CHRISTIANITY AND PROTESTANTISM. FROM THE " ARCHIVES DU CHRISTIANISME,” August, 1827. It is time.-PSALM CXIX. 126. THERE has arisen, in process of time, a new adversary against the Church of Jesus Christ. There sprang up in the last century, a kind of Protestantism, with which neither the Luthers nor the Calvins, neither the Drelincourts nor the Dumoulins, neither the Mornays nor the Claudes, have ever been acquainted: a bastard, generated by that union, which erratic spirits have pretended to effect between the Gospel and the philosophy of the eighteenth century. By an able stratagem, they seek to substitute this feeble and counterfeit child of an unbelieving age, for the healthy and powerful doctrine which issued forth for the salvation of the world, from the times of the Apostles and Reformers. If we do not approve of the substitution, if we do not recognize this intruder for the religion bequeathed us by our fathers, its patrons cry out intolerance, mysticism, enthusiasm; or what more ?-perhaps innovation! Neither the Reformers, nor any of those who have walked in their illustrious steps, have ever known any other Protestantism than Christianity; but the fathers and protectors of the system that we notice, think not so; we speak it with sentiments of deep grief, but we can no longer keep silence on a subject which everywhere presents itself to our minds. Instead of allowing Protestantism to be Christianity, all Christianity, and nothing but Christianity, they have made of it a separate being, which is neither this nor that, neither religion_nor philosophy, neither faith nor incredulity. This pretended Protestantism issues forth from the camp of Jesus Christ, and raises an independent standard; an unfaithful deserter, it still pretends to mingle the colors of the Prince of Life with those of this world's wisdom; but it is only under the latter that it rallies, the other being found there only for convenience and by mistake. In its hands Protestantism becomes a separate idol, to which they offer the homage due only to the Lord, drawing thus upon the work of its hands and itself the adoration which belongs only to God. We do not fear to say, that this kind of view is a revival of the errors of Rome; it is Papacy under other colors. With what do we reproach Roman Catholicism? With having left Christianity and formed a new being. The same thing is repeated. To the idol of Rome another idol is opposed; idol for idol, the one may be worth a little more than the other; but certainly, we do not think we have gained much by the change. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols."* Besides, there is nothing astonishing in all this; we ought to expect it. If Phariseeism has taken a body under the triple crown, Sadduceeism, the second vice of human nature, ought also to seek to assume some form; but we shall do our duty, we shall not leave it to rest quietly in our midst; we shall raise our voice so that it may be constrained to fly and hide far from our churches its shameful infidelity. Our business now is not with those who are in error, but with the errors themselves. As to the defenders of those errors, we recognize among them not only many of distinguished and undisputed talents, but we also believe their intentions are much better than their system. They do not suspect the mortal blows which they are giving to our churches; they do not know that the dry wind which arose in the vast desert of the eighteenth century, and whose breath appears so agreeable to them, will cause vegetation to cease, and will strike with barrenness the whole field of the Lord. Their views are perhaps limited; their intentions are perhaps praiseworthy; they are urged on by that unfortunate desire which has already worked so much evil to the Church, while desiring its good, and against which Jesus with such earnestness has warned his disciples; the desire of reconciling the spirit of the world with the spirit of the gospel-the spirit of the age with the spirit of immutable and eternal wisdom. They think that by harmonizing the wisdom oft he world and the wisdom of God, the great secret will be discovered; they regard themselves as called upon to accomplish this great design. Doubtless they think in this way to effect good for the world, and good for the Church; but what happens? They strongly resemble him who, in order to cure a person attacked with a fatal malady, should pretend that he must begin by communicating to the physician the disease of the sick man, instead of making the sick man take the remedy of the physician. What would be the result? They would both die. These are quite different proceedings from those revealed to us by the Word of God; it knows nothing of the petty expedients of human wisdom; it says:-I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to naught the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Those who do not fear these words, and who wish to comprehend them, may comprehend them. Is Protestantism anything else than Christianity? Is it a modified |