Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-22
Temporal Power OF the Pope.


We indulge in no discussions bearing upon
the forms Of worship, or tenets Of faith adopted
by Catholics. We cndeavor to exclude COM
munications on these subjects. Matters Of re-
ligious faith, as well as matters of devotional
ceremony, belong, in our judgment, to each re-
sponsiblc human being, and should be decided
by such person Independently. The man who
seeks to control the religious faith of another,
or his mode Of worship, by any other means
than open discussion and candid argument, is
tyra,st, whatever may be his name or pro-
fession.
But whenever church worship, ceremony or
teaching, assumes political bearing, and af
fects the body polite, it ceases to be religious,
and is a proper subject Of public discussion and
comment.
The temporal power of the Pope at Rome,
is question which politicians have right to
discuss, because it affects the political relations
Of members Of society, towards the government
under which they live "No man can serve
two masters" at the same moment Of time
The Hon. j. R, Chandler, of Pennsylvania,
delivered speech few days since, in.Con-
gress, in which he sought to show, that the
Pope does not, and has not claimed the right
to exercise temporal power out of his proper
dominions, the Papal States. We publish to-
day an article, from very talented and erudite
correspondent over the signature of San
American" which, we do not hesitate to say,
so far as it processes to review Mr.. Chambers
assumptions, overthrows them.
An American" has not done with the sub
ject, and five may form an opinion of what is
in reserve from that which he has now ad-
vanced, he will leave Mr.. Chandler not an inch
of ground wherein to stand.
Our correspondent draws largely from PROBES
sor Brownson's Review" in refntation of Mr.
Chandeliers positions, and we therefore take oc-
casion to state that this " Reuieso," by Profess
sor Brownson, is undenia6ly the standard au-
thority in the United States for the views,
tenets, and claims Of the Romish hierarchy.
This Review" stands endorsed by twenty
five Catholic bishops Of the United States, and
Professor Brownson has published therein, du-
ring the past year, letter from Pope Plus the
Ninth, dated In April 1854, acknowledging
his profound sense of his obligations to him
for his faithful defence of the Church, and
granting him (Brownson) his special benedic-
ton.
1t is in vain, therefore, for any man to deny
the authority of Professor Brownson on all
such points.
On this ground we express the belief that
the Pope has, in all ages, claimed, and still
claims, temporal as well as spiritual power and
authority over the whole world Indeed, lift
be admitted, as universally claimed for the
Pope, that he is " infdlliJke" he is the
ricegerent Of God on earth--and that he holds
the keys to Hearen-(we say if this be admit
ted, it is absurd and ridiculous to contend,
either that he has not, or ought not to hare,
unlimited power to judge as between govern
ments and the governed
Is it denied that God himself is omnipotent?
If God has unlimited power, and has clothed
the Pope with his own attribute of intallibility,
and made him his Representatives and ricege-
rent on earth, and the keeper Of the keys Of
Heaven-so that every mans destiny is in his
hands-shy shouLd.not the Pope exercise tenn
poral powers We repeat, that upon the above
hypothesis, it would be absurd to deny the
Pope's temporal authority, for such authority
would result from the fact Of being made the
riccgerent Of God. A vicegercnt is one who
rules in place Of the original, and the Pope
is God on earth, provided the Almighty has
thus bestowed upon him his own attributes.
We are not Of those, who believe in the in
fallibility Of the Pope, nor that he is the vice
gersnt Of God, nor that he is clothed with any
more poDer from ADORE than any other human
being, nor that he is wiser or better than other
men: still zoe repeat, that those who regard
him as the infallible vicegerent of Heaven,
with power to unlock its gates, and to decide
the destiny Of mankind, and who nevertheless
deny his temporal power, as between govern
ments and the governed, are guilty Of a most
plain and palpable absurdity. He is either
man or God, -powerless as to things eternal,
or omnipotent MS to things temporal