The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-03-28

law. But it seems / have been in error
You tell me that ell creeds (and every demon
inatiOn has its GREEDY must give way before
the Bible, and therefore the conscientious and
unanimous convictions of any denomination
or Of every denomination must be disregarded
by the law! The Broad Church man only
he who despises all creeds and communioRs,
and cuts himself aloof from them, is the only
one, who with his Bible in his hand can claim
of the law to respect his conscience. What do
Lutherans, BpiscOpalians, Presbyterians,
Methodits think of this2
Again, sir, must differ from your reading
of tie 5th Chap. Acts. think if you consult
your Protestant Bible History or your Prot
estant Commentators. they will tell you that
the tribunal before which the Apostles were
brought, took cognizanoe of civil offences, and
legally punished them. The very text even
clearly indicates this. They put them into
''the common prison." and the next day ''ths
eotineiP' and "ths senate" assembled and
'fsent to the prison to have them brought" I"
And the "officers" went to prison and found
the "keepers" standing on watch without the
doors. Surely, sir, this looks like a very legal
proceeding, and if you doubt it consult your
Commentators. Until you do permit, me to
stand by my text 1--WE must obey God rather
than man"
You struggle hard to sustain your theory
that in all cases the law is right and must
overruIe conscience, and you therefore inform
US that "the law adjudged the Savior in
noeent," This I may deny but let it pass.
But should grant it, what think you Of the
rights of conscience before such law3 There
was Christ before the High Priest, Herod and
Plate, the highest functionaries in the land,
scourged, tortured and crucifed by them:
Call it "a mob11a mob to intimidate Roman
Governor with his legions at his backl But,
suppose SO, if the mob stands behind the law
committing outrages and crimes under the
mockery of legal trial, so much the worse
for the law and for your theory.
And here you suggest to me reflection.
Our Savior although he paid tribute; aud
taught that we should give to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar, and to God tckat belongs to
God, mot ALL to Ceasar good sir). Yet be
was accused of subverting the nation, forbid
ding to pay tribute to Caesar and denying his
authority, and for this in great part was he
orucifed. Bishop GilmOur pays tribute,
teaches that ain all that does not conflict with
the law of God, We owe an unqualified
obedience to the State" Yet in doing this be
is accused as subverting the nation, declared
public enemy, and must be crucifedl A sing
uiar parallel but then the servant is not
above his Master
Again you tell us that the magistrates knew
that the law would do Paul and Silas justice
Indeed. And yet the magistrates commanded
them to be scourgsd, cast into prison and
placed in stocks-s beautiful illustration Of
the justice of the law. o, but this was not
Roman law. Suppose We grant it. That
same Paul who appealed to his rights as
Roman" experienced the Justice of Roman law
in Rome itself, when the Law cut off has head
Now, sir, since the law did Paul justice, it
follows he was villainl Do you grant it2
You undoubtedly wrote wrote hastily and
without reflection, otherwise you would not
defend your position by allusion to Roman
lava law nnder which and by which hun
dreds of thousands of Christians were con-
demned to be deVouEed by wild beasts or more
crually tortured by human beasts, simply be-
cause their cOnsciencss forbade them to obey
the law. Do not call it a "mad mob" Hso,
the mob lasted for three hundred years; the
mob held the Judicial seats in the tribunals,
the pastors judges and hctors were the mob,
and the elite of Rome and the Roman emper-
ors themselves were the mob that thronged
the coliseum and the ampitheatres to wit
ness the execution Of the Roman laws. Your
appeal to Roman Law, sir, has been unIortu-
nate.
Again you quote st. Paul teaching us "to
Obey magistrates" remember st. Paul did not
obey the magistrates that seourged HIM; to
submit to EVERY ordinance of man (Which
st. Paul did not dO) and "they that resist
hall receive to themselves greater dsmnation"
I believe st. Paul is in heaven). Permit me.
Iir, to ask few questions here: II these texts
,onvey the sense you give them, if they estab-
ish the absolute supremacy of ''the civil law"
,vsr conscience pray why did not st. Paul
himself save his head by Obeying itP Why
lid not the myriads of martyrs of the first |
hrse centuries obey itP According to you st |
Panl sinnsd against his own teachings, SO did
Millions of martyrs in the early ages; 30 did |
The Prophet Daniel, the three youths in Baby |
on; the mother of the Machabees with her |
even sons and the aged and pious Eleazar sin |
,y not obeying the law Of the land against |
heir conscience But to come nearer to our |
,wn door and to our own time what think you
# our Revolutionary Fathers7 Why did they
lot obey the law? Did they by disobeying it
eceive damnationf Do you not see sir, that
7our position (Which you support by misin-
erpreting st. PAUL. would make tyrants sit
It ease on their thrones, and would completely
nslave the worldR
Bishop Gilmour speaks of a grievance and
ays that Catholics at the polls ought to seek
is amelioration. And for this he is attacked
" the press. Pray is not this proper law
hiding democratic way to seek redress. We
ave our Temperance Party, our Anti-Mason
Party, our God-in-the- Constitution Party, and
know not how many other parties, each
IaviDg its own grievances real or imaginary,
ach seeking its ends at the polls. Why then
bout treason if Catholic appeals to the polls
o remedy has grievances. The good sense
nd the sense of justice of Americans shall de-
ide if ever the issue be made. Should we
al we know how to bear prosecutions, for we
re- the children of the martyrs.
Your allusion to exclusive salvation has
othing to do with this subject. 1 therefore
ass it over, but should it hereafter be discuss
d, whilst exposing the Catholic Doctrine on
nat point, will show from their confessions
I Faith how tolerapt(P) the ssCtS have been
other peoples convictions.
A stranger in the community, and and who
,efers Obscurity, it is painful to me to aP-
'ar thus in print. Moreover not having the
hack Of the pen 1 cannot WELD it as nimbly
others, yet there are times whsa silence
~ be criminal, and believe both yourself
d the American public prefer to hear one