THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY,

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 20, 22 September 1898, Page 6

THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY,

Protestant Belief. By J. Herbert Williams, M.*. (pp. 96, cloth lettered, Is.). A deeply thought-out, closely-reasoned exposition of the present state of Protestant belief. Opening with a brief but masterly exposition of the differences between the old and the present-day standpoint of Protestantism, it proceeds to show how it is detaching 1 itself more and more from dog-ma, and drifting hopelessly and helplessly into the measureless gulf of graduated doubt and denial which ends in agnosticism. The writer, who is thoroughly made up in the subject of English Protestantism, examines minutely the religious position of the two great classes of non- Catholics— the worldly and careless, and the devout ; shows how religion has, with the best of them, become largely a matter of feeling ; and points out how destructive the whole system logically becomes of belief in any objective truth. Throughout, the strength of the Catholic position is ably but unobtrusively indicated, partly by showii.g the weakness of the opposite syfetem, and partly by Scripture texts and arguments which are thrown in, as it were, en passant, and with a singular force and freshness which should commend the book very strongly to earnest Protestants, or to persons under instruction for reception into the Church.

Who was the Author of the ' Imitation of Christ?' By Sic Francis Richard Cruise, (pp. 94, 6d.).— The distinguished Dublin physician, Sir Francis R. Cruise, has for the past ten years and more been known as one of the best authorities on the vexed question of the authorship of the Imitation, a book which, perhaps, after the Bible, the world could least afford to lose. Sir Francis examines minutely into all the claims of authorship

put forward on behalf of the author of the " Septem Motiva, John Charlied de Gersen (1363-1429), John Gersen and Thomas a Kempis, and anyone reading his able pamphlet will readily agr^e with his finding that the weight of contemporary -■ and internal evidence is in favour of Thomas a Kempis, the holy monk of Agnetenberg. The Saturday Rccieio of January 7, 1888 said of a former work of Sir Francis's on the same subject "J ' ihe volume contains a summary of all that is, and probably all that ever will be known of the subject, excellently arranged, and in a convenient form. The same remarks are eminently true of the present publication.

The Catholic Church of England : her Glorias, Trials and Hope. Two addressee by his Eminence Cardinal Perraud (pp. 56, 6d). — The addresses here reproduced were delivered in London and at Canterbury on the occasion ol the 13th centenary of the landing of St. Augustine in Kent. The addresses are worthy both of the great Cardinal-Academician and of the occasion which called them forth. They are, in fact, an eloquent epitome of English Catholic history from the date of St. Augustine's landing till the present time, with an indication of the hopes which point towards a return of England — now distracted by the cries of 700 warring creeds— to the unity of the one true fold. Cardinal Perraud take§ a leading part in the work of the Confraternity for the conversion of England, a branch of which was recently established in the archdiocese of Wellington. He is also a sUunch friend to the Irish race and nation, one of his best books — now a classic on the subject — bearing the title of English Rule in Ireland.

Dr. O'Riordan's lecture on Draper's Conflict between Religion and Science fills so great a need in a brief but thoroughly effective way, that one wishes to see it put by thousands of copies on the track of the shallow publication whose fallacies it mercilessly probes. Draper.s mosaic of truth, half-truth, and falsehood was directed mainly against the Catholic Church. Dr. O'Riordan exposes the man's marvellous ignorance of the Catholic doctrines which he condtmns, and exposes his fallacies and refutes his theories in a masterly way. (Pp. 48 — 2d). A Prominent Protestant, by James Britten (pp. 16 Id) deals with the doings and sayings of Mr. John Kensit, who has recently been — and still is so conspicuous a ngure in the antiRitualist crusade in England. Kensit's antecedents— as recorded in Truth, the Month, and in this publication — eminently fit him for the leadership of a new reform. Kensit was a publisher on a small scale. He started a Protestant Truth Society, which, he naively said, ' has been formed really to help me in the matter of free grants and otherwise assist the circulation of literature I have published.' Truth has been for nearly eight years calling, but calling in vain, for a balance-sheet of that 'Protestant Truth Society.' In its issue of August 19, 1889, Truth called attention to 'an abominable publication,' issued by Kensit. 'I should say,' says Truth, ' that a more obscene work was never publicly offered for sale,' containing 'page after page of the most loathsome indecency and obscenity.' Mr. Labouchere defied Kensit to prosecute him for libel, but the new Reformer did not move. Mr. Britten's pamphlet contains a ma? 3of matter which will be startling to many persons who are unacquainted with the ways of noPopery crusaders. It is a timely publication. The ' Iron Virgin' of Nuremberg : By Rev. H. LUCAS, S.J. (pp. 32, Id).— A highly interesting story of an alleged instrument or torture used by the Roman Inquis.tion at Nuremberg. The publication of the panphlet was brought about by a lecture delivered under the auspices of the Protestant Alliance, and giving a gruesome account of ' Romish ' cruelty and the rest. The prompt publication of a pamphlet bearing the marks of such deep and wide research is a further evidence of the splendid talent which the Catholic Truth Society has at its disposal, and of its promptness in taking up and demolishing the slandfers which no- Popery organisations try to fix upon the Church. We are bure to have the ' Iron Virgin ' myth in due course in New Zealand— as we h.ul Dr. Horton's myths and all the rest. We know of no place where the publications of the Society would do greater good than in this extremely Protestant and far-off part of the Church's fields of activity. St. Martin. By Lady Amabel Kerb (pp. 20, Id).— An attractive short biography of the great Bishop or Tours, who is said to have been a near relative or Conuhessa, the mother of the great Apostle of Ireland. St. Patrick spent four years in study at the {rreat school established at Tours by St. Martin. The story of bt. Martin's life is charmingly told by the Ulemed authoress. Spanish Legends. By Rev. U. Bampfield, BA. (pp. 32. Id). — A charming little collection of Spauish btonen, forming No. 28 of the Catholic Truth Society's Catholic's Library of Talcs.