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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEOBGIA 13 have known the perils of this world and are anx ious for the greater glory of God, and among whom are those who perhaps knew us while they were here on earth; and so I said yesterday in the name of the people this prayer: ‘O God, Who has consecrated this day by the martyrdom of thine Apostles, Peter and Paul; vouchsafe that Thy Church in all things obey the commandments of those through whom Thou pleased in the begin ning to establish her.’ “I then read the story of Peter’s release from the prison, as found in the eleventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and afterwards the glorious confession of Christ’s Divinity made at Caesarea Phillippi by the same Apostle. I told him that in the great Church of St. Peter in Rome, where the body of this Apostle has for more than eigh teen hundred years rested, high above the Altar and circling the wonderful dome, were inscribed the words spoken by Christ in reply to the old Galilean fisherman’s confession of faith in Him: ‘Thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.’ I read the Secret prayer and the Communion and Post Communion prayers: ‘To gether O Lord with the Divine Victim we are about to offer up, may the prayer of Thine Apostles mount before Thee, and in Thy mercy, may it atone for and safeguard us. Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church. Thou has filled us O Lord with bread from Heav en; be moved by the prayers of Thine Apostles and deliver us from all dangers.’ ” Mr. W. seemed surprised; and yet he asked me if there was any good reason why the Church used so many ceremonies and had so many things in the building itself which seemed strange to those who were not Catholics; and when I asked him what he meant by his objections, he asked me to take him over to the Church where he could better explain what he meant; so we walked across the yard to the Church. (To be continued). WHY A GEORGIA METHODIST MINISTER ENTERED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE SOCIETY OF JESUS (Continued from page 6.) my suffering. He said: “Do not fear, God will never abandon you.” At the Conference I was appointed home on furlough for rest. I returned to Huchow to prepare for my journey. I packed my library in such a way that it could be easily shipped lated; for I felt in my inmost soul that I should never again return to China as a Prot estant. During my homeward journey I traveled in com pany with the Bishop and his wife, who were also returning to the U. S. A. I never spoke to him of the great question which was agitating my soul to its profoundest depths. Once only, in a pass ing conversation, I mentioned the fact I had been reading some of J. H. Newman’s books, and that I felt more and more the imperative need among Protestants of some religious authority. He gave me to understand that the works of Newman were dangerous and not acceptable reading mat ter, but of course, did not prohibit my reading them, as no Protestant superior may do such a thing; their very principle of “private examina tion” precludes all such prerogatives. At Honolulu I visited the Catholic Church and met there a young Belgian, a religious, who gave me a copy of “The Question Box,” a little volume published by Father B. L. Conway, of the Paulist Fathers. I found it full of good and useful know ledge, as it answered in a splendid way, from a Biblical, traditional and historical standpoint, many of the old and hackneyed objections of Pro testants against the Church of Rome. I read it with profit during the remainder of my voyage. As I neared my native land, my heart, although it rejoiced in the anticipation of seeing once again my loved ones, yet, O, how crushed by the thought that I was going to bring sorrow upon those whom I loved more than life. I would rath er have gone anywhere else, for I knew well my home-coming would only augment their perplex ity and sadness. Of course, I was received with the greatest love and tenderness that a dear moth er and sisters can bestow upon a son and brother greatly loved. But as soon as the Catholic ques tion was mentioned, my dear mother, who had never opposed me in anything in my religious life, now set herself, seconded by my sisters, most strongly in opposition to all I could say; opposi tion which I felt the more keenly, because it came from such loving and sincere hearts, which were solicitous only for my good. And so when the first Sunday morning came and she asked me to accompany her to church, as in the old days, and I refused, it was indeed hard for her and me also. But how could I do otherwise? I had lost all faith in Protestantism, and I felt what a travesty the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was, and I did not wish to be present at a rite which every thing proclaimed to be false. And what did my ordination as a minister amount to? Absolutely nothing but an empty form or ceremony. Finally, seeing that discussion was useless, they left me alone in peace. I visited often the Sacred Heart Church on Ivy Street and that of the Im maculate Conception on Hunter Street. O! how blessed to steal there for prayer, where, surround ed by the sacred memorials of My Lord’s Passion and Death, I could find that rest and refreshment which He has promised to those who are bur dened! Above all, what a privilege to kneel be fore the High Altar, where He as a King upon His throne, was actually, really and bodily pres ent in the Blessed Sacrament, and deigned to re ceive me, His poor subject and slave, and let me talk to Him! Too, I can never forget how some times, when present at High Mass and the choir was singing the Credo, my soul would be moved to the profoundest depths. For I knew that glo rious symbol of the Christian faith had been sung by the Saints of God for ages and ages; to them it was indeed a true expression that “faith once de livered to the Saints”; and when they chanted it they believed it with all their heart and did not attempt to rob it of its original meaning, nor mu tilate it as had a party in a recent General Con ference of the Methodist Church attempted to do by proposing to strike out or change the words “Holy Catholic Church.” Before leaving China I had begun to make the Sign of the Cross and to genuflect before the Tabernacle. Usually, at the close of our discus sions Father Bornand would pass into the Church, saying, “Let us pray a moment as we have the Blessed Lord always with us.” We would then kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and pass a few moments in silent prayer. When I had reached San Francisco I had bought a Rosary and a Catholic copy of “The Imitation of Christ.” I had known this little book in former years, as It was one of the first which John Wesley had had published for the use of the Methodists, though, of course, without the fourth book which treats of the Real Presence and Holy Communion. (To be concluded.)