New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-17
CCommunicated.l
Theological Ethics and Secular Educa'
0lOn.

| EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
Mr.. Thompson come agsiDl "Querest.
|. il appears from last Sundays REPU BLICAN
l is stlll querulOus and quite worried, be
: cause, after reading over carefully the lit
q of St. Gregory the Great, as compiled from
his own works, fleury, Mabiion, Ceillier
. Wietro wski, Gradonici and others, and no
= finding any mention made of the imputs
i ton contained in "Querist's" Inquiry
!: | very grave one, no doubt, and one vel
| worthy of being recorced-I did not be
lieve it. He is worried, l say, and quit
: sympathetic for us unbelieving folks il
Amre. Well, can not bat be thankful fo
his kind sympathy; but may tell him, i
he is not more epariDg of them his stocl
will soon No exhausted and there vii! b
none left when more needed. Lei
me ask eny candid man, is it fair t.
quote Bsyls and kindred writers In
questions involving the discipline or doc
, ! trines of Christianity. Bsyle (Vaferrimus)
: as he is oailed, tbs iusidious enemy Of ali
religion, and even divine revelation; for ex
ample. in treating Of the uonstrous heresy
| VI THO MEELCucdlc uc ShAtb UCC1biUu UuutT
the various articles Of ancient and modern
Manichees, Politicians and the like to adorn,
improve and enforce with all the subtiity OF
which he Was master, the arguments OF
these heretics against the mysteries of our
faith Concerning the orig in Of evil, etc. This
he did with tho same view Of establishing
his universal ske pticism and of shaking the
foundation Of all religion, and attacks with
flow of false reasoning the mysteries Of
the trinity, incarnation, etc; nor is he less
industrious under the article of this heresy
than under 20 many other nc ads to poison
the morals Of men no less than their faith.
And because do not believe the testimony
| OF such writers in matter of church his
tory, excite tbs sympathy Of "Qlerist"
This charge of keeping the people
in ignorance against US is as old
as the Reformation. But let ne ask. cui
bono: Why, for what purpos.s What
| advantage would accrue to Us from the
people being Ignorant l answer, none
| whatever. For, while wa believe the Church
to be the pillar and ground Of truth, and
while We believe what the Church teaches,
this does not exempt Us from study and
from the necessity Of being able to give q
reason fo. the faith that is in US. We must
90 prepared to show our title deeds for
every srticle of cur faith. For example,
the Ccurch defines that baptism is saora.
nens of the lie " law instituted BY Christ TO
give grace. believe it. That is not
enough-I must be able, az 8 theulogisn
and pastor in the Church, to prove il, and
answer satisfactorily all objections brought
by the adversary against II. Then, as to
the people, the better instructed they are
the more clearly will they comprehend an,
understand the arguments in favor Of tha |
doctrines OF the Cnuroh and the motives Of I
CIedlbiilty In favor of Catholicism. Thep.
as tn the children preparing for their Fl cst |
20 umunlou. for example, how much bet
ter and easier u it for ne to put y
cafecnIsn ia tnt II hands add lot them learn
1t for themselves than for me- to have to
teach them, rs1a rocs so that, in reality,
IN cry against US of trying to keep tie |
people in ignorance hiss no foundation in
iacf, and would initiate against ourselves |
more than any one else.
But now, Dato sed MOI, co;,cesso as lcgi-
Clans say, that Pupe Gles, ~ dio scoid the |
olshop Tor teaching grammar, and that he |
prohibited the study OF secular authors,
qu'd tnde9 or. as Boss Tweed would put it,
hat Is Querist' going to do about ita Moth.
Ing more than that Gel tain Pope, about |
go years ago. did very foolish thing, for
which be ought to Do ashamed of himself.
That is all.
l am willing to admit thst it has been !
always puzzle to me why the lower ord or
Of the Inhabitants in Catholic Counties
Ike Spain, Italy and Mexico have not been | ,
better ed ucated. Host assuredly it is not i
the fault OF the Church L. msy be owing ,
to the neglect OF individual mem bers of the :
Church, lay and clerical, but not to the -
N n n taklf 4 ,hot u 1
IL IL almost impossible to make you Protest d
anita understand, =
"Querist," not sati-fed to ask questions, | !
IS his name implies, goes further aud lays .
Town for us two propositions IS dogmatic, =
which the Church never held and v hich we
lbhor with our whole heart. The first is !,
bat the Church held that the Roman pom =
If had power to depose hinge and en- =
'eiors. Secondly, that he could sbsolve +,
nj jects from their allegiance. The Church ri
lever held any euch doctrine. There is | m
ot point OF doctrine from the existence OF | n
rod to purgatory that has not been treated | h
4 by theologians, and challenge 'Queri.t" II
show me, even in one instance, where "
ny OF our theologians sust ained either n,
these two propositions. One Obscure a,
ritter IN Rome, some years ago, wrote ON ii
MS subject. giving false Interpretation TO "
,e worus OF our Lord. Mat hew xviii, Us
1-"Ail power is given to me in heaven "
nd earth" and claiming for tie Pope the W
Dove mentioned prerOga,ives. And what q
rs the consequence The book was i'm ~
ediateiy suppressed by Papal authority, m
tar were they from encouraging suoh | IN
Use doctrine. This is an old charge and | n
Ten re'uted, but it will serve q purpose 4.
~ viii no doubt be brought forward h,
ga n ana again, no matter how often re- d r
ldiated by Us. 1t may be we'll, though. A.,
+ the sake OF sincere inQuirers after truth, TO
tar 7rae r1n rr~4~ ~
Is who may not be we'll posted On this i'm q,
'rtans subject to state what gave RE.
at to this caiumny and what part tho ia
'pe has TAKE and would take again ur- On
+ the same circumstances in matters con- | rn,
cted with king and his subjects. va
We ell know that circumstances may | cla
ise which would justify g revolution, a
y q. 'no oao7ss "nicn induced tnls coun- for
to throw off the yoke OF Great Britain. Il,
9 Know, too, that q man is a very bad to
lge IN his own case, and that it is well nv
Dim to have superior advice lest he may na,
prematurely. Make the case of ma. mi
n the case OF an individual. The people der
nA tney nave Just reason to revolt Ga
Ainst their sovereign, but lest they may am
deceived. they wish to have advice from to
riend and father, impartial at the same ker
le; and to whom could they go for q | ia
70 enlightened opinion than to the COM vno
n father of the faithful-the Pope.
ey do GO, submit q true statement of the 1
10, and he, after mature elaboration and
snlting with his council, gives it az bis Cwo
MON, whether OR not lthey have suffi. ee.l
ut cause for revolt. In the same way in me
,osing q sovereign, he acts merely as an .lli
ltrator between the king and bis sub. nac
ts and decidee ga erh;Ira,o. Nv
,e-whether that kjnu onah, =, ha a. to a
cd. exactly lie to he ns.. ~ E farI
ors of GERMANY and Rrayil +onk IN US,
.ating between this conn,rr and e. new
d in the Alaha 10 ly - Aus is Z