Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-13

great uniiormiy will likewise be inuu.l 10 the means
escorted tn Tor carrying these usuraiioHs no rfec,
ihese means bave oeen the taking money out Of one
mans puc.;ei. and putting 1t into the pocket cf an
-'""' The d's' great political scheme, which has
proved TIE most destructive 10 the af.i's Of man
KIND must be attributed the christian clergy. IL
CO 'sied IN prevailing upon The first christian En-
p"'or, Constantine, 20 recognze distinctions, the,
h'd before Sc, up, between Clergy aud La,. The
act OF recognition took place about the year 3l4 OF
tue CHRISTIAN era. Beorr that time, neither the Gre
c'an, nor the Roman governments ever had rcco nz-
Ell me dis,mcun, although they extended over The
whole civilized world during prca, portion of their
u"r'uon ana the Two governments taken together.
had then continued for above ten ceuturies Only
lew years after the act of recognition, the great Con
s'n'ine In The mcekest spirit of christian humiliation
seated himself on u low stool, the feet Of The
clergy, assembled in The council of Nce-325 y,
'"'s ia'ai afi oil condescenson, he acknowi lodged The
supremacy Of spiritual over the temporal nower-
lhe clergy, eaied 10 ntoxicatop, by The success at
Their great political scheme 10 sprii, unlike that
mummy, and se'i-condescension, before prac,sed, |
aud praciised by their first spiritual master Jesus
Chrsi, aud now again practiSed, and ptacised Nv
Their temporal master, Constantine, hui n,pe.d hv
| sptH oi AmhrIon, avarcc, and self agur,utIiZe-
menf, rushed forward to the peipera,i1n Of ever,
proian'tion sacrege, and d1Iary thei fertile in,a-
g'"aIops could invent. They set up uul--called
The Pope, COG, endowed hin, with the inallSility of
God himsel--invesied HIM with the power 10 gran, !
'ndnsences for The commission of sins I; and Tor
heir dissolution after commission Ia short, ,lecla-
ed Inn Gud's vicegerent here on earth, with pouer
tn act the part OF God himself on this lower world
lhry made the iniallbiliy of the Pope an essential
article oil faith aud in substance, demanded OF the
a''y an unconditional surrender Of their consciences
anutheI reason. INTO he hands Of The priests for
holy Keeping. Was it possible 10 conceive that the
'a''y would ever have suhussively Welded to this
exiravagan', n,pious, and despoiic demand. That
they would have yielded TO The priests their CON
science, and their reason The noesi GIFTS which
,hey had themselves received the hands Of their
bou"iiiul creator YET they did yield up boh not
only without a murmur, hut with the most bisored
and r.rIurous enthusiasm Whai could the l.iy |
nave holed To have retained for themselves a(et
'hey hau gwen IN Ia the priests ihcir conscience
and their reasl Could they have expected To
n'Ve deued 10 the priests their sacrilegous demands
Yer Affected qualifications? Could they Withhold from
mem 'he hest affections Of The human heart Could
,nry nave hoped TO have retained the love of the
,LmpIanIed IN the human heart nv God himself
| Tor the best aud wises OF purposes [? Could ,hey
""'e expected 'n preserve their persons from the
seVeres Gasl'gatons, upon the demand, aud Tor the
pleasure or Ion the dominion OF the priests Could |
| ihei have expected retain fruu the rap,cious |
n"ndS OF The priest, the bread they had pre- pared
'or 'he,r own mouths, OF the cnihins Tor their
o"cH'' nv me labor oil their o~n hands &c &c.2 lrI
ney could have hoped for ALL or any of these things
| they found themselves most woefnly mistaken ~
HAVING parted ",'h their conscience and their
on, every o'h-r human right aud blessing went with
them The p tests sreet. seized upon he Whole |
ann thus htuialiLed MI their miserable deuded yora
,"S ihheeo, they did more. They reduced man |
"P."" N" oru,eS-atier stripping im Of hiS.
SC ence, and his ,son man found himself without
the instinct, vbi.;h Sin had given Tie bruies for
heir government. The clerev not content with all
these hum,iiaions and sacrifices from, nlividua
PROGRAMMED The supremacy ofihe Pore, only oveI
.he church, bu over all he temporal kings Of The
EARN. During III" plenitUde OF these infinite al
tributes, bestowed on him by miserable, snn,.g NOR
tails, the holdes temporal kings ,rembed a, his nod
lie could dispose al temporal knyslu ans M pleasure
and any resisting, Tebeliious sptit was manifested
ny the 'eE'timass, asHns; his Stern capricious de-
crers, u was instantly dssipaicd bv the omnipoent
numbers OF the church But ii is not nv object 10
recount All the prnianaiinns and aba niinanns of The
clergy altar they had become completely triumphant
over All The resi- o mankind. Ill the volumes uf the
PNanItI me library would scarcely suffice to record
them all from tho fourth crn,ui, 10 the present lime
onice u Tor me 10 Say THAI after religion as II WAS
S'ned, became triumphant and unrvallcd, especial
| " uu'ine The monkish reign, mankind reduced
TO, a'd remained III more de graded condition than
me neginniag OF The world 10 the present moment
| Du''hS 'ha' oenghted period nothing is heard of
worm 'ecording. Nohisg Ia eniighien the human !
.,'u OF 10 Improve the degraded CouliiiCv nG
| ne world was filled with miraces--wiih saints
WI" ma'NTs-"ih monkS-Wi'h crurilixrs--wiIh
"eads- with rosaries-wiii impous purica TONS
""a broiane dominaiions &c. Tic.
tHer ihe clergy had heroine saied and exhausted,
~ we exercise oi Their dominion The fempnral
P'ihces' W"hh 'neiF own jurisdiction and man
Individually IN ms enslaved, degraded condition, |
s ue'eIhed mar erfign nations should also feel
egpeSrucuNc, ana horrible effects, Of their drsuo-
'c' capr'c'ou supremacy -Abou the tenth century
'ney resolved upon The war of The crnsades whsi
tney WIRE preaching mp TO others, The humility OF
% eve" 10 submission 10 nsu S,'i stricken one
me o'ner was submIssiv"ly To he Turned and
nea lar 10 receive the next bi0w infoXcafFd with
''e' own w'd mad nnib''Inu, they determined on
uiehS "'ooGS neS0'aiing wars Of two hundred years
~ .' We pIT'tS's were, me ancient TILE OF The
",S'"hs 90 'ne F1Hy lanu, Nrd sill more, 10 Mount
IiiVAfy ana The sepTchre OF Christ aud the scan
~ 10 me c'ir'san name, and rrnessinn to permit
's "o ",, aau conseciaied spot o remain longer IN
W. :'hus 81 'he 'nhdels--9i'er lac Destruction Ol
niIIons OF human beings III these presumpuoUs, i'm
pouS wars OF Two centuries, these bloody priests