FOUR years ago the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham declared, “With schools, we can win the next generation.” That bold declaration reveals Rome’s illegitimate use of her separate schools, and her determined bid for the youth of this country. A Roman Catholic Catechism serves as a window to let our people see the Roman Catholic Church at work in Scottish schools.
This Catechism—”A Catechism of Christian Doctrine”—is “approved by the Scottish Hierarchy” and is dated 1928. Children and others who grumble about the difficulties of “The Shorter Catechism” with its 107 questions would have reason to complain if they had to memorise this catechism of non-Christian doctrine with its 372 questions. And there is an appendix with over 70 definitions, etc., covering 24 closely-printed pages. Some of the questions and answers, it is true, are harmless enough, but one soon discovers (No. 11) that the Bible, as God’s revelation and the final court of appeal, is impiously brushed aside and there is substituted “the teaching, testimony and authority of the Catholic Church.” Of course, the Roman Church has no right to the name, Catholic, which means Universal.
Many Christians have never heard of the bold claims that “the Pope is the spiritual father of all Christians” and that his church
“is the one Ark of Salvation for all,” i.e., all outside it will be lost. But bolder still is the pretension that “The Pope is infallible.” In view of the ugly history of the Popes, it is no wonder that the claim to the divine attribute of infallibility was not formally proclaimed till 1870. The Pope’s toy state, the Vatican City, is in Rome, “a city in Italy, where St. Peter was bishop for 25 years.” On this imaginary peg hang such heresies, Apostolic Succession, Spiritual Supremacy of the Pope, etc.
As for the Virgin Mary, she becomes almost a fourth person of the Blessed Trinity. Papists are urged to pray to her frequently, “for the Blessed Virgin is our Mother” and “the Immaculate Mother of God.” It was not until 1854 that the unscriptural doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, i.e., that the Virgin Mary was born without original sin, was defined and added to the Articles of Faith by Pope Pius IX. Equally destitute of Scriptural authority are the fictitious statements that “Purgatory is a place where souls suffer for a time after death on account of their sins;” that there are nine choirs of angels in heaven, and that we should pray to angels and saints “because they are our friends and brethren.” Thus God’s Word is injured by addition: “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev. xxii. 18).
Again, many must be surprised to hear that the 9th Commandment is, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife.” The disorder is caused by combining the 1st and 2nd Commandments and splitting the 10th into two to make up the requisite number. Several parts of the 2nd, 4th and 10th Commandments are omitted. Thus God’s Word is injured by subtraction (See Rev. xx. 19).
Children at the tender age of seven are supposed to have arrived at “years of discretion,” are bound to go to confess their sins to a priest, and even bound to become communicants. They are also “bound to obey the church,” i.e., swallow her false teaching like a blind child forced to swallow dirty water. If the poor children are also compelled to remember the hosts of
“Saints” and the 27 principal religious feasts, they are not to be envied. Among these feasts is Christmas, because “our Saviour was born on 25th December.” No proof is given, for none can be given. For about 300 years after Christ’s birth Christmas was unknown. Its observance is neither warranted nor commanded anywhere in Scripture. The observance of Easter is equally unscriptural. Here are two of the lesser-known, but typical Popish feasts. “The invention is a feast in memory of the miraculous cross which appeared to Constantine the Great, A.D. 312, and of the finding of the true Cross by St. Helena, A.D. 326.” The story of the glittering cross that the Emperor Constantine said he saw in the sky before his great victory over Maxentius at Milvian Bridge is not much superior to a legend. How can any sensible person believe that St. Helena found the true cross three centuries after the Crucifixion? The Invention—a palpable invention! “The Assumption is in memory of our Lady (the Virgin Mary) being taken up into heaven, both body and soul after her death.” The Assumption—a gratuitous assumption!
A footnote to No. 53 tells the wonderful tale that in Pilate’s hall, our Lord “received about 5,000 stripes, as was revealed to St. Bridget.” This lady (Bride of Kildare) lived in Ireland during the 6th century and thought herself so beautiful that she desired to be made ugly in order to escape temptation. When placed in the light of Scripture, reason and history, this Irish bubble bursts.
Instead of two Sacraments, Papists have seven. Among these are Mass and Marriage. Of all Rome’s lying wonders—and their name is legion—the most presumptuous and illogical is Holy Mass, where the priest pretends to offer up Christ, “body and blood, soul and divinity,” as “our unbloody sacrifice.” And what could be more absurd than their Communion in one kind (either bread or wine) which was not ordered till 1414? No food or drink is to be taken “from 12 o’clock the night before our Communion.” Is it any wonder Papists frequently faint in church?
On the subject of marriage Rome teaches that it is unlawful for first and second cousins to marry, and that no marriage ceremony is valid unless performed by a priest. That is why priests illegally interfere with “mixed marriages,” declaring that the parties are living in sin, and the children, if any, are illegitimate. Rome permits “a mixed marriage” only under special conditions, viz., (1) “All the children of both sexes must be baptized and brought up as Catholics”; (2) “The Catholic party must have full liberty for the belief and practice of the faith.” Yet, year after year, thoughtless Protestants, including, occasionally, such orthodox types as Free Church and Free Presbyterian, plunge into marriage with members of the apostate Church of Rome.
As Rome flourishes on superstition and credulity, she is an enemy of true education; wherever she has full sway, as in Mexico, Portugal and Irish Free State she leaves a trail of illiteracy behind her. In Scottish schools, as elsewhere, she hides the Bible under a heap of rubbish. But that is not all; an attack is made on Protestant schools in the statement that children are in danger of losing their faith “by going to non-Catholic schools” (No. 178).
Protestants, young and old, should beware of the insidious attempts made through the Press to whitewash the Church of Rome and its schools. And they should beware of milk-and-water Protestants whose earthly Paradise is Popularity; whose idols are “Charity,” “Tolerance” and “Courtesy”; who call the corrupt Roman Church “a sister church”; and who plead for the re-union of Christendom under the Pope. They tell us to stop “pin-pricking” Popish propaganda through the schools; it is none of our business. Should we remain indifferent and inactive when, as ratepayers and taxpayers, we support these schools of error; when we know they are Popish tools and split Scotland into two opposing camps; when our Government has made the teaching of Roman Catholicism but not of Protestantism, mandatory; when we have in Scotland over 600,000 people owning allegiance to an Italian prelate; when foreign-controlled priests
interfere with our local, national and imperial politics, and make no secret of their determination to drag us back to the darkness and thraldom from which our country was mercifully delivered at the Reformation?—M. G.