THE WESLEYANS AND CATHOLICS IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 83, 28 November 1874, Page 7

THE WESLEYANS AND CATHOLICS IN AMERICA.

It was stated some time ago in youv paper that the most numerous of all the Christian denominations in the United States of America are the Wesleyans, bat th*t they arc not increasing in anything like the proportion to that the Catholics in that vast country now are. It is a somewhat singular fact that the Wesley an body in America has furnibhed to the Catholiu Church a man who, for many years, acted the same part in America that Dr. Newman has done in England ~I u.lude to the Rev. Father Baker. This distinguished Catholic Mi • sioner was the son of a pious and exemplary Methodist. He took priest's orders in the \nglican Church in America, and subsequently em brae d the Catholic Ftiith Dr. Newman appeurs to have been his guiding star, humanly speaking. He was a worthy pupil of such a muster. Hh life has been written by one who was most intimately acquainted with him, who loved him like a very mother from his eaiiiee: years, and who, like himself, also left tha Anglican Church in America to embrace the Catholic faith. lYther B;<ker, like Dr. Newman, possessed much influence over the public mind while in the Anglican communion, by reuson of his great talents, learning, zeal, and thniiy. lie brought a great accession of strength, therefore, to the Catholic o'iu-ch when he joined U. The account which his bio^mp'iec bxs given of his labors is moat interesting and instructive, and shows both what immense influence he possessed among Catholics, and how in my Protestants, through his ngency, were added to the C itholio Cnur h. Great as his talents a id learning and eloquence were, they were fir exceeded by his humility and seli-denial. Jhe Weßleyans ar© not <n y the most numerous religious body in Americi, but we Bee, f oin t ie example of Father Baker, how fervent and devoted a Chris un epirib animates them. We may fairly infer that they contain among them many a Father Baker, or many actuated by his piety cud zeal.