Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-05-17
JESTER DAILY
For the Boz.
Protosrnnt and Catholic Influences.

Protestant and Catholic Influences.
The " Editorial T" in the Daily Spy of the
18th inst, in regard to the so called, "Angel
Gabriel" and our duty to our Catholic citi-
gems, has melted me to send you few thoughts
upon this subject, which have long enter
tanned, and which may be worthy of consid-
Grafton by others.
The individual who is conversant with pass
ing events, cannot fail to notice elements in
our communities, which are tending to create
connections and internal differences which
every patriotic citizen must regret. l refer
particularly to the mixture of Roman Catho-
lie influences with those of the Protestant
faith, and especially to the prejuoices arising
between the followers of these opposite sects.
We have Catholics among us, in every State,
and in almost every village and hamlet of our
land, and it should be the purpose of every
Protestant citizen, not to cultivate preiudices
against them, but rather to extend the hand of
welcome, and illustrate by their example, by
their deeds, the power of christian loye-the
great doctrine of Protestant faith, and, in do
ing this, taking rational view of the matter,
there need be no fears of internal differences,
or exciting connections What is the lesson
that true patriotism teaches Our nation is
founded upon the principle of civil and relig-
ious liberty to all. We boast of our freedom
of speech, and that " all men may worship
God under their own vine and fig tree, with
none to modest or make afraid" Our Consti-
tuition, formed by the greatest intellects of the
age, by the heroic men who had carried our
country through the troubles and embarrass-
ments of the Revolution, presents broad
platform Of civil and religious liberty. Under
it, our country has prospered, and for many
long years, all seets in religion have enjoyed
that freedom, which, in no other nation, ex-
lists to SO wide an extent. Review for mo-
ment the past.
The colony of Maryland was settled by Cath
olics under Lord Baltimore, himself firm Cath
ole. He was clothed with the powers of Gov
ernor, and also had granted him the power of
appointing one of the Houses of Burgesses,
and no act of either one or both Houses could
be law without his consent. In 1900, this
Catholic Colony enacted the following law,
known as the act concerning religion -
" that no persons processing to believe in Je-
sus Christ, should be molested in respect to
their religion, or in the free exercise thereof,
or be compelled TO the belief, or exercise of
any other religion, against their consent; SO
that they be not unfaithful to the Proprietor,
or conspire against the civil government that
persons molesting any others in respect to their
religious tenets, should pay treble damage to
the party aggrieved, and twenty shillings to
the Propnetor-(see Pitkins history, vol. l. p.
56, also, Chalmers, p. 2lS.) The justice and
hberality OF that enactment is evident; and,
Is it true, that Roman Catholics first establish
ed, in this western world, the freedom ofrelig-
ious Worship
The Catholics did not long, however, con-
troll the Maryland Colony. During the civil
wars in England, the Proprietor was deprived
of his government, and in 1864 the govern
ment was seized by the Lord Protector. The
Assembly, called by him, i'll requited the lib
erality of their Catholic predecessors. One
of the first acts of the Protestant Assembly,
declared" that none who protested the Po-
pish religion should be protected in that prov
ince, by the laws of England, formerly estab-
lished and yet unrepealed nor by the gov
ernment of the Commonwealth, that such as
profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, though
differing in judgment from the doctrine and
discipline publicly held forth, should not be
restrained from the exercise of their religion
prorided such liberty acas not extended to popeSy
or pre5acy'' Here we have, side by side, the
enactment ofone colony at two different times,
and under different influences. Which would
we choose as most tolerant and least oppres-
sives Which condemn But, have not
time to make this article more extended
Born Protestant, bred a Protestant, l am
such in faith and practice, but yet, not bigot-
ed or intolerant, but ready to &c live and let
i've" Convinced that our country is, or
should be, one of perfect freedom, and that
Protestants and Catholics alike have equal
rights, and no more than equal rights, I would
that tolerant, Christ-like spirit might be
evinced on both sides. Let Catholics enjoy
their religion, they have been brought up and
taught in the faith of the Catholic Church
let them enjoy that faith unmolested and if
they take holy pleasure in attending mass
or, what seems to us the senseless practice of
counting the 8" beads, let them enjoy their
holy pleasures, as seemeth to them best. Bit
ter denunciation only tends to lrritate them,
and drive them beyond the reach of any Pro-
testant influences, which might reach many of
them if little of the christian graces were
manifested. This subject is momentous one,
and should be considered candidly and impa-
tiently by all D.