Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-19
nANNING no GLADSTONE.

The reply of the Archbishop Of West
minister to Mr.. GladstOne's expOstulationis
an argument to establish the truth Of these
propositions:
"First-That the Vatican DEGREES havein
no jOt or title changed either the Obliga-
tiOns or the conditions Of civil allegiance.
"SecOnd-Ihat the relations of the Cath
Ollie Church to the civil powers of the
world have been immHtably fixed from the
beginning, inasmuch as they arise out of
the divine constitution of the church and
out of the civil society Of the natural Orde,.
''Third-That any collisions now exist
ing have been brought on by changes, not
on the part Of the Catholic Church, much
less Of the Vatican Council, but on the part
Of the civil powers, and that by reason Of
a systematic conspiracy against the Holy
See.
E.'FOurth-That by these changes and COL
llsiOns the civil powers Of Europe are de-
strOying their own stability.
"Fifth-That the motive Of the Vatican
Council in defining the infalibility Of the
Roman POntiifWas not any temporal policy,
nor was it for any temporal end; but that
it defined that truth in the face Of all
temporal dangers, in order TO guard the
divine deposit Of Christianity and to vindi-
cate the divine certainty Of faith"
As 10 the effect Of the DEGREES the Arch
bishop states:
81. That the Council declares that the
Roman POntill, speaking q cdthedrG, has
Divine assistance which preserves him from
error; 2, that he speaks &C Cdtbedrd when
he speaks under these five conditiOns-I)
as Supreme teacher, % to the whole
Church; 90 defining a doctrine; ca to be
held By the whole Church; (5) in faith and
morals" Lastly, DR.. Manning defines the
we'll known formula "failh and morals" by
saying that "the deposit committed to the
Church is the revelation Of Divine truth
and Of Divine law. The Church is the
guardian and witness, the Interpreter and
the eXpOsitOr Of the truth aud of the law
Of God. Such is the meaning Of faith and
morals"
The Archbishop attacks the assertion
that the State requires "a solid and undi-
vided allegiance" aud argues that the
allegiance OF every human being is divided,
"nOt on the same plane, but in two |
Spheres so that he owes allegiance to the !
law Of the land and to the law Of God. |
The Archbishop sums up this part Of his |
argument by stating:
"O) That the relations Of the Church to |
the State were never SO much as proposed |
for discussion in the Vatican Council; % |
that in its Constitutions or Definitions il /
has in no way touched the subject; 81 |
that the Definitions Of the Council are de- |
claratory Of doctrine already Of Divine |
Faith; and a. that the relations Of the |
Church to the civil power were left by the |
Council Of the Vatican precisely rs they /
were left By the Council Of Trent and all 4
preceding Councils" lie, therefore, feels |
himself able to add, oNeither in virtue Of 1
the Vatican DEGREES, nor of any other de-
crees, nor Of his supreme authority as head /
of the Christiaa Church, can the Pope make
any claim to those who adhere to his COM
munion Of such a nature as can impair the
integrity Of their civil allegiance" He in
tersifes this statement bY adding that he
has "nO need to Tepel and reject that which /
the Pope can not do. He can not do an
act contrary to the divine law, but TO i'm
pair my civil allegiance would be contrary
to the law of God
Upon the question Of the relations Of
Church and state, st. Peter could not hap
tie or absOlye Nero, simply because a
Christian world did not then exist.
neIeIOIE Dls dlA AAAtA INV II a. AAAAC VI
law that he had nothing to do in judging |
these that were without the unity of the
Church" 'sThe English monarchy has
been withdrawn for three centuries from
tbe Catholic Church; the English people
are wholly separate; the legislation Of Eng
land has wholly efiaced every trace of the
which rendered the POntifi-
cal acts Of S. Gregory VII. and Innocent
n grrsH oraflfrfohN Tho rrshIin I
laws of England explicitly reject and ex-
clude the first principles OF that ancient
Christian and Catholic jurisprudence. Not !
only is every moral condition which could
iustify such an act absent, but every moral |
which would render such an act
as it would seem to me, IS
present"
In conclusion, the Archbishop pays his
respects to Mr.. Gladstone in these terms:
No man has watched Mr.. GadstOne's
career as a statesman with a more gener-
BUS and disinterested good will thanI have.
No one has more gladly appreciated his
gifts; no one has more equitably inter-
Dreted certain acts Of his political life, nor
has hailed his successes with greater JOY.
But when he casts off the character Of a
for which he has shown so
great capacity, to play the canOnist and
.heOlogian, for which he has here shown so
little, and that with the intent Of sowing
iiscOrd and animOsities among six millions
)f his Ow-cOuntrYmen-and, l must {
add, with an Indulgence OF I'M
language rarely to be equaled-l |
EEL bound to say that he has been betrayed
INTO an act for viii b can find no adequate
excuse. I must tn him that if he would I
ncline the Catholics Of the Empire to &C ]
,ept the ministries Of his compassion, he
must Lirst r--rlE-- Lis sLula hn-L of writing