Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-09
yon raE AnEnIcAs oEoAs.


ron THE AMERICAN oEoAx.
"The Temporal Power Of the Pope" I
Ibeleye Il ID conceded by Roman Catholics them
selves, that 9 Brownson's Quarterly Review, pub
lished in Boston, ia amongst the ablest and most
approved exposton Of the doctrinesofth church.
If 80, 1t may not be embarrassing to the public
and especially to all National Americaas,' to
know what il proelaims in reference TO the (" tenn
poral power" of the Popes Of Rene. In the jan
uary number, 1853 on page 3S, Of an article emit
tied .The two orders--spiritual and temporal" ~
find the following language:
g But not, therefore, does it follow, that the
power formerly exercised by Popes and Councils
over Sovereigns in temporals, 10 derived from the
concessions of princes and the consent of the peo-
Pile, from human law, and the generally received
maxims of the age. II by no means follows from
any thing Of this sort, that princes people, have
the right before God 70 prevent The poper from hau
ing its civil consequence or that the power itself
is not Of divine origin, and Inherent in The Church.
| as the spiritual authority"
Because the public law, and the maxims gener-
ally received by natives have, In this respect been
changed in modern times we cannot say they have
been rightfuily changed that civilization, freedom
and virtue have profted by the change, or that the
Popes hare lost, far less abandoned, pocer they
formerly exercised over temporal affairs. They
may not assert the power noW because 1t cannot
now be exercised, with Its proper temporal conse-
quences but because they do not noU assert Il, we
are not to conclude that they do not no,o possess
or that they do not hold It by divine right. !"
Again, on page Al, Of the same number Of the
Review:
NOW, although we do not say that the Church.
commissions or the State imposes the condi-
tons which il holds its rights to govern, yet as
II holds under the law of Christ and conditions
imposed by that law, we do say that she, 1.-THE
Church Of Rome,) as the guardian and judge OF
that law, must hare the po,cer to take cognixdnce
Of The State and to judge whether it does or does
not conform to the conditions its trusts pro-
nounce sentence accordingly, which sentence ought
to have immediate practical crccaaiOn In the tempo
raj orde, DO She 1.-THE Church must have the right
10 take cognixancc of tho fidelity of Subjects since
they are bound to obey the legitimate prince for
conscience sake, and therefore Of the manner in
which princes discharge their duties to their sub
jects, and to judge and to declare whether they
have or have not forfeited their trusts and lost
their right to reign or command the obedience of
their subjects. The deposng power, then, is inhe-
rent in her 1.-THE church, the spiritual authority,
as the guardian and judge of the law, under which
kings and emperors hold their crowns, and have
the right to reign; for, in deposing sovereign,
absoluing his subjects from their allegiance, and
authorizing them to procsed to the choioe Of a nep
sovereigr,, she does but apply the law Of Christ
&c.
Again, on page so, the Reviewer quotes from
Ab6e Rohr6acher's Universal History Of the Cath
Ole Church, in which he argues the point in issue,
and concludes as follows
Therefore all that which regards the law Of
God, conscience, eternal salvation, the whole
world, nations and individuals, sovereigns and sub
IL r
aud HER CHIEF. Hence, also, in all that which in
teress conscience, civil Liquidation is s,6ordnated
to the legislation of the Catholic Church. Hence
the first axiom laid down by the French preate,
NJ do Marca, is, that the constitutions of princes
and temporal laws, contrary to the canons, are alb
solutely null and void."
On page 48 this power Of Che Pope Of Rome is
asserted in the following direct and emphatic terms:
"The Pope, then, even by virtue Of his spiritual
authority has the poUer TO Judge all temporal
questions ifnot precisely as temporal yet AS spiritu-
alfor all temporal questions are to be decided by
their relation to the spiritual-and therefore has
the right to pronounce sentence Of deposition
against any sovereign nhen required by tho good
Of the spiritual order"
might quote other passages to the same effect,
from subsequent numbers of this Review, but these
will suffice. Now, such being the doctrine Of the
Roman Catholic Church--that the Pope has the
power when he thinks the good Of the church re-
quires it. to depose princes and rulers, and TO alb
solve subjects from their allegiance to their sove
reigns, or citizens from their obligation to obey
the laws Of the government under which they live,
how do roe stands IF such doctrines prevail in
this country, who Is the sovereign here, the con-
stitution, and laws passed in pursuance thereof or
the Pope Of Rome
If they are adopted and adhered to, as correct
and binding, by that class Of our citizens who
belong to the Romsh Church, who can calculate
the consequences to our civil and religious rghtss
Should men holding such doctrines be intrusted
with high official station2 OF what binding force
are the constitution and laws on them when COM
ing In conflict with the Pspal edictsf Here is
indeed, the power and influence of higher Law"
which threatens to overthrow all we hold dear in
the theory and operation Of our republican form of
government! 1t is high time that all true Ameri-
cans had aroused themselves to meet the dangers
which threaten our institutions
An AMERICAN.
ron THE AMERICAN ORGAN