The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-06-03

the douhting Socrates have, receivel
at Heavens gate sweeter welcom|
than greeted the ear Of Ruseia's bril-
liant but false-lived Queen. = III
Now, who was Catherine? She wd
the daughter 81 German Prince, AMI
was at an early day betrothed' TO a soi
Of q branch Of the house Of H0lsteid
In the revolutions and changes in th
thrones Of Russia the unmarried Em
press Elizabeth selected this boy 81
her heir. Catherine, at the age Of fonr
teen. accompanied her intended hug
band to Russia. They had both beef
Luthersns, but readily renouneed thd
faith and accepted the doctrines Of I'll
Greek Church. AZ girl and subsd
quently as wife, che lived IN . courI
where the external forms Of religiof
were strictly observed. but wher}
neither private religion, virtue, moi
common decesey Vas practiced. Re
ligion was a, thin veil, too thin to hid
the hideous social depravities behind
/ lf>m&31e, 6rst . aspeotato1, became
paffiS = this and for. forty year
a. vide and widow, she lived 8 lie
crime slD nn6heyy which far trans
! cended that 81 xky of her predecesd
ors. She was false to her husband, ant
then deposed and murdered him. Fo||
forty Years she Nees the reproach d
Christianity and Of civilization 4
moral monster beyond comparison.
The ecclesiastical court. which
now convened in Chicago, is asked Il
punish as heresy the intimation ths
Catherine, who is assumed to have hat
faith in Christ. Jared no better aftet
her misdeeds than Socrates or Pend
lope. Or, to put the heresy more did
tinctly, it is sought to punish the SUD
gestion that Socrates and Penelope
who never heard Of Christ, were ad
mitted to Heaven on an equality Will
/ Catherine H., who had heard Of him
and who had, during forty years d
absolute power, violated every chaptd
Of the Gospels. s.3 eA
! It has been the custom OF MANKIND
to hold up the chaste Penelope as a
example to womankind. Her virtue
and her truth have been sung in ever
written language, during all ares shI
has been considered as model for al
generations. Now we are to have l
determined, ex cathedra. that Pene
Hope is not in Heaven, but is. witt
Socrates. among the damned; whili
I Catherine, who served the devil as NJ
other woman did. cheated him Of hi
lawful prey by profession Of faitb
and is now among the elect in th|
New Jerusalem. The prosecutor maj
4 not 20 SO far m to affirm that Catherin
| is actually saved, but he is bound q
maintain that she is "a we'll off in thl
other world AZ Socrates or Penelop<
:. Yet to make out a. real case of heres
it is necessary to assume that Cath
crime is in Heaven, aud to- do this
must be admitted that in renouncin
the Lutheran Evangelical Church an
faith. and accepting all the essentis
i doctrinesof the Papal Church, (unds
la different name, she had not lost HI
election to the kingdom of God. st
was a rigid disciplinarian. She CON
PEELED herspecp!e TO attend mass, 60
confession, to believe in transubstai
tiation, TO recognize her as the hes
of the church, and generally to beliey
all the doctrines OF the Cathol
Church. The followers Of Calvin in Il
Chicago Presbytery can only maintai
that Cathe rine Ills in Heaven by a
. lowing that she went through the 20
tails Of the Catholic Church, and til,
she did this after having abandone
Evangelicalism; and this they must Z
in order to establish the heresy th
good Socrates and virtuous Penelol
81 never met ~ warm reception !
Heaven did the dissolute Russis
Empress. Heresy is an awful thin
Il and the spirit Of inauisition is as ju
tifiable now as it ever was. We nl
not burn. hang, quarter, bury alive,
otherwise kill the body of heretics,
RI was once tho fashion, but the truth
religion. the cause OF Christ. demaI
now, as they always have. that an e.
q ample should be made of the man wi
will dare to tell the children, Of th
day that Socrates and Penelope. pa
Of he athen, are probably among 4
"a elect ON an equality with Catheri'
IL.