Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-05-07
evidence of what would be done if power was
not wanting Here it is:

not wanting Here it is:
from the U S. Catholic Miscellany, april a. 1881
awe commend to our readers, Catholic and
Protestant, the letter of DR.. Belinger given be
low. Had his only object been to rebuke the
insolence and calumny of an Evangelical Editor,
we could almost regret to see so much accurate
learned research and eloquent sarcasm expended
on so despicable an adversary. But the stern
Justice dealt to Mr. Gildersleeve is only accessory
to higher purpose; in the same way that We
unhestatingly trample on the toad or other
noisome reptile that seeks to dispute with us
our honest appointed path. The alluslon to
Luther in DR.. BIS speech in Council was merely
an incidental one, to which no reasonable man
could or did object. We are not sorry that he
has been forced by the malignant bravado of the
Richmond Editor, to give our community an in
sight into Luther's real character. Mr.. Glider
sleeve has exhumed the great Reformer, and the
Doctor had no alternative than to dissect him
for the satisfaction of all concerned"
Now, Gentlemen of the priory, you who hold
the keys of the Kingdom Of Heaven either to
admit or lock out at your pleasure-who have
possession of the minds, consciences and souls of
your people, permit me, one of the excluded
Heretics, to suggest to you that you have acted
rather prematurey here. l all along presumed
that there was power behind the throne-a
backer of the champion-a secret mover of the
wires in this grand exhibition Of intolerance and
dctation. But scarcely expected that you
would have shown your hand so soon. l have
some insight into the manouvering of your order,
and have generally found them cool, calculating,
looking far ahead, wildly, doubling on the track,
scenting danger from afar, and displaying all
the cunning of an animal that shall be nameless,
but whose history once described. You should
have left the Doctor to dissect Luther, and then
to feel the public pulse by himself If it was
feversh, leave him to administer sudoriics, and
if the case became unmanageable, the consult
ing physicians would have been left unbalanced.
As it is, however, you are now committed you
are afoat in the same ship, and must sink or
swim together.
You say IN your Miscellany, "Mr. Glider
sleeve has exhumed the great Reformer, and the
Dr. had no other alternative than to dissect him
for the satisfaction of all concerned" This seems
to be a mistake, as DIR. Bellinger exhumed him,
first at his post as Alderman. and then was en-
gagged a considerable time in dissecting him for
the benefit of all concerned. This practice of
and dissecting is, by-the-way no re-
cent discovery in surgery by the Professors of
any Eclesiastico-Medlcal College in Charleston.
1t was practised some centuries ago. The bod
les of John Huss aud jerome of Prague required
no exhumation or disscction-they were Gondem-
ned by the Church for entertaining most OF the
sentiments held by this Protestant community.
One of the Bishops put on the head of Huss
large paper cap, ON which Various and horrd
forms of devils were painted, and on which WAS
written, IL commit thy soul to the Devil
Huss smiling observed, it was less painful than a
crown of thorus-they were both at different
times burnt, and their ashes scattered in the
was spared the degradation of
exhumation and dissection. He was burnt, call
ing out in the midst of the flames, "Lord Jesus
receive my spirit" Wicklitf and Bucu escaped
the grasp Of their enemies by a mercitu act of
God, and they were spared from the stake aud
the faggot by dying naturol death. But their
bodies were exhulned and dissected, according
to the ancient Romish practises in Surgery
their bones were dug up and burnt. The Coun-
Gil of Constance, in l4l2, ordered Wicklitf's
bones to be exhumed and thrown on dung chill,
and a subsequent mandate from the Pope was
obeyed by Flemming, Bishop of Lincoln, his
bones were burnt, and his ashes thrown into a
brook. But did they burn their principles along
with their bones?
Fuller, the Church historian, in his quaint and
fgurative style, says Of Wicklitf: This brook
has conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into
Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into
the main ocean; and thus, the ashes of Wick
lff are the emblem of his doctrine, which now
is dispersed all the world over"
Luther also expected to be burned, and pre-
pared himself to die martyrs death, but God
had great work for him to do, aud he was
spared in spite Of his enemies who thirsted for
his blood. Since that day, however, the Holy
Mother has given birth to successive generations
OF her children, who for three hundred years
have been engaged in exhumlng and dlssecting
the remains Of poor Luther-among the last
was Dr. Bellinger, and the very last his spiritual
guides, who endorsed his sentiments and chuck
ledsover his exploits, and who as the spires of
their great cathedral are rising higher every day,
will soon come to the kind hearted, generous
Protestant ladies and gentlemen, with the honey
ed words in their mouths, :" help us dear pat
rons to complete the only true house of God,
and we will amply repay you by using all our
Jesuitical arts by torturng passages from their
contexts, and by quoting writers of no authority,
defaming the character of the Father of the Re
formation, and convicting him Of immoral teach
Il