Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-06-22

aud power, though they may have
called in question the justice Of the
act" This assertion Is at least strange.
Ere deric Barbarossa and Lewis Of Ba-
varia disputed the power most dis.
tinctly. and they had an army OF
scribes. priests and laymen, learned
in the law, who maintained that the
pope had no power to depose; and
more. that there was no power to de-
pose other than Gods. So far Is the
doctrine Of the deposing power from
having been admitted by tho deposed
monarchs that they wholly denied II.
not merely Ms vested in the pope. but
rs actually subsisting in the world
The deposing power does not actual.
ly exist nj PRESENTS publicly taught
In every state that considers itself free.
II Is the doctrine Of Americans. for
they deposed George III. II is the
doctrine Of Englishmon, who deposed
james H.; and Of Frenchmen. for they
have deposed the dynasty ofthe Bour.
bons. The Spaniards admit II, for
Queen Isabella's throne is in danger.
The difference between the mordern
aud the medieval world consists In
this. We vest this in the people; our
ancestors. moro wisely IN the pope
In England, the deposing doctrine is
made q law Of the kingdom, to be put
in force whenever the reigning SOW.
ereign prefers his soul TO the sceptre.
Kings. Of course. have done their ut
most to discredit the doctrine. and
they have gained for themselves. in
stead oft, the scadold and the sword.
The divine right of.certaln families TO
govern nations according to their will.
Is refuted, not by argument, but by
exile or violent death. II kings pre-
fer this solution Of tho difficulty TO
that which medieyal principles afford,
that is their affair. This. however, Is
certain; the pope was more patient
and considerable than the people are,
and a deposition is less injurious to
society than bloody revolution. A
deposition does not necessarily involve
n change Of dynasty. but In general
revolution does; and perhaps kings
might. on reflection, prefer to lose the
crown to themselves only, to losing II
to the family as well.
A great Glamour has been raised in
the world against the power Of the
pope to depose wicked sovereigns; bat
we believe that there would have been
no Glamour If the power in question
had been vested in bishops, or even in
archbishops.
Mr.. Chandler goes great deal fur
ther-we are sorry TO refer to him so
often-and trenches on the real spritu-
al power which he is SO anxious TO
guard inviolate. His words are these
al deny to the Bishop of Rome the
right resulting from his divine Office TO
intefere in the relations. between sub
jecss and their sovereigns, between
citizens and their governments" II
is impossible that he can mean what
these words imply. The pope is at
this moment interfering in Piedmont,
defending one class Of citizens there
against the government. and yet in the
House of Representatives Christian
denies the right. Governments may,
and do prohibit good works, and the
pope interfercs. They also encourage
and commit evil; the pope interferes.
and good Christians prefer the pope's
authority to that Of the state. The
goddess colleges in Ireland. the hier.
archy In England, the trouble Of Pied
mont-all bear witness together against
this unchristian opinion, which must
have escaped from the speaker who
did not ponder his words.
It's to be remembered, however,
that Mr.. Chandler speaks on the au.
: thority of others, one Of whom is the
the late DR.. England, Bishop Of
Charleston. That prelate is reported
to have written. "Let the pope, and
cardinals. and all tho powers Of the
Catholic word united, summon a gen.
eral council. Let the council lay a taa
Of one cent only upon any of our chur'
ches; VIC will not pay it. Yet we are
most obenient Papists." And again
eff the pope were to declare wal
against America. and any Roman
,, Catholic. under the prstext Of spiritu'
al obedience, was to refuse to oppose
this temporal agressor, he would dc.
serve to be punished for his refusal, be.
cause he owes to this country to main.
taiu its right. and spiritual power
does not, and cannot, destroy the
claim which the government has upor
} him."
Now, suppose the government were
, to order priest to fight; would DR.
England have admitted the claim, and
thrown the discipline Of the Church tc
; the winds? If the pope can forbid q
priest to fight when the civil govern
ment bids him. there is an end to this
argument, for the spiritual power doe,
in the case Of the priest destroy the
clam Of the government:
The old Gallcan leaven, driven on
Of the old world, ferments in the new
and the exploded opinions of obstinate
men in Europe seem to have fount
favour in some quarters in America
Humanity viewe,d the matter is easy o
explanation; but it is not the less per-
ilous-for unsound theories about tn,
extent of the ecclesiastical power will
never convert heretics, bnt are sure to
pervert Catholics.
Long as this article is. we beg t.
call the attention Of our readers, to ,
3 few things. Mark, that the Tablet say
it is more wise to commit the deposa
, Of rulers to the pope-than to the PEG
pie. 1t strenuously maintains that tn,
r pope possesses and may rightfnlly ex
ercise this power now. Hence he may
now absolve his subjects from allegiance
to the state.
|. We introduce this extract from the
Tablet, not to alarm our fellow citi
. Gems but to show how dangerous is tn,
co,,~sa ,,,,~sraJ bx thoea ,,ko no,~