The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1855-07-20

lying all to pieces when no harm is Intended
The Pope's Supremacy.
In Brownson's Quarterly Review, for January,
1852, we find critique of Papist novel,
named "Willitoft, or the Days of James the
First" From this evil make long OK.
tract, believing that, at the present time, we
can lay nothing before our readers more cal |
culated to do good in the great American cause.
We ask the attention Of, those, especially, |
who deny that the Pope's temporal supremacy
is doctrine of the Papal church. And, that
no one may say that we quote, at second hand,
from some Northern fanatical paper, we will
state that the following extract is copied direct
ly and literally from Brownson's Review. On|
page SO, he says:
ain one instance our author raises a delicate
question, which, we think, he had better not
have done, unless he was prepared to answer it
differently.
would know frst,sa new idea starting
up in his mind as he was about to warn the Priest
ofhis danger. "whether you hold that the Pope
can absolve citizens and subjects from their al
legiance to their king and country
eds l liue, it IS no doctrine of the Catholic
church, said Father Tichbourne, solemnly
'Popes have stood up as umpires between the
sovereign and the people, but they have ever
been found upon de side Of liberty. They
have communicated the licentious tyraft, -
they have proclaimed the point where obedience
ceased to be virtue. And there continued
the old man, rising up to his full height, there
the duty Of obedience ceases.
"'Whilstyou are discussing this point with me,
danger hangs over you: perhaps the officers of
the law, of our common sovereign, are seeking
you as vioator of that law--as a traitorto your
country. Will you submit to that law, or will
you avoid or resist it!'
"'I am man of peace, replied Father Itch
bourne, calmly 4 can resist no force. / may
we'll avoid the hand Of unIighteous violence
The law of God is more binding than the law of
man; therefore the law of man forbids me in
vain to obey the law Of God. Twill suffer its
. penalty without complaint; that is the only obe-
e dience will yield to it,"
9 "Father Tichbourne," continues Brownson's
Review, "comes very near being for-sworn
. and saves himself only by a special pleading
more ingenious than satisfactory. The Popes
O in some circumstances, can depose sovereigns
!. and absolve subjects from their allegiance
:. for they have frequently done so, and the argu
II ment ab actu ad posse, we believe, is allowed t.
e be valid. An author may, if he chooses, OBJ
= serve the discipltaa arcani, and no doubt some
q times should, for we live in a wicked world, il
which we are to be as wise as serpents, Will
, we are as harmless as doves; but he has no RICH
e to raise question and get at an untrue or onl
t. partially true answer. His duty is to answe
truly. How far the power of the Pope extends
it is for the Pope HIMSELF not for Us, his spirtu
~ al subjects to determine. We know he ha
n. exercised the deposng and absolving power, an
we cannot reconcile it to our Catholic conscenc
to say that he has exercised that power withor
" possessing it, That he has ever deposed so,
!; ereign or absolved subjects except in accordanc
- with the law of God, or ever will, or ever Cal
IN we do not believe, for he does not make the La,
ed which binds soveregns and subjects he onl
n keeps and administers it. That be always
regard to sovereigns and subjects exercises tn
a powers with which God intrusts him on the sic
Ii Of right, of JUSTICE add therefore of liberty
or of course firmly believe, for we hold him to
o. the Vicar of Christ on earth, and under the e
j, pecial protection of the Holy Ghost, and b.
cause we have, and can have, no better evident
OF of what is right and just than his decisions. I'll
at author himself says the Popes shave excomm
ot nicated the icentious tyrant and proclaimed Il
point where obedience ceased to be avirtue, al
80 there the duty of obedience ceases" VIII
b. more do we say! What is the use of quibbliI
IN on terms. Do the Popes proclaim or decla
ut with judicial authority for the Catholic CO
!. science where obedience ceases to be virtue al
therefore where the duty of obedience ends! s
oi no, then all you say is mere verbiage; fyes, tn
of he does absolve the subject from his allegiane
and has authority to do it, and you might just
wen have said so in so many words, as to ha
20 begun by selomnly denying it, and to have end
as by explaining away your denial.
as eve know how offensive the Catholic dc
lat trine on this point IS to Statesmen and men
. the world. but nevertheless, if we mean to
~ Catholics, we must stand by it, We did n
ne make the doctrine, and are not responsible
za- it. God will take care Of his own doctrine;
rn we have to do is to be faithful to it through 90
:. report and through evil report, in life and
g death. Catholicity asserts the independan
rn and supremacy Of The spiritual order and its RIG
r to resist the secular order whenever it encroai
m es on that indepen1once, or by its acts den
an. that supremacy, and it personilies the author
of that order on earth in the Supreme Pont
: the successor Of ST. Peter. This is the sim
hat fact, and there is no use in shrinking from 8;
red ing so, or in tmidly seeking to disguise it.
~, should be neither afraid nor ashamed of Go
n truth, or Of Gods institutions. Martyrdom is
Np evil only to those who infict it for their SAX
the from charity to them, we should seek q ayoil
en- as far as we can conscientiouslY not for our
"a sakes Why praise we Tie m4rtyrs, II We thi
martyrdom an evil! We cannot serve two u
em ters, and We cannot, - good Catholics, be
MIS- the state any forther than it conforms to /
en- subseryes The spiritual order; and what q
forms to and subserves that order the church
established to teachus, anddoes teach Us tlro,
nrst her pastors, moro especially through her 81
bat pastor, the Pope. Heis no loyal Catholic '
thc denies this in word or deed, and he Is q Y
&s<tf III