Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-10-08
ALEXANDRIA:
WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER s ,8,7.
LETTER TO AIR. QUkRo.

Mr.. Qaero,
The most powerful engine which you
have employed, or which you could have
employed, to excite prejudice against the
creed Of catholicity, is the charge OF In
tolerance, which yos have preferred a.
gainst it. Acts of tyranny and cruelty
are unquestIonably more calculated 10
exasperate the human mind, to ensender
Or resusci,ate prejudices and keep hen
alive, than any other cause whatever
No matter whether these cruelties were
committed without any semblance oil au-
thority or not, no matter whether or not
they have been condemned and reproba-
ted by the great majority Of the communl'
ty, still, however, among men OF ordinary
habit, the imputations Of tyranny anu
cruelty will attach to the whole body.-
This is precisely the case with the Catho-
lie church Acts Of tyranny and cruelty
have been performed by Catholics; even
mistaken notions Of religion may have
prompted them; but it is unfair and un-
Just to pronounce them the consequences
OF Catholic principles 1t cannot excite
! the establishment Of any Reasonable man
that in the Catholic church, which has ex-
listed and been spread over the universal
world for the period Of eighteen hundred
years, numerous faults and crimes should
have existed, You may unfold the dark
page Of Catholic scandal, and retail each
act which has disgraced the professors oil
Catholici'y since its commencement, but
this will prove nothing more than that
Catholics are men. Read the history of
infant Professionalism, and you fnd that
Protestants too have been men. will
even venture to assert that human weak
ness has been al leas; as predominant in
he pale of Professionalism as within the
precin,s Of Catholic unity. In the com
mencement, each sect, generally speak
Ing, was inivleran, and cruel. The Fin.
glish church, which you have sometimes
protested to adIui,e, has not quite existed
Sun years. and yet am confident It may
be proved that the contracted insular
church OF Britain has exercised more
acts OF tyranny anu cruelty that the
widely extended Catholic church in an
equal period. Ii tni, be true, either you
should cease to blame the Catholic church.
or else cummand the reformation to bare
her shoulders to your severe chastise-
ment. A little Candid reflection Oh this
subject would convince you that the
church from which yours sprung is not
quite 81 wicked as you have been led to
think; tins will he thought of pleasure
to grateful descendant and to benevo-
lent MUD
But have undertaken to prove the
Catholic church iIfaihbie, and am con.
WINGED that the Importance Of the subject
will authorize mt to resume il.
Every one who lays claim to the most
distant acquaintance with religion knows,
that faiih or the belief OF truths revealed
b, the Redeemer is essentially prerequi
site for salvation. Truth is simple, and
in every bearing decisively opposed to
fsisehood. By the belief Of truth only
God can be hOnored, aud not by credit.
ing tals.hood. Among all the different
creeds then, which exist, or which can
exist, only one can be true, only one le-
vealed BY the Redeemer; because, as
they ale all different and opposite, hey
are opposed to each, and all opposed to
one, they are all but one, opposed to
truth. If this were not the case, they
would not be different creeds. II they
were not all false except one, God could
be the author Of falsehoOd; for. by re.
vealing opposite creeds, he would reveal
something which is opposite to truth. II
can never be true that Christ is present
In the ascrament- and Mt the same time