The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-11-02

kings is "fxed dogma" he places himself in opposition
to the truth Political power from God and resides prim
ary in the people as in its immediate subject The preser
walton and defense of society require that be transferred
more and his choice of this mediate subject depends
upon the free election and suffrage of the people, Accord
ngy the person of the prince whom this power has taken
FORM does not exist by divine right but by human
right the law of the community 1t is true all power is
from God but this power in general and abstracting from
the individual who may hold and exercise it, is there
FORE oense popular instincts that this power
exists by right divine But power in particular or it is
concerted in the person of the sovereign proceeds indeed
from God but through the of the people, emanc
pated in this instance from the necessities of the divine and
natural law The king then apart from any special and
immediate appointment from above, the with
Saul and David regns not by divine right but by human
right. This important distinction and that must
be clearly borne in mind in the investigation of this vital
question: for it leads to conclusions most favorable for the
of liberty This moreover is the view taken of it by
Catholic theoogans properly socalled and though the
dogmas of faith Immediately concerned nevertheless
these principles have been taught by antiquity sanctioned
by the approval of the Church. and sustained by the dictates
of The doctrine of the divine right" the
ary has been declared by them to be "new and singular
faught with danger and calculated to give undue extern
sion to the royal power Accordingly, when the asprant
after liberty denies that concrete power power
sides in the person of any determined prince by divine
right and that depends upon the free and unconsrained
of the people for its existence and when
sry consequence they withdraw this power for legt
mate reason the tyrant and elect king who will
inaugurate the reign of justice does he place himself in
antagonism with the Church in matters of faith does he
support principles which she has not by her sanction
attached her venerable seal? Assuredy not What could
the verest popular enthusiast "Troweno desire
than his The spirit of the Catholic world in its
less agitation presents fatal of growing depraviy
when believe that the Church, the nfable guardian
and teacher of divine justice define dogma of faith
variance with the principles of legitimate freedom Political
trah and religious TRUTH though distinct from each other
must nevertheless march together in sacred harmony for
both proceed from God and exist in His eternal mind
indivsible truth There is contradiction in God, and
things which divide and subdivde by of the
ebleness of finite intelligence found in the divine
essenceunder the form of undivided whole Accordingly
politics and religion cannot towards each other
attitude of arrangement than revelation
Act with the conclusions of sound philosophy They
ate from the divine source and the bond which unes
them is close and intimate their union with that
sacred fot from which both draw their inspirations But
still vigorous in its contest with its natural enemy
the TRUTH and plies its seductive arts to reenac the of
the primitive temptation Of late the struggle has become
somewhat serious and has manifested itself in the efforts of
prove eternal divorce between liberty and religion
This however cannot be- and their mistake is founded
msconcepton in reference to the Catholic doctrine this
point We cannot within these restricted limits pursue the
question further but suffice to say that true liberty
be EXCHANGED by the spiritual action of the Church, since
she is the sacred depository of justice and justice is true
liberty
We must proceed in Investigations of this kind with
proper spirit and distinguish between the Church. properly
so called and the individuals who may represent it in their
own limited localities When the latter supposed to
transcend the limits of their faculties and to pass into
sphere in which they have authority let not the word
"Chuch" be prostued to their persons otherwise
false impression will be made upon the public mind
Theaer developments of that body in which Irish nation
atty has become ncarna have reused the latent
the people, and stimulated them to increased exerons In
favor of the national They have moreover called