Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-03-07

but that power hath been gwen to Peter and
his successors in his seat at Rome. The
Lord, saith Innocent, saId to Peter and in
Peter to his successors, whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in beav-
en- No exception is made because be said
whatsoever, &c., therefore the power of the
Pontif' is the superior power"
8. Innocent says, "God made two great
Iuminaries in the armament of heaven, that
is, of the universal Church. that is, he hath
appointed two honorable Offices, the Pontif.
ical authority, and the regal power: but
that which rules over the day, !. e., spirtu.
al things is the greater light, and that which
rules over carnal things is the less; and so
great as is the difference between the sun
and the moon, so great must it be confess
ed is the difference between Pontids and
kings"
9. He further says that in 8t. Peter, the
sheep were committed to us the Lord say
ing to him feed my sheep, making no dis
tiaction between sheep and sheep, there
fore all are committed to the Pope, and
should be subject to him.
10. The Popish clergy, call themselves
spiritual persons, and deny that they are
subject, in their persons, to civil magistrates,
either in ecclesiastical, civil, or criminal
causes. "The Apostle, say they, commands
every soul. that is every natural man to be
subject to the civil magistrate but the cler-
gy are not natural but spiritual men. I'd,
The superior power ought not to be subject
to the inferior. Sd, The ecclesiastical com.
monwealth is distinct from the civil, and
far superior to it, saith Belarmin jure diui-
no. Therefore ecclesiastical causes should
not be judged by the civil magistrate. 4th,
Because the clergy are exempted by the
DEGREES of councils and although they may
be held bound to obey civil laws, not re-
pugrant to the sacred canons, or the cleri-
cal office, yet they cannot be punished by
the civil iudGe, or in any manner drawn to
the tribunal of the civil magistrate. Bel
lsrmin seems, at first in his treatise (de
Ponti6ce Romano) referred to by Parens,
10 limit the Pope's supremacy, but it is soon
apparent that he means no such thing
1st, He says "That the Pope is not Lord of
the whole world, I'd, that he is not Lord OF
the whole christian world, Sd, that the Pope
has not directly any mere temporal jurisdlc-
tion," all which is certainly true. But see
what he says afterwards. He says that in
directly the Pope has supreme temporal pow
er, that is, supreme power of disposing OF
the temporal things of all christians, in or
der to their spiritual good which he at
tempts TO prove or establish not from scrip
ture testimony; but by the following polt-
ic reasons: : 1st, Because every superior has
power to command his inferior but the &C.
clesastical power is superior to the civil,
therefore the first has power to command !
the last, that is, the spiritual prince or chief
has power to command the temporal prince,
in order to his spiritual good, 1st, because a
temporal end Is subordinate to spiritual
one I'd, because temporal things depend on
spiritual, and are subordinate to them; Sd,
because the temporal Prince is bound TO
change, IN his dominion whatever prevents
or hlnders spiritual good. Therefore it is
sign that the temporal power is subject to
the spiritual power. Q. His second argu-
ment is, That the ecclesiastical common
wealth ought 10 be complete and sufficient
of itself to its own end but it would not be
complete and sufficient of itself to Its own
end, unless the Pope has the power Of dis
posing of the temporal affairs OF all things
therefore it ~ sign that the temporal pow
er is subject to the spiritual. 8. His third
argument is, Because kings are not receiv-
ed into the Church, unless they submit their
sceptres to Christ and promise that they
will guard the faith of Christ under the pen
atty of loosing their kingdom; therefore if
they become heretics, they may be judged
by the Pope and dePosed from their sove'
reignty."
Bellarmin lived and wrote in the latter
part of the sixteenth century. He is a STAN
dard writer amongst Romanists, and, per-
haps, the ablest among them. AT the bot
tom of the 2l5th page in Ranke's History
of the Popes during the sixteenth and sew
enteenth centuries, in quotation from Bel
larmin ode aucioritate concihorum) we have
the following: THE supreme Pontiffi sim
ply and absolutely above the universal
Church, and above general council, SO
that he owns no jurisdiction on earth over
him." In his treatise ode Ponfifce Roma
mo- he says, "We assert that the Pope as
Pope, though he has no mere temporal au-
thority, yet has, in order to spiritual good.
supreme power of dlsposing ofthe temporal
things of all christians" And again, "The
Pope as Pope, as regards persons, cannot
ordinarily dePose temporal princes, even
for Just causes in the same way as he de-
poses Bishops, that is, as an ordinary judge
nevertheless, as supreme spiritual Prince,
he can change Kingdoms, and take them
from one sovereign and bestow them on an
other, if that be necessary to the salvation
of souls, (see the 9th Book of Ranke Oh the
Ecclesiastico-politIcal theory of the Popes.)
Ranke says the "Popes advanced claims,
their adherents put forth opinions and prin-
ciples" in the sixteenth century "that threat
ened kingdoms and States both with inter-
nal revolutions, and with loss of indepen-
dence." The Jesuts "claimed for the
Church unlimited supremacy over the
state" William Allen Gan English Jesuit)
pronounced not only the right, but the duty
of nation, especially with the further sane
lion of the Pope's command to refuse alle-
glance to sovereign " ho had fallen ufffrom
the Catholic Church.
His sentiments, as gwen IN Inc following
literal translation of his words, will clearly
shew his opinions in relation to civil gov
ernments, not under the domirion of Popish
Princes: "lf kings violate the faith pledged
to God, and to Gods people, it is in turn
rot only permitted but is even required OF
them the vicar of Christ, the supreme pas.
tor of all peoples, SO ordering or command
ing, that they should not keep the faith
pledged to such sovereign" But would
be almost endless labor to quote the nume-
rous authorities which might be referred to
on this subject.
Father Paul wrote History of the coun-