Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-09-06

Justice of God often reserves to be undergone
by the sinner after the guilt Of the sin has been
RENTED. The power Of granting the remis-
sion Of this temporal punishment was given by
Christ to St. Peter and his successors, and has
been exercised from the earliest ages. An in
diligence, so far from exempting sinners from
works of penance and piety, is an encourage
ment TO the performance of such works, since
they are prescribed as conditions for gaining
the benefit of an indulgence.
| Surely, therefore, the doctrines Of the Catho-
lie church concerning the sacrament fpenance
confession and indulgencies, does not tend to
relax christian morality, nor TO encourage guilt
nor facilitate the commission Of crime, but ra-
Their to put an end to sin, and to promote the
exercise Of every christian virtue amongst men
SECTION VII-0n the Obligation Of an Oath
Catholics are charged with holding tina,
{" they are not bound by any OATH and that the
Pope can dispense them from all the oaths they
NAV have taken"
We cannot sufficiently express our astonish
ment al such a charge. We hold that this OBJ
| legation of an oath is most sacred:lor by an oath
man calls the Almighty searcher Of hearts 10
witress the sincerity of his conviction of the
truth Of what he asserts; and his fidelity in per-
! forming the engagement he makes. Hence
whatsoever swears falsely, or violates the Lawful
engagements he has confirmed by an OATH moi
ony offends against truth, or Justice, but agains
religion. He is guilty Of the enormous crime
ofperjury.
No power in any Pope, or council, or in any
individual or body OF men, invested with autho-
rity in the Catholic Church, AN make it Lawful
for Catholic to confirm any fasehood by al
oath: or dispense with any oath, by which Ca
tholiC has confirmed his duty of Allegiance tc
his sovereign, or any obligation of duty or JUS
tice to third person. He who takes an oath
is bound to observe it, in the obvious meaning
of the words, or in the known meaning Of the
person to whom it is sworn.
| SECTION VIII.-On allegiance TO our Sovereign
and obedience TO the Pope.
Catholics are charged with dividing their al
kgiance 6et1Ueen their temporal sovereign and thu
| Pope.
| Allegiance relates not 10 spiritual but to civil
duties; to those temporal tributes and obliga-
| tons, which the subject owes to the person OF
his sovereign and to the authority of the state
BY the term spiritual, we here mean that,
which in It's nature tends directly TO a supernatu-
raj end, or is ordained 10 produce supernatural
effect. Thus the Office of teaching the doc
trines Of faith, the administration of the sacra-
menls, the comforting and exercising the iuris-
dicton purely ecclesiastical, are spiritual mat
| tiers.
| BY the TEMPORAL we mean that which in its
nature tends, directly to the end of civH society
Thus the right of making laws for the civil 60
vernment Of the state, the administration of
civil justice, the appointment of civil magis-
,rates and military officers, are temporal matters.
The allegiance which Catholics hold to be
due and are bound to pay to their sovereign and
to the civil authority Of the state is perfect and
undivided. They do not divide their allegiance
between their sovereign and any other power
on earth, whether poral or ecclesiastical
They acknowledge in the sovereign and in the
constituted government of these realms,,a SUI
preme civil and temporal authority, which is
entirely distinct from and totally independent
Of the spiritual and ecclesiastical authority OF
the Pope and of the Catholic church They
declare that neither the Pope nor any other
priest or ecclesiastical person of the Roman
Catholic church has in virtue of his spiritual
and ecclesiastical character, any right, directly
or indirectly, to interfere in the civil govern
ment of the United Kingdom, or any part there
Of; nor to oppose, in any manner the perlor-
nance OF the civil duties which are due to his
Majesty, his heirs and successors, from all or
any of his Majesty's subjects; nor TO enforce the
performance OF any spiritual or ecclesiastical
duty, by any civil or temporal means. They
hold themselves bound in conscience to obey the
civil government OF this realm, in all things Of
a temporal and civil nature, Notwithstanding
any dispensation or order to the contrary had,
or TO be had, from the Pope, or any authority
from the church of Rome.
Hence we declare, that by rendering obedi-
ence in spiritual matters to the Pope, Catholics
do not withhold any portion of their allegiance
is entire and undivided; the civil power Of the
state, and the spiritual authority of the Catho-
lie church, being absolutely distinct, and being
never intended by their Divine Author to in
terfere or clash with each other.
Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars, and
to God the things that are Gods
SECTION IX.--On the claim of the British Ca
Mohcs TO the property Of the Church Establish
naent an England.
British Catholics are charged with entertain
ing pretended right to the property of the es-
tablished church in England.
We consider such charge to be totally with
GU, foundation. We declare that we entertain