The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"PERPETUITY. 77Arian heresy.Bath schisms originated with priestsimpatient of the yoke of the Gospel, fond of novelty,and ambitious of notoriety. Both were nursed andsustained by the reigning Powers, and were augmented by large accessions of proselytes. Bothspread for awhile with the irresistible force of aviolent hurricane, till its fury was spent. Bothsubsequently became subdivided into various bodies. The extinction of Protestantism would complete the parallel.In this connection, a remark of De Maistre isworth quoting: If Protestantism bears always thesame name, thoughits belief has been perpetuallyshifting, it is because its name is purely negative,and means only the denial of Catholicity, so thatthe less it believes, and the more it protests, themore consistently Protestant it will be. Since, then,its name becomes continually truer, it must subsistuntil it perishes, just as an ulcer disappears with thelast atom of the flesh which it has been eatingaway."lBut similar causes will produce similar results.As both revolutions were the offspring of rebellion ;as both have been marked by the same vigorousyouth, the same precocious manhood, the same premature decay and dismemberment of parts so;weare not rash in predicting that the dissolution whichlong since visited the former is destined, sooner orlater, to overtake the latter. But the Catholic1 Du Pape.1. 2, c. 5.