The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-16
CATHOLICS -PERsECUTI0N, &c.
PmLApELPmA, NocemJel.


strong article against making I" Sectarian Tests
in Politics" Now, thought that men were
known by the principles they held and the
Scripture says, =" by their fruits YOU shall know
them Now, what is the principle of the Ro-
man Catholics? 1t is to prosecute all other
creeds and professions but their own and in
every case, where they have had the power, they
have acted up to their profession. What did
they do insFrance under Charles IN. when the
Catholics made the streets of Paris run with
the blood of Protestants, and in that Kingdom
DESTROYED near half "A million of the best men,
women, and children? Again: Look at the
massacre in Ireland Also the dreadful persc-
cution Of our forefathers in Scotland, in the
fifteenth century, when thouSands-men,
men, and children-wcre put to the most cruel
deaths. Now, add To this, that the Catholics
make their boast that they never change-they
are the same in all ages and at all times
surely such men are not to be trusted. Indeed.
you say. " had they the numbers, you would not
trust them" Why? just because YOU know
and every man that has read history knows, in
case they had the power, they would use it to
the destruction of all others. What are they
attempting already in this country, where they
far in the minority? They want a divi-
sion Of the school funds they want to be Post
masters General; next, they will want to be
Presidents of the United States; and soon.
in our land, we will he called to witness the
same things as France, Ireland, and Scotland,
have witnessed, if the power ever gets into the
hands of the Roman Catholics.
Now is the time to act against these enemies
of our country. You seem to think, if Catho-
lies ought not to hold Office. neither should
they vote. Well so say. They should nei-
Their have the one nor the other. And it was
nm ,,-ill day .rbo no
tuition was framed, that it did not exclude both
Catholics and lnldes. as well as shareholders,
from taking part in the politics of the country.
G.. o.
We boast of the progress of society in these
latter days, and read with pity and shame of
the credulity and imposture of the dark ages;
but did those ages witness an abomination more
monstrous and odious than Mormonism, a
growth of the nineteenth century?
We boast of our religious liberty, of the great
Protestant idea, the right of private Judgment.
of the triumph Of the Principle of liberation;
We speak Of the prosecutions Of Protestants by
Catholics under the Bloody Mary, of the perse-
cutions of Dissenters by the Established Church
in England, of the prosecutions of the Quakers
that can never be reproduced. And yet, look
at the spirit which animates a formidable po-
litco-regious organization in this Wanting
land of liberty! What is its real policy, but
that of the Pope of Rome, the Grand Duke Of
Tuscany, or the Jesuits of Spain? What, its
real policy. but that which burnt Cranmer, threw
Bunyan into dungeon, and tortured Quakers
to death
We know well the writer of the foregoing
communication-we know him to be an honest
most estimable man, loving righteousness and
hating oppression And yet, hear him Justify
ing prescription by prescription; advocating re-
taiation; in his adherence of Romanism, urg
ing the adoption of Romanistic policy!
Suppose the course he recommends should
be lolowed-that Catholics and Inidels should
be excluded from taking any part in the poll
ties of the country, would prescription stop
there? What are called Evangelical sects have
no dealings, religiously, with Unversalists and
Untarians-they denounce them, as practical
nfdels, propagators Of doctrines and principles
subversive of virtue and religion-the founda
ton of republican institutions: why admit them
to the rights of citizenship, and exclude Cath
olcS and midels? But are the great Evan
gelical Sects one brotherhood? Does not Armin
ian look upon Calyinist rs bigoted, intolerant
hard hearted, intoxicating a doctrine at war witt
human responsibility, and CalYinist upon Ar
minian as atitudinarian, lcentiouS, dissent
mating views inconsistent with Gods sove
reignty and sound morality? How long would
| the Principle of federation, sacrificed first. tC
satisfy hatred of Catholicism and Infdelity
then, hatred of Heresy be maintained in tn,
intercourse of the Evangelical Sects? Invoke
the Civil Power in one case against the pro
iession of one form of Faith, or the denial o
all faith, and you sanction Principle utterl,
irreconciabe with federation and Religious
Liberty
"Render unto Caesar the things that ar,
Caesars, and unto God the things that ar,
Gods" A mans religious faith is matte
| between him and his God, for which his neigh
Dor has no right to challenge or prescribe him
We may make it subject of argument, bu
not of legislation. We may endeavor to shoy
| MIN JllaL Ne Is III error, DuI nave no rlght 4
bring any kind of constraint upon him t
| change it. The inevitable tendency of sucI
comstraint is, to make him false to God O
man--an apostate or hypocrite. MY king
dom is not of this world, !" said the Divine An
thor of Christianity. He asked the interveu
ton of no human arm-it was not by huns
statutes, by earthly pains and penalties, by tn
sword. or the halter, that his kingdom was t
be founded or to prevail. When you hang
man for murder, or incarcerate him for thief
there is some adaptation Of means to an end
The means may be preventive, possibly COZ
receive. But bow can you remedy heresy b
the stake or the dungeon? What relation j
there between the infiction of physical tortur
and the belief or disbelief of Truth FeaF {
bodily pain, dread of prescription, hope c
Office, or other earthly good, may change tn
profession, but not opinion, of man. He ma
lie, to escape persecution, but what have yo
gained? Yon have made the hereto not
coEreyf, but criminal.
la conclusion, we commend to the attentio
of our friend the following clause in Article ct
i of the Constitution of Pennsylvania. HeaI