The true Democrat., 1855-10-09
For the True Democrat.
Can't. Pike vs. Catholicism.
- Q v @-
 Letter II.

Letter II.
 Tn inc Unprcjudicod People oi Arkansas
 p,,sp,,,.rrn FRIEND:-I now proceed to show tbat Cant Albert Pike has acted With too much hsste in publishing his apology n thIs land ot cl- vii and religious liberty, for the prescription ol Catholics. and that he is anything but qualItled ta,nnose new form of creed for their use, since he has commenced his rellSlouS laborS dt z.,stoi.,bteeu hundred years too late, and proves ratbor 2 bold inuovator by claiming for, and vosfing in the Pope, temporal powers--outs.te 5:so,r1 territ9ru which Catholics, living under ovarv form of government and ln strict com r,,1nion with the Apostolic See, do not, as in dntv hound, admit in his Holiness as the success sornf St. Peter and visible head of their church upon earth.
 The evidence I am going to adduce against . the Captains theory of building up creeds for his neighbors, which they cannot cortsceent1oHsty couutenance has, on the other side oftte AtSantic, ande, prescriptions aoita c Uengeance, convinced some of the most distinguished statesmen the world ever witnessed, that the charge of a dlvi- ded allegiance on the part of Catholics is fatse, auljlst and absurd, and cannot be entertained by any man, who is honest enough to allow that the professors of Catholic faith are not such slm- pie dolts, as not to know and understand Vheir principles better that their nercena1y oPpoiie'1Oo Let every honest American, therefore "ilo ue- sres to reduce to practice the llrSC law oi "',- ture av aside for a moment all lolticai ic0l- inr. and in justice to an injured and abused peo- nIe qo,,eo and Este,a to that eUidence as given un der the solemnitv of an oath by Catholic Blsh- one hofore select committees of the English Far lament at q lime when the all important and Vl- tal question was raised, viz: Shall the granting of emancipation to the Catholics of the United Kingdom and restoring them to the rights of British freemen, diminish endanger the re- venues of the church of England, as by taW established. which the King or Queen IS by the coronation oath bound to protect and defend? Should it appear after the most searctlng 'nUes- tiqqtioa that the church of England would be in any manner exposed to lose the titles, or the tenth (annually,) of every poor Catholic larm. CTS crop, or its equivalent tn hd,t cdSh, no re- lief no emancipation might he expected by the persecuted Catholic of the Empire who had only tc become a traitor to the religion of his fathers, and the first office within the gift of the crown was open to him. In this momentous period. therefore, of English legislation, when Catholics stood on the one side as petitioners In their native land for equal rights with their Protestant fellow subjects, and the dominant chlach pa1tY on the other, as the most factOus opponents to the freedom of conscience, the select committee of the houses of Lords and Commons met and on the 16th March, 1925, Lord Binning in the chair, proceeded to exam inc, with the strictest impartiaity, Catholic wit nesses on various points of doctrine discipline and usage bearing particularly on the powers of the Pope, and the allegiance which every Catho- lie owes the State in which he lives
 Among the first witnesses called was the Right Reyd. James Doyle, D. D., Bishop of kil- dare and Leighlin, u Ireland. Hei sworn and | tba q aerJatia, as found in the Parliamentary Digest of the sessions of 1924, and 1925, published by Andrews, of London.
 ''You are the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kill dare and Leghin? am. According to the principles which govern the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, has the Pope any authority to issue commands, ordinances, or injunctlons, general or special, without the consent of the King? He has. If he should issue such or ders, are the subjects of his Majesty particular ly the clergy, bound to obey them? The or ders which he has right to issue, must regard things that are of a spiritual nature; and when his commands regard such things, the clergy are bound to obey them but were he to issue commands regarding things not spiritual, the clergy are not in anywse bound to obey them. Is the authority of the Pope in spiritual mat tcrs. absolute or limited ? It Is limited. Is it
 
 limited by decrees of councils already passed; it is limited by usage, also, in this respect, that when he directs any decree respecting local dis cplne to any nation whatsoever, beyond th3 limits of his own territory, q mean by his own territory what is called the patrilnony of St. Peter, or the Papal States,) the assent of the bishops of such country is necessary, in order, that his decree have effect Can the court off Rome, of its own mere volition give orders for levying tithes, taxes, impositons, aims, con- trbutions, or any money for bulls of pardon, or indulgences, upon the Catholic people of Ire land I state distinctly that the Pope has no power in any shape or form, or for any purpose whatever or under any pretence or pretext, or in lieu of any bull, rescript or indulgence, or, permission, or manner of writing, or otherwise which he may issue, or winch he may direct here, to levy or require from the subjects of this realm any money whatever, or any equlva- lent for money Is it in the power of the Pope to absolve the Catholic people from their oaths of allegiance? It is not. Or to deprive his Majesty the King of his kingdom It IS not indeed Could any admontlon, or excommu nication, or iuterdiction by the Pope, excuse the temporal obedience of the Catholic laity or the Catholic clergy to the King? Most un- doubtedlv not Could the Pope eXcommun- cate Roman Catholic, holding au office under the crown; supposiug for instance, the law al lowed him to he judge, for performing the du- ties of that office even though a sentence pro- noucel by him might trench upon the suppos ed supremacy of the Pope in spiritual matters? If it be mixed matter, ill which clvll rights arc concerned. certainly such judge could not be molested, or communicated by the Pope for deciding according to the law, winch he was bound by his office to administer. In what and how far does the Roman Catholic profess to obey the Pope The Catholic protesSes to obey the Pope in matters winch regard his re- ligious faith, and in those matters of eccleSlas ticaldiscplne, which have already been defined by the competent authorities. Does this obe- dience deract from what is due by the Catho- lie to the State Not in the slightest degree; OH the contrary as the laws of God, which the Pope does enforce among Catholics, ordaimS that we should pay obedience to the existing gov crumeut of the country where we dwell, so the obedience we owe the Pope only tends to con- firm us in our allegiance to such government. Does that justify the objection that is made to Catholics, that their allegiance is divided? l do lot think it does n any way; we are bound to obey the Pope in those things that have already mentioned; but our obedience to the law and the alegience which we owe the sov- eregn, are complete, and full, and perfect and undivided, inasmuch as they extend to all pol tica legal and civil rights of the King, or of hls subjects. l think the allegience due to the King, and that due to the Pope, are as distinct and as divided in their nature, as any two things can possibly be. In the creed of Pope Plus the fourth, there are the following words: I pro- mise and swear obedience to the Roman Bis hop, the successor of St. Peter What is the proper meaning of those words Of course that we would obey him in those things to which his authority extends; namely, spiritual matters, or the execution of decrees regularly defined by general councils, and accepted of by us, for they are not all the decrees of even gen. eral councils, which are received in each king dom. All the decrees then, even of general