, 1874-11-29

.,.,;n Things Received by the Church,
IT. ~, but Disregarded by Its
Members.
arotho1icism Is Protected from the
''| copscqucuces Of Some Theories
that Have Grown Up
NTH It.o

EE'+,l,.iss E BY Lord Acton: >
r., GLADSTONE: will not anticipate
Nth ~ vo,d the course which those who ara
EasnS, ,:...,r concerned may adopt in answer to
to10a .,,.nee. But there. arc points which I
!o1 o h,ye overlooked, and which may be
Eaa. .al mcst ttly by thr SO who are least respon
Pc l,s rhs question OF policy and oppoftuneness
~ ~ o:hers to discuss With you. Speak
is.', ~. oneu daylight, trem my own point oi
~ Poman Catholic, born in the nine
a:' 's s,n,u.s, cannot object that facts which
H' ,,,ore to influence the belief Of men
'4nd bs brought ....-..
p'A .,,7r r7ELf 70 THEIR KNOWLEDGE
...,ment is unworthy OF those things which
y 1ir,ns md holy in religion. and, IN those
=. ~. xhch are humnn and profane, publicity
E5".ds,st.ad your argument to bo substan-
49,. fo1lovs: Tie Catholics obtained ema,a-
s...on hy declaring that they wero in every
~ the term loyal and faithful subjects OF
:. s ,.,ln, ,nd that papa1 Infallibility WAS not
80. of their Cnu1ch. Later events having
.s:s.a one declaration, have disturbed the
~,Nit, Of the other; and the problem there
~. ,ises whether the authority which has an
'~na tbe profession OF faith made by tho
o.hoJcs would not be competent to change
Am oopceptions OF political duty. -
rc;s iss question that may be fairly askea'
-. i. RIA long since made familiar to the
r,.b1lcs by the language Of their own BISHOPS.
Sos ei tbern has put it in the following terms:
sHav shall We persuade the Protestlnts that
:. ~. .,a m, ac,ips in defiance OF honor aud good
t,ib if. bayiug declared that lnfa!1bu1ty Was
~. ,n art;clc Of our faith while 70 were con-
n,tjas for cur rights, re should now that
'ron ns mr. public declaration and affirm
.ae eont1a1y5' The case H., pri1aa facle.
STRONG ONE.
md !, would ba still more SERIOUS It the whole
.,rncinra at sur Nbertiee and our tolerations WAS
frnu1ed On the dsclkatlous gwen by the En-
pl,sh scd Irish Bishops eome yea1s before the
Eaie, Let Thoea documents, Interesting and
Iiru,tcsnt as thav are, are unknown to the Con-
.a1ut,oo. N1at is known. and Nhat was for q
renerat,ou paT Of tbs law Of the country. is
sone! Ip9 more solid and substantial than q
,ar;es OF improved assertions, namely: the oath
n th,ch the political essence OF those declara-
inns WIS concentrated. That was tue security
stich Parliament required; that Was the pledge
br snich We were bound; anG it binds US no
rore. Tbs Legislature, Judging that what was
Efficient for The Republicans was sufficient for
!, Catholics. abolished the oath, for the best
s,sans, some time before the disesiabllshment
Il It's Irish Church. II there is no longer
rea.l bond for the LOYALTY OF Catholics, the
Ga il due to the deliberate Judgment Of the
5guss Of Commons. After having surrendered
j. only real constitutional security there seems
1,cer .eason to lament the depreciation OF .
~ substantial guarantee, which was rerJ in
i,stIr connected with tho action Of Parliament,
Eixas virtually superseded By the oath-
Ii doctrines against which you are contend
IL .......-.-.
khs tine when the Catholic oath was repealed,
oapope had the same right and power to ex-
n1nooicate those who denied his authority to
isor princes that he possesses now. The writer's
I'd Ateemed 1t Rome held that doctrine as al
gsse Of faith modern PonriH had affirmed
tx i cannot be abandoned without talnt OF
sztsy, and that those who questioned and
hzned his authority in temporal matters
| III Korse than those who rejected 1t III
/ tzt1iI, and accordingly men suffered death
htm cause as o.here did fur blasphemy aud
nssu, The recent DEGREES have neither in
ssssd the penalty nor made it moro easy to
I1,ti IL the true answer to your appeal Your
bEEeut would be more just Il 1t was more
nnpls.e. II you pursue the inquiry further
III xlu fud graver matter than ell you have
Enumerated, Established by higher and more
pc;Ant authority than = meeting Of Bishops half
; century 40, and then think you will admit
hat !eoI Caihohc countrymen cannot fairly bo
Aled On to account for every particle OF sys-
/ lem which has never come before them in its
integrity, Of fY opinions whose existence among
l1:oes sle7 would be exceedingly reluctant to
Aiers.
i vii explain my meaning BY an example: 4
sole Who lived in Catholic tunes, end who is
1nuas in history as the author OF the first cru
nae decided that it is
/ ~ fu!o xas incorporated iu the Canon lsw-
ne ieVlsion OF the Code, which took place n
/ ~ sixteenth century, and produced a whole
| Iaaue Of correctlons, the passage WaB allowed
y, 1ead 1t appears in every reprint OF the
| eo1pus Julis-" It has been for 700 years, and
Sssn7ea to be part Of the ecclesiastical law.
~ nIEn haring been dead letter, 1t obtained
/ " V. sppl'easion in the days Of the 1nqnlsitlon,
1 " ene q the later Popes has declared that the
zsdes Of Protestant is so good . decd that it
se. ~. md more than atoDes, for the murder Of
I ~ rIaoaa Again, the greatest legislator of the
i se ssesesA Church laid down this proposition.
] Aseeanee must not bo kept with heretlcal
.-ses-fam .ssfam q Qui Deo fden1 non serudt 11des
i S SSsa9d non sa This principal was adopted
Heeosated Council, aud ls confirmed Dy 6t-
] teas Aquinas, the oracle Of the schools.
4 ~, us o{labus which you cite has assuredly hot
1 t.9ea greater authority in the Church than
4 t. tsteaon law and the Lateran dccrees.-than
4 sfsssa1 the Third and st. Thomas. Yet these
4 s,, Eese as well known when the oath was
te'..d esaed as they ale now. But it was felt that.
j - ss!as might be the letter OF the Canons and
/ s~spnt Of the ecclesiasticaI laws, the Catholic
j @9'e Of this country