The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-27

ard do, by the most inevitable logic, u
all times. But we will now come dow
to later period and TO principles advo
Gated and prelensions made since th'
Reformation.
The writer who possessed the creates
authority in Christendom, prior to the
Reformation, was Thomas A9uinas, whose
leading principle on this subject wa,
this: The Secular Power is subor,
dinate to the Spiritual, as the body to the
soul" and the history of Europe show:
that the Head of the spiritual power ever
acted upon that principle. Subsequen,
to the Reformation no writer on Church
politics had greater reputation or more
unlimited authority than Bsllarmine.-
That author lays down the authority OF
the Pope in the following terms: eve
assert that tue Pope, as Pope, though
possessing no mere temporal authority,
yet, for the purposes of spiritual good,
has supreme power to dispose of the tenn
poral matters of all Christians. That il
pretty broad claim of temporal power
We take it. But again, and this is both
general and special: "As Supreme Spir
ilual Prince, be the Pope can change
Kingdoms, taking them from one ruler to
oestow them on another, if that be need
ful for the welfare OF souls" OF which the
Pope is, OF course, the judge in all cases
And Bellarmine cites more than seventy
athors "a goodly number in his day J who
agree With him. Allen and Parsons,
Eoglish Catholic writer's in the time OF
Elizabeth, declared it "the duty of the
people to refuse allegiance to ruler not
in com nuuion With the Catholic Church" :"
and Bellarmiue elaborated aud advocated
the proposition as one of universal appli-
cation.
The contest Of the Popes with Henry
Eighth of England and Elizabeth gives
abundant evidence that they claimed |
the power asserted for them by the most
jealous advocates Of their supremacy
And in their con ests with the rulers OF
the nations, the Popes habitually resorted
10 the weapon of excommuhication, which
dissolved the bond Of allegiance and re
leased the paoyla from obedience "to the
powers that be- and demanded of them
eu their spiritual allegiance 10 the Heao
of the Church to make war upon Their
Ru ers. 1t Was terrible wea
pom in the days of faith in the Iufalltlt
Head of the Church, and many Mon
arch fell victim by assassination to the
fanaiicism melted thereby. Ths Popes
knew the value of this weapon Of th.i
Spiritual Armory and we're much in The
habit Of boasting of it. Sixlus Fifth Oh
one occasion threatened 10 use it against
the Venetian Republic for acknowledging
the Protestant Henry Fourth, King oil
France. An Embassy was sent to Rome
to appease him, and Donlto, the Chief oil
the Embassy aud himself Catholic gives
an account OF the interview with the Pope
on the occasion from which we quote one
OF his threats. The Pope said: "Three
have been excommuuicsted the late King,
The Prince Of Coude, and the King Of Ma
varre. Two of them have met with an
evil death, at the hands OF Catholic as
sassins]. the third still lives to yex US,
aud Goe upAaius Aim for the exercise OF
our faith, but he also viii finish, and will
come to bad end And so, doubtless,
would Henry Fourth of Navarro have
perished as Henry Third and Clpde, had
he not, to save his kingdom and his life,
yielded to the Pope and eventually turned
Catholic. l.. D. cannot but be familiar
Win tuo iunp anu sun lutcfH'iHADl0 CUG-
test which the Popes have waged with the
Rulers Of France for supremacy in that
kingdom.
But let US turn now to another well au-
tbenticated case. The Popss had Away s
insisted that the Clergy of every country
owed supreme allegiance to him and de
MED the right of the State to tax the
property of the Church or the Priests or
to punish then for offences against the
laws. The Republic Of Venice arrested
some Priests for infamous crimes. The
Pope insisted that the Government should
deliver them up; this was refused; the
Pope Illuminated his Bull; the Republic
paid no attention to it. and insisted that
the Priests and Bishops Of Venice should
abide By the laws. Many of the Ecclesias-
tics proved loyal to the Republic. but the
entire body of Jesuits as we'll as some 9th.
er religions bodies left the Republic and
went to Rome. The affair was finally
compromised after sort, and the Repuh.
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