Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-01-25

been done u the Prince, or much likelihood OF
hearing complaints from the latter. The Pope
has struggled sometimes with soyereigns, lat rsey
er with the sovereignty. lie has exercised
power voluntarily placed in his hands by Kings,
and invoked 10y the people and ho has 6ethroned
the monaSch. But not mathematical the subject.
The popes, IN the fufilment of what the consent
OF Kings and the confidence 0f the peoP'e have
made duty, have released subjects from the oath
of allegiance t. the sovereign, bat Eever have
they released the sovereign from his coronation
oath to respect, guard, aal rightly gove.if tie
people.
Because have neither tinlo space for suel.
an INQUIRY | do not pursue the subject III detail.
have taken the strongest Of tie exercise 81
the power of sieppsing monarclls-which is now
called the power Of releasing sus;cctS-da l.:sse
shown that the Pope did not rely upon the gcli-
eral spiritual power a. heal of tae C:sTstian
Church f,r authority 10 depose the Emperor, but
that he rested on, and sustain Il by the costtu-
ton which authorized the election Of al Emperor
aud made orthodoxy condition Of holding the
crown. And it would have been equally easy,
generally less difficulty, to have shown that every
instance of ssch exercise of power by the Pole
was authorized by the admitted constitution or
acknowledged compact, provided that the olf saces
of the Prince had brought him within the opera
Bon of the laws, which ali admitted to exist and
for the execution Of which all turned to the Pope.
Now, as this kind of seculor power had its
origin IN the consent oil the SoSefci-5tls, at par
tictlar tirne, and long after the apostolic age. it
follows that not only could It not nave carried
with it the jare iriso. which Belongs - the seiri-
tuaI power of the Bishop of Rome, but that the
proof of the existence OF the real spiritual power
would have been weaken BY attempts to prove the
right of deposlng TO be devlne. at that time,
then--at time when men were tie most Wiling
to yield assent to such species, of usurpation, as
released king-at that time the divine right was
not claimed, and the whole power OF deposing res
ted upon the consent, not mercy of the Kings,
but of the dcposed Princes themselves.
But it is charged that Roman Catholics even
now admit the right of the Pope to interfere be
tween subjects and their allegiance, and between
citizens and their date to the Republic, in some
other form, since the power tode pose Kings is no
longer possible. | deny It. | have denied it Tor
myself plainly, clearly, specifically But, in this
House, it is said that, though may DC excepted
from the general censure of harboring the see ds
AMI means of treason to this government In my
breast and warming them into termination by
Devotion bat Others are liable to the charge and
especially the church, the Roman Catholic Cilurch
ITSELF
But the Roman Catholic Church is represented
by her Bishop, and therefore 1 turn to the state
ment of those having the means OF knowing, and
the right to make known, the doctrines Of that
church, anu ask the attention OF the committee To
the following g remarks of the Right Rev. DR.. En-
gland.
..God never gave to ST. Peter any temporal
power, any authority TO depose Kings, any
silority to interfere with political concerns. And
any rights which his SUCCESSORS mi 5iit claim, for
any oil those purposes, must be derived from
other source. A Roman Catholic has no further
connection with the Pope than that he succeeds
ST. Peter. Peter had none Of these rights--sls
Roman Catholic, know nothing Of them in the
Pope. He is equally Pope with or without
them
In the early part of my remarks, took ooca-
sion 10 say what would be my course, if, by any
remarkable (6ut really ifnpossibe) coneurrcncee Of
circumstances, the army and navy of the Pope
should invade the country. Hear now how the
Bishop OF Charleston sustains my declaration:
. Ihe American Constitution leaves Its citizens
IN perfect freedom to have whom they please to
regulate their spiritual concerns. But the P,-ps
We're TO declare war against America, aud any ko-
man Catholic, undel.ti.c pretext ofstdritual ot,e
dience, was 10 refuse to oppose this temporal ag
gressor he WOULD deserve to be punished for his
refusal, because he owes to this country to main
tain its rights and spiritual power does not and
cannot, destroy the claim which the Government
has upon him. Suppose clcrgyTuen of England
convicted for some crime-for instance, Dr.
Dodd-and he was orderei for execution: mast
the law be imperative because the criminal is a
clergyman Think you that no one coti.ti b.
found in Roman Catholic country To sentence
or to execute Il sentence, upon clergyman who
was criminal All history testiies 10 the con-
trary So, too, does all history show that upon
the same principle, Catholic Kings, and Princes,
and peers snd people. have disobeyed improper
mandates Of the See of Rome, and have levied and
carried Oh against Popes, and still continued
members of the Church.''
Mr. Chairman, have thus shown that the
Church, in the middle ages did not claim for the
Pope the authority to exercise temporal power
over other sovereigIis, by Divine right, even when
the exercise Of that authority seemed to be great
81. -
seem wonderful if the people should have hailed
it rs Of Divine origin. And | have shown that
the best writers of tie Clthelic Church, Of later
days. and of the present century, have, in Ike
manner. dencd that i was part OF a Catholics be
lief that the Pope possesses any power 70 dcpose
Kings or release subjects, to violate faith with
those who ar- or are not of the Cath lie Church.
Inow offer other proof that the Church sets up no
claim to such power. And, before do it, may
be permitted To y that, in pursuit of Information
with regard to the Catholic Church, it has cen
my chance to converse with every rank and degree
of her hierarchy-PoIe, Cardinal Nuncio. Arch
bishop Bishop and Priest, ana / Z ser heard one
OF them claim any such power. and | rever heard
one of them speak upoi. tie subject who did not
disavow any belief Of its existence.
The vrxe1 question Of governing Ircllnd, and
of granting to the people of that Kingdom part
of the rights enjoyed b. the subjects OF Great Bri
tain. lse often led the Britis.l Par'iament to in
qttiFS lslto tue charges ilii s'5siss Stl.i-
oics, with reference to the asserted right of the
Roman pontiff TO interfere with tie internal af-
flirs Of other governments. ~
Three propositions were prepared an sent 10
the faculties OF the principal Catholic universities
in France AMI Spain; those Of the university Of
Paris, of Douay of Louvais. of Acals, of Salaman-
ca, aud Of yaladod / give the proposition and
abstracts Of the several answers
Extracts from tie declarations AM Testimonies
of six of the principal universities of Europe,