The Future of Protestantism and Catholicity [pp. 433-448]

THE
CATHOLtC WORLD.
VOL X., No. 58.-JANUARY, 1870.
THE FUTURE OF PROTESTANTISM AND CATHOLICJTY.*
THIS work of serious and consci- passed away, never to reappear, and'
entious learning by the Abbd Mar- a new and a very different phase has
tin, fbn~er cure' of Ferney, noted as been developed, which demands a
the residence of Voltaire when exiled new study and a new and different
from France, has been written main- mode of treatment.
ly for the purpose of making known The learned Abbe' Martin, favorato Catholics of the old Catholic na- bly situated for his task, during sevetions of Europe the real character ral years, at the gate of Geneva, the
and tendencies of contemporary Pro- Protestant Rome, has embodied in his
testantism-a work not uncalled for, volume the result of much serious
since those old Catholic popula- and conscientious labor devoted to
tions, seldom coming into personal ~his new study, and has so well accontact with Protestants, have not complished his task as to leave nokept themselves well posted in the thing to be desired, till Protestantism
changes, developments, and transfor- undergoes anotber metamorphosis,
mations that Protestantism has un- which it is not unlikely to do; for to
dergone during the last two centuries, assume new forms or shapes accordand are hardly able to recognize it ing to the exigencies of time and
in its present form, or to meet and place, is of its very essence. For
combat it with su~cess. The great this reason, the labor of refuting or
controversial works of the seven- even explaining it can never be reteenth century, excellent as they were garded as finished.
in their time, ~only imperfectly serve It is the characteristic of Protestanthe present wants of Catholic pole- tism to have no fixed and permanent
mics; for the dogmatic Protestan- character, except hatred of Catholicity.
tism they met and vanquished is, It has no principles, doctrines, or
save in its spirit, not the Protestantism forms, which in order to be itself, it
that now confronts the church. That must always and everywhere mainprimitive phase of Protestantisni has tain. It may be biblical and dog matic, sentimental or sceptical, com * Dc ~Aveair du Protest~antisme et du CatAoll bine with absolutism or with the recis,ne. Par M. i'Abb~ Martin. Paris: Tobra et
Haton. i8~ Ivo. pp. -6o& volution, assert the divine right of'
VOL. X.-2S