The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-13
Deacons Again.

| lug inc pOlnC OF our lecture to 1t on the
deacon question, comes back Mt M in fine
historical style. We asserted, first, that the
labOrs Of monks had wreated fens and mo-
raises from their wildness, Transforming
them into smiling provinces, and, secondly,
that they had been robbed Of their posses
sions by Protestants or In accordance with
their counsels.
The Presbyterian does not deny either of
these facts, and yet wastes q column in
getting around them.
LIST. 1t dwells with great gusto upon
certain alleged frauds and forgeries by
which the Popes obtained concessions of
many provinces at many different times
and from variety Of different princes.
Now it appears to rs that, after the two or
three first forgeries, these princes ought to
have been on their guard. But, aside from
that, what has this question Of the Papal
States to do with Church property They
did not belong to the Pope as property.
They did not change owners when they
changed sovereigns. Therefore the question
OF rightful sovereignty over them is totally
different from that of the confscation of
private property.
I'd. A partisan statement of Hallam that
the donations of pious people to the Church
were obtained by undue influence on the
part of the clergy. We all know what
such assertions without proof are worth,
and We all know that Hallam was just as
liable to the mastery of bigotry and preju-
dice as the lesser historical Iuminary Of the
Presbyterian. But, again, this has nothing
on earth to do with our assertion about
the fens and morasses. These are tlte par
ticular Church possessions about the rob-
hi ng and spoiiation of which we especially
complain. Talk up to them.
Sd. The "msjor accommodation, lately
published by us 1.-THE Presbyterian] is
framed not for the purpose of punish
ing depravity of morals, but simply as
q terror to those who seek to lay hold
on Church property" This powerful
argument is announced as being perhaps
the most conclusive possible as to the
+" covetousness of the Romish Priesthood"
History was exhausted in the two splendid
specimens above given and now contem-
poraneous matters are triumphantly in
voked. Well, what greater " depravity of
morals " can an ordinary mortal see than
robbery land sacrilegef Confiscation, when
unjust, is nothing in the world but high
the possess ions of the Church it is inter-
fering with things set apart to God and
therefore sacrilege. The Presbyterian has
alwaysl dwelt- with 30 much complacency
on spoliations from the Catholic Church
that it has lost the ordinary vision of COM
mon humanity in such matters, but what
kind of morality would it recognize in a
forcible seizure by an Episcopalien army of
it's Church on Lafayette Square, and for
sons of the private residences of leading
Presbyterian Ministers in this cityf
But supposing this ecclesiastical censure
to be an unanswerable proof of covetous-
ness" what ON earth has that to do with
those possessions which were rightfully OBJ
tanned and with that system of managing
Church property which we recommended
to our neighbour
To the charge that Professionals robbed
and counseled the robbery of the Church
the Presbyterian answers:
lst. That Henry VIII. was Catholic
and styled Defender of the Faith. With
this precious little piece of humor, it dis
misses the whole history of Henry, Eliza
beth and Cromwell. 1t ignores the pro-
ceedings of German, Danish, Swedish and
Dutch princes and monarchs.
I'd. 1t dwells, in ertenso, upon the spoil
| ations in Catholic countries - France,
that Calvin and his party committed these
robberies when they had the power, and
connseled them when they had not" Have not
these robberies in Catholic countries been
the direct fruit of Professionalism We're
they ever dreamed of before it's days. Did
France inaugurate them before she had
been nnder the power of the Huguenots
and was leavened with their infidelity
The secret villainies of this kind in Spain
were the direct working of Infidelity and