Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-04-28


Where or in rohat age do ,oe liue, or ,Ohat shall
TOE hGue merit?
In his paper of the 2lstinstant, Wharton says
sit becomes the duty of every friend ofliLerty-
OF every foe totyranny and tempo al and spiritual
despotism-to band themselves together in some
FORM to prevent Catholics amt those affiliated with
them in their political system of tyranny, from
holding Office under our government, and to elect
such and only such as will require examination uf
converts by commissioners, the adjustment of the
confessional absolution induleences and the teach
tngs Of the Church that there is purgatory, from
teich souls may be prayed by the bishop or priest
Thus, with these and few other reforms, the
SPIRIT CT THE CONSTITUTION, MAINTAINING RELI-
oIous LIBERTY would be secured, and the Roman
Catholic religion placed upon the same footing as
other Christian denominations. BY this means,
and this only the country can be preserved against
the union of Church and State, and free ins,itu-
tons from the faint of tyranny"
Since the year &c has there ever been such q
monstrus proposition, under pretence of securing
religious liberty and the spirit of the constitution
To religious liberty, the liberty OF the Cath
Ollie must be taken uway-and to prevent the union
of Church and State, the government must take
the Church into lis own hands! repeat, ,uhere or
in trhat age do zoe ipe?
There is no doubt but that the Legislature may
provide that converts, well prisons, schools,
or meeting houses shall be subject to examination
of commissioners of its own appointment, with
out doing any serious violence to the religious be-
lief of any one-but the propriety or wisdom of
even such legislation may well be questioned
Had he, however, stopped here. we should have
given il 10 attention. But this is the smallest
foE Al
Legislature shall "abolishtLe confessional. abso-
luton. and indulge nces and prohibiting from
teaching orpreaching that there is lurgatory."--
The belief IN these things may be mere supersti-
ton, aud we think it is-but This is not the ques-
ton. The true question is.-not what we or
Wharton, or any body else beleye,-but, can The
government, consistently with religious and con-
stutionnl liberty. abolish the confessional or ab-
solution, or prohibit men from preaching or teacl-
ing the same, or that there is purgatory.
One thing is certain, whether these things are
solemn truth or mere superintendent that is,
| that if the Legislature. may declare there is no
Purgatory, and that men shall moi so preach or
teach, ii may also declare that there is Purgato-
ry. and command that the religious preacher shall
SO preach-that is if the Legislature may abolish
the confessional aud ubsolution, it may aso il il
thinks proper, command that men shall 20 to con-
fesSon, and the preacher so teach. And YET
Wharton tells US "this is the way 10 maintain the
spirit OF the constitution and religious liberty''
while every man of common sense sees that our
religious liberties gone, the moment such things
enter into the elections and disposed of at the
polls or on the floor of the Legislature.
The Bill of rights declares "that Religion, tho
duty which we owe 10 our Creator and the manner
of discharglng it. can be directed only by reason
and conviction, not by force or yiolence and there
fore all men are equally entitled 10 the free ex-
ercse of religion. according to the dictates of con-
science, and thatit is the moral duty of all TO prac
tiee christian orb.arance and lone and charity TO-
towards each other.
The peculiar doctrines of John Calvin are more
obnoxious TO many, than even the confessional
or nbsolution! The great DR.. Clarke called them
mOtOehian. Shall the Presbyterians be prohibited
from teaching them. lest The people become licen-
tious, as it is said they do under the Turkish doc
trine of fatalism. To deny the divinity of Christ
is in the opinion of some, Blasphemy, while in the
opinion Of some Unitarians, to believe in and wor
ship Christ as God, is Idolatry. In the minds OF
many. these are plain truths or plain errors as
they may happen tothink. Shall the government
in the language of Wharton, enact, that men shall
or shall not teach these doctrines! Is the princ.
pie of religious liberty again TO be discussed and
settled. A.
s a.