New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-21
Faith end Freedom.

| ZION ny tue rope vi OdIuOllC hiCuolSh"P
and several Bishops for Great Britain is
extending beyond the boundary of the
British Empire, while within that Empire
some of the profoundest thinkers and ablest
writer's of the age have enlisted in the dis
cussion provoked by it. On the part Of
the Catholics, Archbishop Wiseman, John
Henry Newman and The Tablet are the
principal debaters; while among Protestants
the cause of Freedom in matters of Faith
has been most cogently upheld by Rev.
James Martineau in his celebrated article
on The Battle of the Churches in the last
Westminster Review and by Walter Saw
age Landor in a brief but puDgent pamphlet
just reprinted by Ticknor & Co. Boston.
In fact, so strongly have the absurdity,
tyranny and suicidal folly OF 'egal repres-
sion of this exercise of Papal power been
set forth that we do not believe any such
repression can ever. for any considerable
period, be made effectual. The little
| Queens personal evaporation at what she
deems the insolence and usurpation of the
Roman Pontif will have great influence
with the Court, the Ministry, (however
constituted,) the Church, and large pro-
portion of the more fortunate and fashion
able classes, Including some nominal Cath
olics,) but it cannot subvert Faith nor &C
complish impossibilities. Nicholas Wise
man is Archbishop of the Catholic Church
in England, and such he will remain until
the Pope shall appoint his successor.-
Penal legislation may Obstruct and embar-
rass him in the exercise of his ecclesiasti-
cal functions-may even take his life
but all that law can do in this way cannot
diminish but may greatly increase his spir-
itual power. Unless the worlds history
has been written entirely wrong, all that
can be done by law in the way of repres-
sion or embarrassment to the creation of
Catholic Bishops can only eonduce to the
Strengthening of Papal power throughout
the British realm snd if the effort be con-
Raod % shabby and PotciNOgging
as those lately proposed in Parliament by
Lord John Russell, the policy will be
hardly more unjust than contemplate.
A few American journals-we rejoice to
say, rery few-have evinced leaning to
the side of persecution in this contest, and
on grounds as unworthy as the policy they
would uphold. One urges that, because
Religious Freedom is not allowed in Italy,
Spain and other eminently Catholic coun-
tries therefore it should not be maintained,
so far as Catholics are concerned, in Prot
estant lands-which is saying in effect that,
if Catholics wiH be Catholics, Protestants
should cease to be Protestants. We deci-
dedly object to this. If the Catholic Faith
approves or palliates the infection of disa-
bilities or penalties on any one because of
his religion, the Protestant certainly does
not. If Professionalism be anything more
than resistance to Papal pretensions-if it
have any vital, fundamental principle-it
is that of the absolute Right of every hu-
man being to worship God or not worship
Him as his own convictions shall dictate,
and to interpret His will for himself with
out Difference to any authority on the
globe. Of course, if any one should under
stand or interpret the will of God as requir-
ing or authorizing him to kill or rob his
neighbor, the State will interfere to prevent
or punish his wrongful act, but has nothing
to do with his belief. If Professionalism
does not affirm our immediate responsible
ity in matters of faith to God, and therefore
our entire responsibility in such matters
TO Man, then we do not know what it is.
To say, then, that Professionalism is the
true Christian basis, yet that the Pope may
not freely appoint Bishops, Archbishops,
&c. for a country containing some millions
of Catholics, is to utter the most glazing
contradictions. The Papal pretensions may
be ever so groundless and pernicious, but
your Judgment to this effect, however con-
elusive for you, is nullity with respect to
your Catholic neighbor He may be ever
so mistaken in bis faith, but you are not his
spiritual director. Confession, Penance,
the Mass, &c. may be foOlishness to you,
vet not the less essential to him. You
might Just as we'll enact that belief In
transubstantiation shall subject the believer
to confinement in lunatic asylum until
he abjures it, and declare that no violation
of Religious Freedom, but mere sanitary