Tact and Kindness with Catholics

Who would think of plucking beautiful, fragrant flowers, and after delicately ar­ranging them in an exquisite bouquet, care­lessly crushing them out of shape before pre­senting them to friends or strangers? Simi­larly, how extremely careful should we be in preaching the gospel to blood-bought souls, lest the beautiful glad tidings be marred in our hands.

In the winning of souls to Christ, the minds of men and women must of necessity be changed. Appealing evidence must therefore be first presented to accomplish this. And the basis of such evidence is the word of God, for the Spirit of truth uses only the two-edged sword of the word of truth.

Here are vital principles worthy of study:

"The manner in which the truth is pre­sented often has much to do in determining whether it will be accepted or rejected."—"Gospel Workers," p. 90.

"Christ reached the people where they were. He presented the plain truth to their minds in the most forcible, simple language. The humble poor, the most unlearned, could com­prehend, through faith in Him, the most ex­alted truths. No one needed to consult the learned doctors as to His meaning. He did not perplex the ignorant with mysterious in­ferences, or use unaccustomed and learned words, of which they had no knowledge. The greatest Teacher the world has ever known, was the most definite, simple, and practical in His instruction."—Id., pp. 49, 50.

The Light of truth, only, can dispel the darkness of error. "A kind, courteous Chris­tian is the most powerful argument that can be produced in favor of Christianity."—Id., p. 122.

Whether the soul winner labors among un­lettered native tribes eager for the truth, in highly civilized centers where religious de­nominations and cults are legion, among highly educated philosophers, scientists, cap­tains of industry and finance, or among the merely curious, the prejudiced, or the keenly critical, he must place himself in the position of his hearers, and kindly, frankly, patiently, sympathetically, and prayerfully guard lest a single drop of gall or an unnecessary verbal thrust should dull the sword of the Spirit.

Years ago, in the very center of a certain large city where the daily streetcar riders could read it by day and by night, stood a neat, lighted bulletin board in front of a tented pavilion, "SEVENTH-DAY ADVENT­IST BIBLE CHAUTAUQUA TENT." A certain young man and his wife crowded in under the canvas to hear the announced subject, and to see illustrated, "The Seven Seals of the Apoc­alypse." There is no other prophecy that so clearly explains the rise, work, and nature of the Papacy and the need of getting back to the word of God, as does this very subject, dealing with the four horsemen. And this young man and his wife were devout Roman Catholics, knowing well that attendance at a Protestant service was supposed to be confessed to the priest, though they afterward said that since the meeting was held in a tent, it did not seem like going into a church.

This man had just passed a civil service ex­amination and expected to begin the following Monday morning as a postman in the city. He and his wife attended that night at the earnest invitation of her sister, who was a Seventh-day Adventist, purposing never to at­tend again. Back in Bible times someone had invited Lydia of Thyatira to that open-air service on the Sabbath, so one service is often the turning point in life.

I spoke that night as to a full tent, in which were many Roman Catholic adherents, though I knew nothing of the presence of this particular couple. I well knew that if I had been reared from childhood as a Roman Catholic, and were unfamiliar with these wonderful truths of the Bible, what a terrible shock it would be to hear some Protestant explain and illustrate this prophecy. Especially would it anger me if the speaker went out of his way to deal, in any manner, with personalities rather than principles of truth. I knew that I would also be devoutly following priestly teaching of catechism rather than reading the Bible for myself. And I stated just such con­victions, and similar ones, to that audience at the beginning of my sermon. Not a soul left the tent during the sermon.

I used the Douay Version also, to show clearly that it really is very similar to other versions, and used a few catechisms to show that the Douay Version and the Catholic catechisms did not at all harmonize. Every one present that night could clearly see, without further explanation from me, why the catechism was used in confirmation catechising, instead of the Catholic version of the Bible, and also why the Catholic laity are warned not to attend Protestant services where the Bible is taught.

After the crowd had left the tent with their free literature, this couple lingered near the pulpit. After very friendly greetings, the husband asked if he could get the texts I had read in the Douay Bible, and see the cate­chisms. I kindly satisfied all his requests. He had never owned a Douay Bible, but knew well his catechism. I asked him if I had in any way misrepresented Catholic teaching. He frankly replied, "You told the truth, and I shall come tomorrow night." He purchased a copy of the Douay Bible the following day, as I had suggested, and never missed a meeting of the rest of that series, which lasted fourteen weeks. In clue time he accepted the truth, was baptized with his wife, joined the church, and became a worker in the cause of God. I have a copy of the letter he wrote to the priest who had confirmed him, and to whom, as a friend of former days, he gave Bible reasons why he left the Catholic Church.

Davenport. Iowa.