The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1855-08-17

1917 ny eAFiunaeavhs esis1 = - L
May / ask you to read 5Ee36 articles IN the or +
i der in which have named them! IYou Will
although you doubtless will frd mucl hich Il
non-C alholic you will object TO, am sure
you will find no such doctrine as am accused
OF holding. The subject treat has been much
ohscured by controversy, and am liable 70 MI
APPREHENSION by those who have not studied s1t
somewhat profoundly from the Catholic point
!. Of view. treat the subject only under certain
aspects and for Catholics and many Of the terms
Iuse have in Catholic theology a technical
sense, which those not familiar with hat theol-
sogy may misapprehend say this in excuse Of
those who have misfepresented me.
q clairn-ana never have denied for the Pope,
out 81 The Ecclesiastical Sites Of which he is
the temporal sovereign temporal or civil
jurisdiction, power, or authority, properly 50
called.
Theonly power the Pope has in this country, /
is his aower over Catholics as The spiritual head /
Of the Church. Its purely spiritual power, /
and can b8exercised only for d spiritual end,
and eyen then only over Catholics, for the
Church does not iud1e thasa who are without. /
In matters purely tempofal |, as Catholic,
owe no obedience to the Pope, heaause he has
received from Jesus Christ DO authority - a
temporal sovereign ever me. He cannot make
or nnmake the right Of the sovereign, or the
absolve from the latter.
Thus far, all Catholics, whether thezso call
ed ultra Montanes, or the so-caled Galieans,
are agreed. The dispute lies not here. All
agree that the Stat is supreme and independ-
ent in its own order that is to say, in thu tenn
poral order. But what I m an is, that the tenn
poral order is not supreme and Independent,
but, in the very nature Of things, subordinated
to the spiritual, since the end of mantle end
for which God made him, directs aud governs
him by his providence lies in the spis itual, not
in the temporal. Every man who believes any
| re zion at all, whether Catholic or non-Catho-
lie, does. and must admit tilis FIR il is only say
ing that we must obey God. rather tn man,
, and live for the Creator ritter than the crea-
!, ture. This promised think can state to you,
|. in few words, the doctrine do really hold.
Inasmuch as the temporal order is subordna-
ted to the spiritual, it follows hat the State is
under the laws justice, consequently the prince
holds his powers as a trust, NJ as an indefeasi-
n BILE right, an1therefore forieits them when he
abuses them, and los s his right t. reign. This
e is the common doctrine held by all of us Ameri-
! cans, and all Catholic doctors teach and always
) have taught it. 1t lies at the foundation Of all
true liberty, and is the only doctrine that can
: ever justify resistance to the temporal powers.
I This right of resistance Of power when
o it becomes tyrannical and oppressive, | take
d it for granted it is held by every American.
!. But here is difficulty. The Church follow
r ing the Holy Scriptures, makes civil allegiance
e religious duty, and says with Saint Pau, Ro-
e mans xiii, Ia: "Let every soul be subject to
. the higher powers, for there is no power but
. from God. Therefore, he that ressteth the
power resisteth the ordinance of God, and they
i that resist purchase damnation to themselves"
Here you see am forbiddenby the law of God
o to resist the power, and commanded, on peril of
d damnaton to obey. Here is my conscience
,e bound to obedience and my conscience asxn
It Catholic can be released only by a declaration
~ of my Church, the divnely appointed director
:, of conscience, that theprince oftyranny and OPP
~ preston has forfeited his right, fallen from his
u dignity, and ceased to reign. What claim for
y the Pope, as visible head of the Church, is the
AT power to release my conscience from this reli-
S, gious bond, and to place me at liberty to resist
the prince become tyrant. This is all under
Is stand by the deposing power.
- The power ITSELF every body not a tyrant or
:, a slave asserts. The American Congress OF
, E1776 asserted it, and deposee George III. The
only difference is, some give it to the people
som to the inavilual; and calm it for the
CAureh, and the Pope as head Of the Church.
The Pope does not in his exercise civil
pow er or jurisdiction, and it's called his tempo
raj power only because it is a. power exercised
NJ over sovsreg s. or in relation t. the obligation
o. of he subject to obey the prince. But ever
., here th%Pope does not relieve from sfcI ale
glance; for that the prince had torEeited by hi
tyranny. de releases the subject only IRON
On the sprtaalor religious obligation. superadeel
cs By Christianity to tn civil, I'D tbs only in eass
w f the Catholic conscierae.
he The Pope is the prorsr authority 10 tsssda 81
to me whether the constitsit GA 4 his sanaslg i
on or is not rcpugnant tothe iases oF Sol. IT 4.
lis decides at II is not as Ise +las sqeegsffefa
OF am bound in conscience To hey eve.as ass mac!
en- in accordance with it, and y-nder No veelnsra
a ces can absolve me from my oblgatta lo ODE,
nd or in terfere with the administration IT gavern
dy ment under it, for the civil Governments FREE
m to do according to its constitution SnateTer i
a. pieases, that is not repugnant 20 he laws o
er, God or to natural istics. Thas i ! fee to
nd more than that, | presume no M in this eoun
PC try will pretend.
lat have made these remarks to al. You founder
ise stand the doctrine of the articles t. hic Ihav
Ut caliel your attention.
ire You are stranger to me, but / take yon
oc- be serious minded man, and lover of trut
An and Justice as such have addressed you.
'rn have no doctrines opinions that Iwisirto con
The ceal. I ANA Catholic. As su h aim to
u true to nv God and my fellow men.
ais have the honor to be your obediant servant
will @ "A. BRs lyVNSON.
he HvalI j. DAVIS, Esq, Warenton, N. c.
la - ED. BANNER,
rch 1t was not my intention
Dpe notice the representation made i
ian the s.Yazoo Democrat week or tw
IN ago, in regard to q speech deliyesed D
gu !, me on Piney;n but itshayi18 III Il
lie. luded to again by that paper, and as