Some Books of the Week
Da. VERNON BARTLET, introducing Professor C. J. Cadoux's monumental work Catholicism and Christianity : a Vindi- cation of Progressive Protestantism (Allen and Unwin, 21s.), unfortunately shows signs of a doctrinaire intolerance, which may prejudice some persons against his friend's book. This is unfortunate ; for the 700 pages in which the Professor expounds the errors of Rome Amd the evangelical soundness of his own opinions, contain many useful facts and interesting suggestions, and are wonderfully free from bitterness of spirit, Human nature being what it is, religious controvemitilists never find it difficult, by the selection of appropriate examples, to exhibit the inconsistencies and superstitions of their oppon- ents. Dr. Cadoux's sincerity, and the conviction which he brings to this task, are beyond doubt : and if some may feel that his promised appreciation of the strong points of Catholic- ism leaves something to be desired, at least his temper is never acrimonious. He draws his material from sources that range from the less fortunate utterances of St. Thomas Aquinas to the columns of the Roman Catholic Press ; but far too many of his statements are made on the second-hand authority of Hase's Handbook of Controversy with Rome and similar works. Some of these statements badly need bringing up to date : e.g., does Dr. Cadoux really think (p. 493) that the Pope is still carried through the streets of Rome on the feast of Corpus Christi ? And is he sure that his own account of the institution both of this festival, and of the cult of the Sacred Heart, is historically satisfactory ?. On these and several other points, it might have been well to learn a little more about the super- stitions which he intended to attack. Thus any Catholic school child could have solved for him the problem of the connexion between motor cars and St. Christopher, the protector of travellers from dangers of the road. This information might even be of practical service to Dr. Cadoux and his friends ; for the rather highbrow and individual type of Protestantism he desires to recommend to us is more likely to progress towards the New Jerusalem by Austin Seven than by excursion
train. * * * *
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