The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-08-01

the Review which goes by his name, has writ
ten letter dated July 18th, to a'gentleman in
North Carolina, the main portion Of which we
give below:
claim land never have claimed for the Pope,
out of the Ecclesiastical States Of which he is the
temporal sovereignty temporal or civil jurisdic
ton or authority, properly SO called The only
power the Pope has in this country is his power
over Catholics the spiritual head of the church.
1t is purely spiritual power, and can be exercised
only for spiritual end, and even then only over
Catholics, for the church does not judge those who
are without.
In matters purely temporal, I, Catholic, owe
no obedience to the Pope, because he has received
from Jesus Christ no authority as temporal sove-
reign over me. He cannot make or undertake the
rights of the sovereign the duties of the subject
--abrogate the former sbsolve from the latter.
Thus far all Catholics whether the so called ultra
Montanes, or the so called Gallicans, are agreed
The dispute is not here. All agree that the State
is supreme and independent in its own order-that
is to say, in the temporal order. But what main
tain, is, that the temporal order is not supreme and
independent but in the very nature OF things, sub
ordinate to the spiritual, since the end OF man-the
! end for which God made him, dire Is and governs
him by his providence-lies in the spiritual order,
not in the temporal Every man who believes any
religion at all, whether Catholic or non Catholic,
|
we must obey God rather than man and live for the
Creator rather than the creature. This promised,
| think / can state to you in few words the doc
trine do really hold.
Inasmuch as the temporal order is subordinated
to the spiritual it follows that the State is under the
law of justice; consequently the prince holds his
powers as a trust, not ndefeasble right, and
therefore forfeits them when ne abuses them, and
loses his right TO reign. This is the common doc
trine held by all of us Americans and all Catholic
doctors teach and always have taught it. 1t lies at
the foundation of all true liberty, and it is the
only doctrine that can justify resistance to the
temporal powers. This right of resistance of pow
er, when it becomes tyrannical and oppressive,
take it for granted is held by every American.
But here is difficulty. The Church, following
the Holy Scriptures, makes civil allegiance a re-
gious duty, and says with ST. Paul, Rom. xiii /, 81
LET every soul be subject to the higher powers
for there is no power but from God. Therefore, he
that resisteth the power resiseth the ordinance Of
God, and they that resist, purchase damnation to
themselves" Here you see am forbidden by the
law of God to resist the power, and commanded, on
peril of damnation, to obey. Here is my conscience
bound to obedience, and my conscience, a Cath
oic, can be released only by declaration of my
church as the divnely appointed director of con-
science, that the prince of his tyranny and Cypress
ion has forfeited his rights, fallen from dignity, and
ceased to reign. What l claim for the Pope, as
visible head of the Church, is the power to release
my conscience from this religious bond, and to
place me at liberty to resist the prince become q
tyrant. This is all I understand by the deposing
power.
The power ITSELF everybody, not tyrant, or
slave, asserts. The American Congress of l776
asserted it, and deposed George the Third. The
only difference is, some give it to the peope-some
to the individual-and l claim it for the Church,
and the Pope as the head of the Church.
=. Al. I'll
Of Jurisdiction and it is called his temporal power,
only because it is power exercised over temporal
sovereigns, in relation to the obligation OF the
subject to obey the prince. But even here the
Pope does not relieve from civil allegiance for that
the prince had forfeited by his tyranny. He re-
leases the subject only from the spiritual or religi
Gus obligation, superadded by christianity to the
civil and this only in case OF the Catholic consci'
ence.
The Pope is the proper power 10 decide for NE
,OEeer the Consultation of this country is or Is not
repugnant TO the Lalcs of God II he decides that il
is not, as he has decided, then am bound in con
science to obey every law made in accordance with
il, and under no circumstance can he absOlve nue.
from my obligation TO obey, or interfere with the
administration OF government under it, Tor the civil
government is free to do according to its constltu
tion whatever it pleases, that is not repugnant to
the laws of God, to natural justice. That it is
free to do more than that l presume no man in
this country will pretend.
have made these remarks to aid you to under
stand the doctrine of these articles to which have
called your attention.
You are a stranger to me, but take you to be
serious minded man, and a lover of truth and jus
tice; as such have addressed you. / have no doc
trines or opinions that wish to conceal / am a
Catholic. As such, aim to be true to my God and
to nv fellow men,
have the honor to be your humble servant,
O. A. BROWNSON.
HusH ]. DAVIS, ESQ.,, Warrenton, N. G.
This letter establishes substantially, the
main charge of the American party against
the polity OF the Roman Catholic Church
the assumption, in one form or another, of
temporal authority by the Church of Rome,
TO interfere with the political affairs of other
Governments. 1.-THE Pope" says DIR. Brown
son, ais the proper pOwsr to decide for me
,ohether the Constitution Of this country is or
is not repugnant to the Iasos Of God" Bot he
says the Pope has decided that our Constitu-
ton is NOT repugnant to the laws of God.
Yet, while he asserts the authority TO judge
of course we can have no security that he will
not at any time pronounce certain hws OF the
Federal or State Governments alike unconsti-
tutionoI and "repugnant to the laws of God"
and thus release his Catholic subjects in this
country from all obligation, as they believe,
to obey them. Here lies the gist of the whole
matter, and for this reason, the American
party Gays Catholics, as class politically,
ought not to be entrusted with public Office.
We presume Mr.. Brownson will not deny that,
their obligations to the heretical government
being aEnulled, they are under certain obliga-
tons to the church which would require them
to act against such heretical government if the
proper Roman Church, authorities" should
decide that /. is necessary for the prosperity
and glory Of +" Holy Mother Church"
GRU NJ