The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-06
Earl Russell and the Pope.
Earl Russell has published the follow.
ing letter:
I1-,,. ,,

| NeaA AuSoSH uao puultoucu luG lOllUN-
ing letter;
PEMBROKE LODGE, RICHMOND PARK, |,
January 10, 1874. !
Dear Sir John HuTTdy-I have already
informed you Of the cause which win pre-,
vent me from presiding at the meeting Of
the 9Th Of January. Let Us now con,
slider what is the object Of the meeting
Archbishop Manning states his doctrine
very clearly and very boldly thus: "The
Church Is separate and supreme, Let us
then, ascertain somewhat iurther what Is
thel meaning Of supreme. Any power
which Is independent and can alone fix
the limit Of It's own Jurisdiction, and can
thereby fix the limits Of all other juTisdic.
tions, Ia, ipSO tdet0, supreme. But the
Church Of Jesus Christ, within the sphere
Of revelation, Of faith and morals, Is all
this, or II Is nothing, or worse than'nolh.
irg, an imposture and usurpation-ihat
Is, II Is Christ or Antichrist." Archbishop
Manning goes on to say: "If 1t be Anti.
christ, every Cesar, from Nero TO this day,
Is justified" So we may say, on the
other side, II the Church OF Rome be
Christ every Pope, from Rodrigo Boreia
to this day, is justified, and must be &C.
counted Christ. For my own part, many
years Of my career In Parliament were
devoted TO the promotion of religious
liberty. From 1918 to 1899 constantly
voted for the admission Of Roman Catho.
lies to Parliament and to office. In 1923
l took the foremost part In relieving
Protestant Dissenters from the disae
bilities Of the Corporation and Test
Acts. For many years afterWard |
lsbored for the liberation Of the
Jews. But neither for Roman Cath
ollcs, Protestant Dissenters nor for Jews
did ! ask more than equal privileges and
equal laws. Archbishop Manning says
OF the Church: III 1t be Christ, It is the
supreme power among men; that Is to
say: l. II holds It's commission and
authority from God; Q. Il holds in Gus
tody the faith and the law of Jesus
Christ; 8. 1t Is the sole Interpretation Of
that faith and the sole expositor oil that
law II has within the sphere Of that com.
mission power TO legislate with au.
thortty-to bind the consciences of all
men born again in the baptism of Jesus
Christ" This is not liberty, civil or re.
ligious. It Is to bow the knee to des-
potic and fallible priesthood. The very
same principle which bound me TO ask
for equal freedom for the Roman Catholic,
the Protestant Dissenter and the Jew
bind me to protest against conspiracy
which aims at confining the German EN-.
pire in chains never, 1t is hoped, to be
shaken of. / hasten to declare, with all
friends Of freedom, and / trust with the
great majority Of the English Nation,
that l could no longer call myself lover
OF civil aud religious liberty were / not
to proclaim my sympathy with the Em.
peror OF Germany In the noble struggle
In which he Is engsgtd. We have moth
ing to do with the details Of the German
laws. They may be just. They may be
harsh. We can only leave 1t to the Ger.
man people 10 decide for themselves, as
we have decided for ourselves. At all
events, we are able to see that the cause
OF the German Emperor is the cause OF
liberty, and the cause Of the Pope Is the
cause ot slavery.
lremain, dear Sir John Murray, yours
very truly, RUSSELL.