National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-08

Iivered his fourth lecture upon the Relations
between Law and Religion" before this institute
on TUESDAY evening last. His audience was large,
intelligent and aPprecistive. As his lecture dis
eusses the questions agitated by the Gladstone
pamphlet from the American Catholic stand
point we present our readers very full report
The lecturer was introduced by DIR. B. Thomp-
sen president of the institute, and at once began
LADIES AVID GENTLEMEN: Within the last
Nhree or four months pamphlet appeared in
England which, for lew days, created great
sensation on both sides OF the Atlantic. 1t ema-
mated frsm the pen Of one whom l. in common
have no doubt, with many others, mad been &C
customed to regard as the ablest, purest, best of
Englishatatesmen since the tyrant Henry VIII.
sent the illustriOus Sir Henry More to the block.
i need scarcely add that refer to the Hon. VIM.
L. Gladstone.
The pamphlet in question agitated the subject
Of the relations Of the Roman Catholics Of tue
British Empire land incidentally Of those of all
civilized natiOns) with the civil government in
view Of the DEGREES Of the Vatican Council of
1870, and the PRONUNCIATION Of the dogma Of Papal
iniallIbility. 1t takes the ground that the Gath
Ole Church, or, as Mr.. Gladstone, with seeming
but lnsiGlOus moderation, would have IL, the
.PapGcy, has by virtue OF those DEGREES and Of
that DOGMA, assumed an attitude Of hostility to
the civil government and the political Organiza-
tiOns Of the world which is wholly inconsistent
with the loyalty due from individual Catholics
TO the State; and it calls upon the Catholics OF
England to define their position and TO repudlate
this new assault Of the Court OF Rome upon the
civil liberties OF the people,
Whatever NAV have been Mr.. Gladestone's mo-
tive his purpose has failed Of effect. The Eng
lish press aud people have Tepudlated the pam
phIet and The professions Of its author with
singular unEuimity. They have tailed TO see the
danger which he points out, and they have un-
sparfngIy criticised the inconsistency Of his posi-
ton. The English people are not altogether pre-
pared TO IOib in the new crusade against Rome
in which the rufHansm Of European military
power has combined with scientific materialism,
90 overthrow the last barrier TO human passion
and TO human deprayity.
This pamphlet has been deemed worthy OF an
sWeTs from Archbishop Manning, our own Arch
bishop Bailey, and lastly from that most learned
Of priests and scholars, the Rev: John Henry
Newman. 1t may be impairment in me TO at
tempt to do again what they have already done
50 we'll; but this matter falls within the gen
eral scope Of the subject on which have been in
Vited to address you, and has with US a wider
bearing than in England, IL may be that we can
discuss the subject again to some advantage.
The Bugbear of Papal inialibility is now in
Voked to alarm the political world, as other mani
festatiOns of PapaI authority have been used for
the same purpose in times past. The objective
infsllibllity, but the existence Of the Paplcy
itself.
impeecability. That her teachings should be for
ever guided by the Eternal Spirit Of Truth is the
assurance which we have from the Divine Founder
himself; that scandals should come and that scan
dalUus action should sometimes faint the minis
tiers Of religion, should tarnish the honor OF the
mitre and dim the lustre Of the tiara, was equally
foreshadOwed.
There is a strange confusion in the minds of
many between impecca Oility, which is simply i'm
munity from sin, and has never been the lot of
man or any human being, with two notable eE-
eeptODs since the primevBl fall of our RAGS, and
infallibiity, which is the guarantee given to the
Church collectively that her teachings both in
doctrine and in morals, as announced by her or
RaniEed authority, her official head and her gen.
eral councils, should always be the dictates Of
eternal truth. The weakness of individuals and
Of sggregatiOns Of individuals is inherent to our
human nature: the infaIliblity of the Church is
the superadded gift of her founder.
Now in principle it makes very little difference
whether the infallibility of the Church be mani;
tested through the Pope through general
council, through the successor Of Peter or through
the combined action Of the successors Of all the
Apostles. Heretofore the Church has spoken
mainly through general councils. 1t has now
been aUthoritatively decided by general council
that to the DEGREES Of the Pope alone, when he
speaks er cafhedTd as the head of the Universal
Church, announcing the concurrent sentiment of
all the Church, the same character OF inalibility
attaches 10 the decisions Of councils themselves
That this was mOmentCus conclusion at which
the council OF the Vatican arrived, cannot be de-
MED; that IL revolution of the faith OF the
Church is equally undeniabfe. The great princi-
pie which underlies the'prOmulgatOn OF all theo-
logical truth is that the declaration should be
the sentiment Of the Universal Church; and
whether this is announced by Pope or council,
makes in theory but very little difference.
Where, then, is Mr.. GladStone's present diff
culty2 The Church has always claimed infalii-
bility. The possibility OF collision between Church
and State has always existed. Collisions in fact
have occurred time and az ain, and from the san
guiary prosecutions Of demoraliEed pagan Rome
10 the brutal penal laws Of England, the altern-
alive has frequently been presented of obedience
TO the dictates Of religion or obedience to the
edicts Of he civil power. The Pope is no more to
us now than he has always been; his edicts can
have no greater authority than the DEGREES Of
councils.
1t remarkable fact that, in this controversy
and in all similar controversies on this subject,
there is always an assumption on the part Of the
opponents Of the Church that the State can do no
wrong; that the danger to society is IN the appre
hensiUD Of aggression by the Church upon the
state; that the politicians are meek lambs whom
the wolves Of the priesthood always stand ready
10 devOur 1t is taken Tor granted that the spirit
uRl authority should necessarily be subordinate
10 the temuuTal: and that when The ecclesiastical
and the civil power have legislated upon the same
subject and their legislation is Inconsistent and
irTecUDci!able the ecclesiastical must yield to the
civil enactment. Is this the true principle that
should govern the relations between law and re-
ligiOD7
In Europe where ore half of the continent is
provided with State religions and State churches,
purely The creatures OF the State, deriving their
existence from some legislative statute, and &C
knOWledging the head OF the State as ipsO fGctO
the head OF the Church also; where the other half
Of the continent presents the spectacle OF ILL.,
advised and unequal alliance between the two
Powers, resulting in mutual irritation and dis
content and the constant interference of one with
the functions OF the other; where both sections
have tolerated and iOstCred the impiOus doctrine
OF the divine rlHht Oh kings; where even in the
BOealed constitutional countries there is check
upon legislative OmnipOtence, except revolution,
IL is no wonder that the politicians, kings and
prime ministers should contend for the entire
supremacy Of the temporal power, and should be
unwilling TO acknowledge any Limitation upon
Hticsl principles Of Europe; we have replaced
them with principles more in accordance with the
true spirit Of Christianity and OF natural Justice
We do not insult the sanctity of God by suppOs-
ing that he has participated in the annointmenI of
the bTutes in human shape, whom In his anger he
has permitted to wear diadems. We do not re-
eOgniZe the right OF one man or Of any body OF
men to unlimited power.
We have established the principle that minOrl-
ties have rights which msJOrities must respect,
and that individuals have rights upon which no
power Of earth, legislative or executive, must
#vF- l. h EHh -
cent recollection OF members of the legal prOies-
sion, arising cut OF the penal statutes engendercd
United States held that behind our charters and
constitutions behind our bills Of rights and deca-
TatlOns OF Independence, and higher than them
all, are certain inalenRhle rights, rights Of con-
sCence and the individual which no human legis-
latiOn can IN silly presume TO impair. Hence, we
are not willing TO ADM. that rebellion may not
often be Justlnabe; that tyrannicde may not be
laUdable; and we certainly are not willing to ad-
nit that the civil law is to take precedence Of
Ihe oletates OF conscience or the law oil God
European Governments, England included,
make their own religions for their subiects-they
have DO citizens, only subjects Tho standard Of
conscience which they recognize is the standard
established by royal ediet or legislative enact
ment Their religious institutions owe their va
hdity te their acknowledgement by the civil
power. his 10 not our theory II Is not the
theory OF Christianity.
The religion Of Jesus Christ was not intended
TO be dependent on the caprice OF civil power any
more than il was intended to be mOdihed or re-
strained by territorial limits or national char
aGteIlEIlcS. II was intended to be uniform mil
VeTsal. Being . revelation Of unchapReable
truth. and an UnRlteTsble rule OfcOnduct IL must
present the same front everywhere, unyieldInp in
its dOgmas, iDfeXIble in its code of morals the
same 10 the Celt aud the Saxon. 1t cannot con
sent TO hold its tenure from the pleasure of kings
or the enactment Of legislative assemblies IL
must be supreme lD its sphere and UnIettered in
its action, else il has no reason TO exist.
NOW II religion is true and of Divine institution
and II It's preeepts are binding upon the Individual
conscience, no reasonable man car deny that II is
and must De the ultimate and supreme arbiter of
our cOncuet. might 20 even one step farther
ano say that, Whatever form Of religion the inui-
Iloual conscience sincerely accepts as true,
though, OF course, in its acceptance Of the form Of
religion IL must act on its peril and on the light
which the God Of Truth affords to every man the
dlcstes Of religion must ever be superior to the
requirements OF civil law. The law Of man must
yield 70 the law Of God. Catholics and Protest
ants sIlEe4nust unite upon this position 1t can
only De com batted by the denial OF any religious
obligation, by the Republication Of all conscientious
conviction, by the denial Of the existence Of God
Dy the assertion Of disbelief in all the traditions
OF the human race.
Accepting the truth Of the Christian religion,
and Is king the promise Of Christ as something |
more than meaningless phrase, Catholics regard |
their Church as theduly commissioned expOunder /
OF Christian truth and the intallble teacher Of |
pure morality. They hold that this teacher can |
no more err when speaking through Plus TX than |
when when II spoke through the twelve at Jeru. |
salem. or through the COunpII aF Niaa - az Il