: it is a regular keeping of books in double entry.
"On the ground of temporal welfare Mr. Roussel and Protestantism are the masters; they are the wealthiest. Compare, for instance, sad and beggared Ireland with her Protestant sisters! Mr. Roussel exhibits, from official reports, the schedule of a parish of four thousand inhabitants, all Catholics — a circumstance he takes particular pains to have noted down. Now these four thousand Catholics own, between all, one cart, one plough, sixteen harrows, eight saddles for men, two side-saddles, seven table-forks, ninety-six jaunting-cars, two hundred and forty-three stools, twenty-seven geese, three turkeys, two mattresses, eight ticks, eight brass candlesticks, three watches, one school, one priest, but no hats, no clock, no boots, no turnips, and no carrots. . . . A stop to this catalogue. Mr. Roussel goes on whole pages; and, after having thus gone his round of the hospital, he exclaims, with a feeling of triumph: 'Let us cross the Channel, and after having visited Catholic Ireland and her misery, let us examine Protestant Scotland and her prosperity.'
"Like those who have the jaundice, and to whom every object appears tinted in yellow, Mr. Roussel unearths things from depths into which none would think he could penetrate. Proceeding in his tour he pits Catholic Switzerland against Switzerland Protestant. Here you have a traveller who arrives in a Catholic canton and at once exclaims: 'How nasty! how yellow, black, and livid they look!' Then no doubt about it: all Catholics are yellow. But here is another impression: 'We arrived in about two hours at Flüelen: this hold of Catholicism was announced by four people with goitres, six more who had the itch, and yet half a dozen ragged fellows who seemed to come out of the grave. . . .' You see how things improve in his journey; at first the Catholics were yellow, but then they all have the itch. Let us turn from such saddening sight, and look to the bright vista of a Protestant land: 'Oh, what dales! what a cultivation!' exclaims Mr. Roussel. 'What abundance! what industry! Zurich and its beautiful environs appear to me like the abode of wisdom, of moderation, of comfort, and of happiness. . . . We entered a cabin, and were presented by its mistress with milk and cherries, who also laid on the table nine or ten silver spoons. . . .' Mind it well: ten silver spoons! Oh, what a holy people! Those yellow Catholics, and livid peasants could never show the like! No, indeed! But do you fancy to follow Mr. Roussel into Spain? Even there, by dint of many quotations, he will prove to your heart's content that the roads are out of repair, the inns are dirty, and people must eat on pewter plates. Then, oh, what a contrast between that country and England, that land of Protestantism, endearing itself by its silver plate, railroads, white linen, etc.!
"But we are not bound to follow Mr. Roussel in all his peregrinations; we do not doubt the accuracy of his statements, and we allow his Protestantism the benefit of its silver ware. At the same time did he not feel some compunction as he was wending his way through Ireland? Did he ever ask himself whether the Protestants were not somewhat to be blamed for the misery which harrows that Catholic country? If the Protestants represent only one-tenth of the population, what right have they to lay their hands on the whole property and revenues of the Catholic Church? But when Mr. Roussel attempts to show that Catholics are no more oppressed in Ireland, because there are four archbishops, twenty-three bishops,* two thousand five hundred churches, more than two thousand priests in Ireland, was he so insensible to every notion of admiration for a people who yet out of their poverty support their Church, whilst Protestant prelates and ministers live on the fat of the land, and enjoy all the profits of confiscation? . . .
"But Mr. Roussel's most luminous and most irresistible arguments are kept in reserve for France. Hear him at once: 'Persecuted for ages past, robbed of all they had, French Protestants ought to be to-day, not on a level, but under all the rest in point of wealth. Is it not so? Were we to consult only public opinion, we might say that the reader's conscience has already given its verdict. . . .' Please observe the queer office that conscience has to fill up here. But let him continue: 'We do not intend to make any assertion, even with evidence before our eyes, unless we can rest on arguments; and those we have presented on this matter are all authentic and of the gravest bearing on the question. . . .' Here, we have trembled for Catholicity. What is coming? What thunder is going to fall on its head? Let us breathe freely! It is a bag of dollars — a shower of big coppers. Mr. Roussel informs us that he has secured an abstract of the taxes on personal property paid by the Protestants in the Department of the Seine. The list is stereotyped; he holds it in his hand, and, on such basis, he avers that the average amount paid by all the inhabitants of Paris is thirty-three francs, fourteen centimes; whereas, what is paid, on an average, by the Protestants is eighty-seven francs, one centime; whereupon he remarks: 'French Protestants own three times as much wealth as their Roman Catholic countrymen.' Catholicity must knock under at such a blow. Undoubtedly it will never get over this statement of the tax on personal property. But why did not Mr. Roussel, while busy in adding and subtracting, why did he not examine another book of taxes — those paid by a class of people whom certainly we do not wish to offend, but who pay very considerable taxes for personal property — we mean the Jews? In that case he would have found the Israelites far more rich, and accordingly far more virtuous, than the Protestants.
"Once more, we do not wish to contradict Mr. Roussel's statement, nor mar his happiness. Let him stand, in his glory, on the top of his pyramid built by blocks of dollars and cents, and shout Gloria in Excelsis. Some one has said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. We might make one or two more quotations far better to the point than those of Mr. Roussel; but it is not our province to write a sermon. Perhaps it was an honest wish of Mr. Roussel to write a moral and religious book; but a sectarian spirit has blinded him, and to our regret we must repeat that the conclusions he comes to are essentially materialistic."
[Signed] "J. Lemoinne."
---
* Roussel should on this day add one cardinal, more bishops, more priests, more churches, and make the argument even more forcible against himself.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre