RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.
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attacks made upon it by Protestants. The Italian historian Cesare Cantù styles it, "the most famous Catholic catechism written since the time of Luther." Even the Protestant historian Ranke cannot help praising and admiring it. And a distinguished Protestant controversialist in Germany, Professor Kawerau, says: "The catechism of Canisius is without doubt of the same importance to the Catholic Church as Luther's was to the Church of the Reformation. It is distinguished by its clear and lucid treatment of the subject and particularly by the mild and conciliatory tone in which it is written."[1] This "mild and con-
- ↑ Also Chemnitz, one of the leading Reformers and a violent antagonist of Canisius, acknowledges that "the catechisms of this Jesuit are written with the greatest mildness and moderation." See his words in Braunsberger, Canisii Epistulae et Acta, vol. III, (Herder 1901) p. 811. – In many places of his numerous writings Canisius lays down his principles about controversies with the Protestants. "The "Protestants heap the most frightful calumnies upon me. Would that we loved them the better, the more they persecute us. They deserve to be loved, although they hate us, because most of them err from ignorance. I would gladly shed my blood for them if I could thereby save their souls." He exhorts his brethren and Catholics in general to avoid all bitterness in controversies; they should argue with gravity and modesty and suffer all attacks with holy patience for the love of Christ. (See Janssen, l. c., vol. IV, pp. 408-411.) – This moderation is all the more remarkable if contrasted with the shocking insults and contumelious appellations with which Canisius was loaded by his Protestant adversaries. Melanchthon calls him a "cynic." Others styled his catechism "devil's dirt," the "cursed sacrilegious book of the dog Canisius," a "heathenish work, and a product of hell." The Jesuits are styled by Chemnitz and others "scoundrels, perjurers, beasts, hell-frogs spit up by the infernal dragon, a brood of vipers born of the Babylonian...," epithets
