New Orleans Republican., 1877-05-16

outside, whether temporal or spiritual,
ezonerate him from the duty of obedience
Or the penalties of disobedience We
wishs.no clearer statement of american
principle than has been put in the mouth
of the Saxon expouhder Of natural ale
glance and protection. There is repeti-
tion,cf much that IS old as the Council of
Constance in the reasoning by which DR..
Layton deduces the spiritual allegiance
of the citizen to the Church The law of
Christ has been left in the keeping of his
representative on earth, who was for SO
maDy'centuries recognized by all Chris
tendem as the supreme head of the uni
versal Church of Christi
Here it is, then, that Catholics bind
their faith in the Pope, not as Plus IX.
as O ruler of Rome, but in Plus TX. as vicar
OF Jesus Christ, as his living representa-
tive on earth. When, therefore, Christen-
dom departs from Christianity and de-
vises measures or promulgates doctrines
in opposition to the law of Christ, Catho-
lies look to the decision of him with
whom the word abides to say if this be
true or untrue, right or wrong. He pro-
nounces, and they believe and obey.
Where this line of belief and obedience
terminates becomes an important ques-
ton. Suppose war was declared by the
United States against the temporal do
minion of the Pope, would the Catholic
citizen be bound to obey the one or the
other authority? Suppose such a law
enacted as in posed prohibitory duty on
all money or commodities exported for
any purpose deemed proper by the head
of the Church, but disapproved by our
government, would the citizen smuggle
those commodities or that money abroad
and trust to the absolution of spiritual
approver, or comply with the orders of
his own government The Pragmatic
sanction forbade levying money for the
court of Rome without the royal consent.
This is not new question, nor could any
argument upon it be original. We even
doubt whether the members of the Gal
lican Church admit the spiritual suprem-
acy claimed by DR.. Layton. For they
once said kings and princes are, in tenn
poral matters, subject to no spiritual
power, and the latter can never absolve
subjects from the oath of obedience. The
Pope is subject to the DEGREES of an Ecu
menical OF. universal council, as also to
the established prescriptions and usages
of the Gallican Church. We leave this
open dispute with those more learned in
theology than ourselves.
The address of Hon. Mr.. McCaleb
avoids this question of comparative au-
thority of Church and State, except in this
enthusiastic sentence:
What, then, is there or can there possi-
bly, be in her principles and dogmas in
imical to the safety end well being of the
Slater AssUredly nothing. In the domain
of human conscience and in the exercise
of the jurisdiction over the souls OF men
she alone claims complete, exclusive, para
mount authority, and can not divide her
sovereignty with the Caesars of the world
This seems sad surrender of the DEM
ocratic State rights sovereignty. We ap-
preciate this concession to the republican
Union.
But here, in this giant young republic,
where free thought and free speech are
the fundamental principles of the govern
ment, the humblest Catholic can worship
God and practice the tenets of his religion
unrestrained and unfettered by the inter
ference of the State. The unprecedented
progress and growth of Catholicism under
the benign influence of free government
and constitutional liberty, shows that the
Church is now, as she has always been,
the peoples best and truest friend, and
refutes the malignant slander that she is
or has ever been the advocate Of arbitrary
power or the flatterer of kings and
courtiers.
Professionalism and heresy, which form
erly threatened the existence of the Church
by their constant reiteration of many
thrice told and oft-refuted historical lies,
designedly invented and circulated at the
instance of wicked, corrupt and perverse
kings, have been rapidly decreasing ever
since Plus. TX assembled the papal throne.
Nor. is this result surprising when we
remember that the germ of self-destruc-
ton is implanted in the primary prin-
ciples of Professionalism.
And there follows this rather ungrateful
return for such welcome:
The time, it appears, is rapidly ap-
preaching when heresy and schism will
pass away, when Professionalism shall be
numbered among the things that were,
and when the whole human race will be
separated and marshaled into two grand
divisions, the one composed of the men,
bers of the Holy Catholic Church, and
the other of the rationalists and ma
teriaIists.
II the American census be of any au-
thority abroad, it may be found that
where there are 81, COS, O62 sittings in all
religious churches, and one of these has
1876, 514, it is somewhat premature to
predict that ''the germ of self-destruction
is implanted in the primary principles Of
Professionalism" that Professionalism and
hefesy, with their historical lies, have
been rapidly decreasing" and Protest.
antism shall be numbered among the
things that were" Shll enthusiasts and
orators have full liberty to say here whai
might be troublesome TO them to say in
Germany, France or England, or even in
the dominions of Victor Emanuel.
We do not regret these exposures o.
opinion, and We may say of clerical in.
tolerance, the Protestant republicans
built this government for just such pur.
pose Of free speech. 1t has always beer