Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-22

cgns, or citizens and their governments" The
latter (under tho endorsement Of twenty-five Ro-
mish bishops) afirms that he has the right, and
has it with divine sanclion--that it came down to
linn from Peter-thAt 1t a power inherent in the
church, and consequently in the Pope, as supreme
head Of tho church! Mr.. Chandler says that the
Pope who exercised ii in the Middle Ages, did
so solely under the concession temporarily made,
by kings and people, and that they had the right |
to Withdraw or resume il when they thought pro- |
per. Brownson, on the contrary, says that IL was
conceded by kings and people, because the Pope
held the power jare divno, and not jare humane
Mr.. Chandler quotes from M. Gosselin to prove
his positions Brownson says NJ. Gossen is in
error and not TO be relied on; that his theory de-
tracts from the dignity Of the Church, and strips IL
of its divine and infallible character Mr.. Chand-
Ter claims to be a good Catholic, but Brownson
procaims all who hold his doctrine sorry Catho-
lies" Mr. Chandler insists that his doctrine is the
true doctrine Brownson denounces II as "potiti-
cal atheism r. Now, might stop at this point,
and leave the matter to be rcconciled between this
one essay of Brownson and the very ultra-Gallican
speech Of Mr.. Chandler; but prefer to 50 little
further with my investigation, and show how COM
petely his positions arc refuted by members Of his
own religious household
It is very evident that Mr.. Chandler belongs TO
what Is called the Galican branch of the Romish
Church He believes, presume, in the orthodoxy
OF the -Four Articles" as they are called, OF 1882.
These " Four Articles" arc the foundation OF the
Gallican Church, the first Of which was, I" that
kings and sovereigns are subjected by the order
of God, to no ecclesiastical authority in things tenn
pora;" in other words, that the Pope has no power
over the temporal affairs Of State Now, the
Archbishop of Rheims an llustrious Cardinal, much
esteemed at Rome--and cited by Brownson, as Of
the highest authority in the Church, October No.
1854, pages 4l6-'l7)-declares this article false
and erroneous" destroying entirely the authority
of the Church, and proclams, in emphatic terms,
that
"A Catholic can neper admit that they who gov
crn n kingdom or Republic arc subject TO no
ecclesiastical authority in ten,porats"
Able Rohrbacher, "a distinguished Roman Catho-
uc writer) in his Universal History Of the Catho-
lie Church" maintains the same doctrine, and
assails with much severity, the doctrine OF the
Callcan Church. His work, in which the power
az the Pope over temporals is defended with SO
much earnestness and ability has been approved at
Rome
He says that
an all matters which interest conscience, civil
Ioslntion is su5orinatcd TO the legislation Of the
IgtLolie Church, and that the constitutions OF
nrinoes. and all temporal idcs contrary to the ca
mons of the Church are null and void.
If so. what is there left over which the Pope
has not supervisory authority What con-
s,iutions and laws are there which do not, to some
extent, interest conscience?
Mr., Chandler well knows, ! presume, that the
doctrines of the Gallican Church arc not tho re-
ce;ved and approved doctrines at Rome, and that
The ultra montana doctrines are those which have
horetofore received and still hold, the approval
&c those who are not "sorry Catholics the
.on.o of Brownson. But, that there may be no
,,stake in this matter, let go step further. In
January number lsha- mage "a, Brownson
For every Catholic, at least, the Church Is the
supreme judge Of the limits and orient of her
porcrs. She can be judged by no one, and this,
Of ITSELF implies her absolute supremacy, and that
the temporal order must receive its law from her.
whenever the occasion occurred she asserted
her power, not in empty words only, but in deeds,
10 JuuRc boNclciSuSt hiuBr, aiu Nuoaic, W DcrtON
or TO take away crowns, TO depose ungodly rulers,
and TO absoive their subjects from their oath Of
allegiance r.
Such Is the power claimed by the Popes,
and justified by Brownson Now, is any man
dupe enough TO suppose that such monstrous
doctrines would go unrcbukcd by the Church
were they untruer Why did not the twenty-five
bishops, who gave Brownscn their "letter of
credit" repudiate such doctrines, and withdraw
their endorsement ? In the face of such facts, in
tho teeth of such n plain, direct, uncquivocal
claim Of absolute power for the Pope Of Rome by
one Of his avowed and endorsed organs, what JUS
tco is there in tho denunciaton Of Mr.. Chandler
against those who have had the boldness to pro-
claim that such is tho doctrine Of the Romish
Church Why does he not denounce Brownson
and the twenty-five bishops who endorsed him
WHY docs he not denounce Rohrbacher, the Arch
bishop Of Rheims, Cardinal Mai, st. Gregory, and
thousands Of others of high authority in his Church,
who most undoubtedly have claimed such power
for the PopeS
But, Mr.. Chandler quotes from the work Of NJ
Gossclin to sustain his position. What does bis
friend and brother Catholic Brownson say of this
work He reviews IL in his January number, 1854,
and on page 80, says:
without expressly denying the theological
doctrine Of the Divine right OF the Church 70 tenn
porat authority, M. Gossclin contends that the
temporal authority of the Pope, in the Middle Ages,
did not originate in that doctrine, for they pos
sessed it. he says before that opinion, he calls
il, was known, and therefore il could not have
been its source. They had real and valid title to
il jare humane but not jure diuiao. The learned
anthor seems, TO us, TO use homcly illustration,
b Pat the cart before the horse. The Pope pre-
ceded the constitutions and laws OF the States of
the Middle Ages and, matter Of fact gape ia,cs
10 them instead Of receiuing his title from them.
The simple fact is that the
constitution and laws of Catholic States In the Mid.
die Ages, recognised the temporal supremacy Of the
church, and confor7nsd to Il, but did not confer
that supremacy. The church has, BY Divine righf,
power to enact canous for the government and in
tercsts Of theschurch, and these canons, when en-.
acted, bind ALL sovcregns as wen as subjects, and
therefore, tie cipi authority ifself in 50 far as they
touch t."