Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-26
Liberty is a Grand Word, and the CathO
Tic Church is tine Only MAIntaIner
Of Real Liberty.
What is Liberty and what is the Catholic
Church The Public Schools,
PenItentiary and Congress.
Secular Learning and ReligiOH-Tht
Safeguard OF SOcieiy-The Catholic
Church the PreSerTer OF Liber.
" and independence.

LNtNs AAtleI El6hEuc4s oi -Na1llNlilel
lectured at st. Budgets church on Sun
day night last, his subject being ''Is the
Catholic Church the Friend or Foe OF
Liberty9n He thus commenced;
Il The Catholic church has been painted
differently mean, Of course, by writ
ers who do not belong 10 her-by differ
Ient persons according to the views they
took Of her. Many represent her in the
form Of some hideous monster, that on
ly looks out upon the world in order to
/ destroy everything that is good and fair
in the world; while Others, on the con-
tTary, speak Of her as beneficent agent
that has in the past conferred great ben-
efits upon mankind; but at the present
day even they rather incline to follow
l the opinion OF their predecessors in say
/ ing that now her object is, as far as she
! can, 10 surround the world with dark
ness, that her reign may be perpetuated
/ from amidst this darkness. And in or
der the more clearly to carry this opin-
/ ion OF theirs into the minds OF their read
ers, they always connect the Catholic
I church with tyranny, or make her out
ss the foe Of liberty. And why?
LIBERTY Is A GRAND WORD.
It is 8 grand phrase in itself 1t seems
/ to be a word that touches some chord in
the human heart that sets all its facul-
/ ties in motion, and makes ii exercise all
/ il powers, as it were, in order to catch
| that and make it its own; whilst, on the
| contrary, tyranny is 3 word Of dreadful
I Imports word that one almost shud-
/ deTs to hear, and consequently s word
/ that is hated and detested by every gen.
erOUs heart; for surely, as an old writer
] n fhnr1 -
/ draUght, and though thousands in
all ages have been made to
I drink Of thee, thou art no
/ less bitter on that account, etc.n This is
! the sentiment that is echoed in every
/ heart; and it is on that account that
the Catholic church is so often, IN the
| writings OF those who know nothing
about her and who do not want to know
anything about her-why il is that her
name is so often connected with tyranny
and in opposition to liberty. But is this
/ 50? Is the Catholic church the foe Of
/ liberty? II those writers only knew the
real truth about the Catholic church, in
stead Of connecting her with tyranny,
OF instead Of making her appear the foe
Of liberty, they would at once declare.
n honesty were TO be the guide of their
c0nvictiOns-that the Catholic church
Is THE ONLY DIAINTAINER
Of real liberty in the world, and the only
Protector Of those who are tyrannized
over. This shall be the proposition
shall attempt to prove for you this
evening. What is the Catholic church,
and what is Lberty2 You know that
In order to arrive at a knowledge Of |
anything clearly we must begin at first |
principles. 1t viii not do fOr one man |
TO have an idea Of liberty in his mind |
and another man 3 different idea, be-
cause in that case we could never come
10 proper understanding Of the sub
ject. In order TO arrive at q satisfactory
conclusion about anything, you must
remove away all the obstacles to get a
clear knowledge and insight Of it-just
the same as man who has found |
a treasure in the ground, he has
to remove away all the dirt
that surrounds that treasure, and expose
it to light in order that he may learn its
true and real value. So it is with truth.
You must separate everything that
serves to conceal it--that serves to give
false idea 70 it-and then, having the
thing ciesFly and squarely before you,
you will be able to arrive st proper
conclusion concerning it. Then what
are the real circumstances Of the esse2
WHAT IS LIBERTY?
What is the Catholic church? 1t is !
necessary in the commencement to de- |
tine WhRt liberty is, for by liberty many
would understand, not real liberty, but
license. Liberty is the power of doing
what each one deems right and best,
without interfering with Others OF being
interfered with by them. II am inter- |
fered with by Others in my opinion, then
am not free; aud il l interfere with
others-with their opinions-I am as
sumins 70 myself something that does
not belong to me, and therefore it is
tyranny on my part. This is the true
definition OF liberty, and If anyone else |
has different idea than that OF liberty, |
he is certainly arguing from or occupy
ing false position. II be takes the idea |
OF liberty that the old French revolu- |
tiOnists had when they declared that |
God Almighty wss 3 tyrsnt, that good |
was evil; when they declared that
chastity was tyrant, and licsntiOusness
liberty; when they declared that pos
session OF property was robbery, |
then, OF course, he is defining
a liberty OF his own. "Ifl
that is what you mean by liberty" the
Catholic church replies, "if you believe
in that liberty which declares property
10 be robbery, then you may say what
you like; the Catholic church is an en-
emy 10 that, because the Catholic church
believes in the commandments of God;
and one OF those commandments is,
8 Thou shalt not steal.i II by liberty |
you mean RIGHTEOUSNESS, then you may
q; < IS you please, the Catholic church
is an enemy TO that kind Of liberty, be-
cause she declares that chastity is a
sacred virtue, aud that no one dare iu-
fringe upon that without bringing down
upOn his head the msledietioDs of
heaven Now
WHAT IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH,
The Catholic church is guide divinely |
appointed by God to conduct men on the /
road 10 salvation, and at the same time i
20 give them the means that will help 4
and assist them in overcoming the OBJ /
stacles and temptations that lie 10 their /
way, aud thus bring them securely |
to heaven. The Catholic church |
is divine institution. Now is liberty /
divine? There is no phrase more COM
mon IN the mouths Of those who talk so
consciously OF the Catholic church than
that God-given biTthright OF Liberty
they called il our birthright, given TO
US by heaven. II God, then, gave US
liberty, did he place an institution here
in this world to deprive Us OF that lib
erty-tO be opposed to what he gave?
Why, that would be making this
guardian angel a very demon 70 take
away from Us what he gave, and what
is essential for US in order that we may
be able 10 pursue our pain In this world /
TO eternal glory in the next; for liberty
Is necessary 70 man 70 earn the crown i
OF eternal glory. de must have the
right Of doing and performing the works
which God has eDjcined upon him, with
out being inteTiered with by Others.
Hence, then, liberty and any religion d.
vinely established must 20 hand-in-
hand together; one is essential to the
other; one canuOt DO without the other.
Why should God give Us command
ments, if we were not free to obey 4?
Why should God lay down q code OF
doctrines for Us il we were not free TO
follow il? The Presbyterians, OF course,
may say that a certain number Of men 4
were created by God TO be saved, ard q /
certain number to be damned, and that /
those who were created 10 be saved, no /
matter what they do, will be saved, and /
that those who were created 70 be 1
damned will be damned, no matter
what they do. The Catholic church
does not teach that doctrine. She
teaches that every man is free, and that
II a man sets according 70 tEe law
which God has laid down for him, that
insii VII surely save his soul, and " he