Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-21
NUMBER 1874.

EARLr HUMILITY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
In the earlier history of the Roman Catholic Church,
the bishops were meek and lowiy men, after the fash
ion Of Peter and Paul, the fisherman and tentmaker
They profossed to be the ssrpaat ef ssrrasts. For
six seven centuries they preserved their character
for Christian humility. I here quote from Bowers
the author Of an elaborate work--the LIVES or ruE
PORES He was Catholic himself when hc began
the work but became Protestant In the course of
his Investigations, lie was not only Catholic, bat
counsellor Of the Inqusition ut Nacerata. He says:
~ do not believe that the Popes designed at ffs,
to run those lengths, or carry the Papal prerogaye
TO that extravagant height they afterwards did The
that attended them in tho pursuit Of claim
encouraged them to set up and pursue another. OF
this one doubt who peruses, with the least At
tention the records of those ages and compares the
Popes in the beginning Of the seventh century with
the Popes IN the latter end of the eleventh We shl
find them in the first mentioned period Of time sub
mittng, with oil humility, TO princes, claiming no
kind of authority or Jurisdiction whatsoever but in
virtue Of the Of councils, the rcscrpts Of
Emperors; glorying, or pretending TO glory in the
humble title Of ssrUaats Of SERVANTS acknowledging
themselves subjects and vassas Of the Emperors and
patiently waiting the will and pleasure Of their lcge
ercise the functions Of that Office. Such were the
Bishops Of Rome in the beginning Of the seventh
century. How different from those in the latter end
Of the eleventh They were then vested with the
plenfudee ef an pocer, both spiritual and temporal;
above councils and uncontrolled by their canons tho
fountain Of alpastoral Jurisdiction and authority;
and BY Dioine sanctioa, Empowered to enact cstab-
constitutional they were then become lords and sans-
tersthe most naughty and imperious lords the most
severe masters mankind had ever groaned under.
They no more begged, but dispensed titles boasting
power Of setting up Kings, and pulling them down
at pleasure; OF calling them to an account absoying
their subjects from their allegiance, dvesting them
of their dominons and treating in every respect an
their slaves and vassals, those whom one Of their
best and greatest predecessors had acknowledged su-
paor to az men, and thought himself IN duty bound
10 obey. The p!enitude Of power, as they style it.
was not acquired at once, but by degrees, some Of
the Popes being more and some less active crafty,
and aspiring. But what Is gery remarkable of the
one hundred and fourteen Popes between Boniface
Gregory Vl who raised II to the highest pitch not
one ecer lost inch cf ground his predecessor lad
gained And thus by constantly acquiring and never
parting with what they acquired, and BY tying tho
hands their successors by the irrevcrsible entail Of
Doiae right they became the sole spiritual lords,
and had almost made themselves the greatest tempo
rsl lords of the whole Of the Christian world"
GRADUAL RISE or THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH..
/ For seven hundred years, ! have stated the
bishops were meek and lowly men. 1t wns in the
dark ayes when ignorance and superstition over
shadowed the world, when the Popes advanced to
power. And it was not until the days Of Gregory
VII, in the eleventh century, that Pope had the
audacity to to say to monarch You have forfeited
Msr oak Of GaHy.' In the case Of Henry w The tho
Pope declared that the Emperor was amenablc to
the Papal court Of judicature," before which he
summoned. He was next deprived Of his throne, and
his subjects were absolved from their oath of alleg-
ancel The Pope claimed the right to dispose Of
Henry's empire Nth absolute authority, a. a fef g
50. Pet9l This case was referred to and detailed
and justified by the honorable gentleman from Penn
sylvania, (Mr. CnASpLER) The same gentleman nd
mits: ~
",Undoubtedy, the Pope has proceeded to dethrone
Kings and thus to release subjects. History declares
scend from his throne by the edict of the Pope and
that the allegiance Of bis subjects has been transfer
red, by that edict, to succeeding monsrch.r
This il an admission--the argument would be quite
reply TO the gentleman from Pennsylvania propose
the establish the historical fact that for six or seven
hundred years, the Bishops Of Rome (the Popes)
have claimed and exercised the right as a dietnd
riah-to depose monarchs and to abs,see their sub
q Iesees. ~hen the Emperor Constans went to Rome.
aR az a during wln 81 Il. ss SeT 70
.13 IN and maaer But in 1fsf, Henry ii, aud
rance !" met the Pope, and they gave him
lEks 81 respect that they both dismountsd to
NJ him, and Holding, each Of them, Qf the rtias
of walked on foot BY his side, and conduct
ed him IN That submissive manner into the castle-a
spectacle to God, angels, and men, and such as had
never before been exhibited to the world 49,
About this period. began the serious disturbances
between the Kings Of England and the Pope.
aThe usurpatons Of the clergy, which had at first
mounted 10 such height tlot the contest between
the regal and pontfcidl really arrived at crisis
In England, and q became necessary to determine
Whetbsr Me Kings or the Priests particularly the
Arca6saog Of dnterdury should Be sovereign of the
kingdom 81 al-----
rHE WAR BETWEEN THOMAS A BrcKET - HENHf ":
The memorable history Of this struggle cannot tail
T. b e ws e Sssss &ohsbop Of
Canterbury Beckett bad made himself favcrite
with the king as well as with the people;
l'.The pomp OF his retinue, the sumptuousness Of
his furniture the luxury Of his table, the munincence
of his presents exceeded anything that England had
ever before seen In any subject.
" But no sooner was Beckett installed in this high
dignity which rendered him. for life the second per
son In the kingdom with some pretensioDs Of aspir
ing TO be the first than he totally altered his demean
or and conduct and endeasored 70 acquire the char
: dBecket walled not iii Henry should commence
those projects against The ecclesiastical power which,
he knew, had been formed by that prince. He was
King BY the intrepidity and boldness Of bis enter
priscs.
aThc ecclesisstics, in that age had renowned oil
immediate ubordinafion 20 the magstrnte They
openly pretended to an exemption in criminal accd
saons from trial before courts VI justice and were
gradually introducing like exemption in civil causcs;
spiritual penalties alone could be inflicted on their
offences and a. the clergy had extremely multiplied
in Engispd aud many Of them wee, consequently Of
very Tow character crimes Of the deepest day, mur
ders robberies, aultcries, rapes were daily commit
ted with impunity, by ecciesastos. .'-Lrme Z
Sucn WAS tDc couulttou W thtnbs ~ that hfnes
"a cfak In Frorccstershire having debaucbed
rcntIemans daughter had at this time, proceeded TO
murder the father and the general indignation against
this crime, moved the King 70 attempt the remedy Of
an abuse which was become 80 palpabe, and TO re-
quire that the clerk should be delivered up, and
cciye condiKn punishment from the magistrate. Bee
ket insisted on the Priri1ge Of as church confined
The criminal In the bishops prison. lest be shouid be
seized by the Kings officers; maintained that no
greater punishment could be inflicted on him than
degradation; and when the King demanded that, inn
medistsly after he degraded, he should be tried
BY the OWL power the primafe asserted that was
inouitous 10 try man twice upon the sanh accuse
ton, and for the same offence" Henry, laying hold
OF 20 plausible prcence resolved 10 push the clergy,
with regard to all their privileges which they had
raised 70 an enormous height and 10 determine. at
once, those controversies, which daily multiplied. be-
tween the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. He
summoned an assembly Of all the prelates Of England
and he put TO them this concise and decisye question,
sohether or not hsy scAiaq b sabna 20 tie an
cieaf laus and castoms Of he hagdomf The bishops
unanimously replied that they were wiling, sagiag
their osca order.'--H,me.