Publications of the Catholic Truth Society (Volume 17) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897. Excerpt: ... MR. COLLETTE AS A HISTORIAN. BY THE REV. SYDNEY F. SMITH, S.J. The irrepressible Mr. Charles Hastings Collette is much disconcerted at the good work done by the Catholic Truth Society in exposing some venerable Protestant errors concerning the Catholic Church. Accordingly his misguided zeal has been stirred up to strenuous action. He has "taken thirteen of their most popular tracts," and "confidently submits to the judgment of the reader whether in his replies he has not sufficiently established the truth of this charge: "1 the charge, namely, that the Catholic Truth Society tracts are "bristling with fallacies, fictions, and misrepresentations." We have no intention of replying separately to each of these thirteen valiant replies to the Catholic Truth Society's tracts. Mr. Collette's controversy is not of a very high order, and we should prefer to reserve ourselves for opponents more worthy of our steel. Still as his tracts may do some harm among those who have not otherwise the opportunities of estimating them at their worth, we propose to take the first of the above-mentioned series, or rather the first half of this first tract, and submit it to a thorough examination. We shall then invite the reader to apply to the remainder the principle Ex uno disce omnes--" Judge what the others are likely to be from this one." The tract in question, like that of the Catholic Truth Society against which it is directed, bears the title, Henry VIII. and the Royal Supremacy. In the first page we read, "It was Pascal who said 'Truth is of so delicate a nature that the least deviation betrays us into error.'" This is a most righteous position to take up, but unfortunately with Mr. Collette as with Pascal there is a striking want of endeavour to make practice conform with...