Romanism In America Author:Rufus W. Clark Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: upon society, then the discussion of them will add to their stability and power. If, on the other hand, they are false and pernicious in their influence, then th... more »ey ought to be exposed, and their power for evil destroyed. And the rights that we claim for ourselves we readily concede to our opponents. We would have the advocates of Romanism discuss, fairly and openly, the creed and principles of the Protestant faith. We would have them examine these principles in the light of reason and of the Scriptures; study their influence upon society, upon morality, education, industry, commerce, the arts, social happiness, and national prosperity. We have nothing that we would hide from the gaze of the world. ' We have no secret ecclesiastical assemblies, no inquisitorial halls, no convents barred with iron against the intrusion of the world: We invite discussion and investigation. We have consecrated this American soil to freedom—to freedom in religion, in politics, in thought, and opinion. If the Chinese who are landing upon our western shores, and are building their pagodas in California, choose to discuss the merits of heathenism, and can show that Confucius was superior to Christ, and their system of religion is superior to Christianity, why, let them do so. In our debate, however, with the Romanist, we are a little fastidious as to the kind of weapons to be employed. We prefer reason to denunciation —sound logic to a sophistry suited only to the ignorant and bigoted — convincing arguments to the terrible anathemas in which his church so freely deals, and the spirit of the gospel, to those fearful curses that blast and scath the very language that imbodies them. But to proceed with our work. The next article of the Romish creed is as follows: " I firmly believe that there is a purg...« less