The Morning herald., 1876-07-15
THE CHURCH REVIEW FACTS;
AND EANCIES.

AdE CHURCH REVIEW FACTS
AND TANCIES.
'But if Christianity is favorable to all
real liberty, the converse also is true. A
glance at the nations of Europe and Amer
lea sufficiently demonstrates this. How
inferior is the practical Christianity Of
Southern Europe, where intolerance has
prevailed, to that of Northern countries
IN which liberty has predominated. CON-
pare Spain with England-or even France
Italy with Germany; or Hungary with
Austria, and under which governments
the despotic, or the liberal, do we find the
plrer form of Christianity? Following up
tbs comparison Of nations the writer in
si'ts that the intolerance OF Southern Eu-
rope indicates the animus of Romanism,
while the liberty Of the North is an index
OF the spirit OF Professionalism. We mean
by liberty of conscience that every man
may worship God in accordance with the
dictates OF his conscience, SO long as he
does not violate The rights Of another, not
that we thereby admit the correctness of the
mans opinions, but it is his business, not
ours, to decide what his opinions are."-
Eue'y Evening.
We clip the above from well written
review, or synopsis of the July number OF
the American Church Review, from
Euery Eeening OF the 18Th instant. We
did not read the articles in question, but
accept the generalizalons OF Evcry Evening
as correct. The statements put forth are
SO palpably untrue; have been so completely
exploded by modern research, that we are
surprised at their reappearance.
Liberty of conscience" as defined by the
writer, never existed since the Reforma-
tion, and does not now exist in the North
ern States of Europe to wit Sweden,
Denmark, Norway, and has only had an
existence in England, Ireland, or Scotland
since the Catholic eManci patton act of
1929. Never upon the face of the earth in
either Christian, Mohammedan, or Pagan
land, has there existed SO complete, ingen-
ious,and all pervading system of intolcr-
ence, az that Of the English Penal laws,
passed during the reign of Queen Anne
from 1905 to 1909.
Upon the 4th of March, 1903, Queen
Anne gave her royal assent to acts of Par
Lament which for three-quarters of a CEN
tury, were rigilly enforced, in al! their
provisions and until 1929 were the law of
the land, and their exclusive features in
full force. We give synopsis Of them,
as relic Of legal barbarism now happily
laid in the grave Of the dead past.
FIRsT.-PRoPERTY.
Act Of 1703.-"Every Catholic was
by Act Of Parliament deprived of the
power Of settling a jointure On any Catho-
lie wife,-or charging his lands with any
provision for his daughters-or disposing
by will of his landed property. On his
death the law divided his lands equally
amongst all his sons.
All the relations of private life were
thus violated.
If the wife of a Catholic declared herself
Protestant, the law enabled her not only
to compel her husband to give her sepa-
rate maintenance but to transfer to her
tj' custody and guardianship of all their
children.
Thus the wife was encouraged and en-
powered successfully to rebel against her
husband.
If the eldest son of u Catholic father at
any age, however young, declared himself
Il Protestant, he thereby made his father
strict tenant for life, deprived the father
of all power to sell, or dispose of his estate
and such Protestant son became entitled TO
the absolute dominion and ownership of
the estate.
Thus tie eldest son was encouraged,
and, indeed, bribed by the law to rebel
against his father.
If any other child besides the eldest son
declared itself, at any age, Protestant,
such child at once escaped the control of
its father, and was entitled TO Il maiute.
nance cut Of the fathers propert}.
Thus the law encouraged every child to
rebel against its father.
If any Catholic purchased for money
any estate in land, any Protestant was en-
powered by law to take away that estate
from the Catholic, and to enjoy it without
paying one shilling Of the purchase
money
This was law. The Catholic paid the
money, whereupon the Protestant took the
estate. The Catholic lost both money am!
estate.
tfany Catholic got an estate in land by
marriage, by the gnt or by the will Of u