The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-01-14
Church and State.

Boston, .aH. The Supreme Court of Mas
eachusetts has sustained the lower court in
BILE to laws Of statss in regulating the observ-
anoe Of the Sabbath. The case grew ont Of the
attempt to keep stores open on tIat day.
What right has one of our States to legis-
late for the Observance of any holiday of any
religion Its doing 80 is certainly an evil
dence that it recognizes that religion rs the
true one, and if Massachusetts enforces the
Observance of the Sabbath, as it calls Sun
day, it is tantamount to saying that the
Christian religion is is correct and that the
Jewish religion not. The Supreme Court
of that State has just held that jews
must observe Sunday as provided by law
and, of course, the same decree would
be given as against Mahommedans or
Heather. That is, they would be Obliged
to observe the Christian holiday called "the
Sabbath"
This is certainly hardship on the Jews
who have another Sabbath of their own
which they are in conscience obliged to keep
sacred. If, indeed, they should go into
country where it was understood that
certain religion was recognized and pro-
tected by law, then they would have to
calculate on such requirements as that in
Boston, but when they or their fathers have
moved to a land where the Constitution
lie reported to make DO religious distinction
and to foster no particular creed, it must be
extremely CALLING to them if the strong
hand of the law, simply by virtue of its
strength, forces them to the exhibition of
a Difference which ia abhorrent to their
feelings. The same disgust at being cheat
ed and outraged must take possession of all
men who are not Christians, on finding
Themselves thus hampered in q country
where they had been told there was no dis
elimination by reason of creed or religion.
And yet our Puritan friends of Massachu-
sets are the men to cry out in horror
against the Union of Church and State.
If that commonwealth has the right to Sc
lect the Christian religion among all reli-
gions as the only divine one, it has the right
to select any sect in all Christendom as the
true Church. Now this Enforcement by
the State of any Church as the ture Church
of God is the actual union OF Church and
State.
Is such q thing wrong in itself
1t is Immediately answered, in America
Yes. 1t is wrong, because the government
may be mistaken it is not infallible and
does not even pretend to be 30. How then
can it say positively which is the right
Church.
This looks very we'll at frs, but see
how far it would carry US. Tho law would
be debarred from recognizing not only a
Church or religion, but even the existence
of God, because it might be mistaken.
Many things would have to be eliminated
from the codes of all our STATES. Thus
the oath would be dropped as recogni-
tion of God and all laws repealed which
stlike at bigamy. There would be no
morals left except as dictated by the laws
of nature.
Now it must be admitted that people are
not willing to go to such lengths, and,
therefore, that one may go too far in re-
jecting the union of Church and State.
The fact is that the argument on which
the rejection is approved is partly wrong
and partly right. That argument is that
a government cannot be certain which
Church is the true one. This is not correct
as to Catholics, but perfectly 90 az to all
others. The Catholic Church is the only
one which elaine to be infallible. If no
other Church will even pretend to being in,
fallibly correct, how can any government
cay that it is9 The union of State with a
Protestant sect would therefore be an alb
surdity. The State would be Inconsistent
in requiring men to respect doctrines
which it could not ever positively affirm
to be correct.
Again, it is not claiming infalibility for
a man or a governor to say absolutely that
a certain church is the true one. A man,
or set of men constituting government,
may be absolutely certain that the Catholic
Church is Gods Holy Church, bat it is only
the Church itself, through its appointed
channel, that is infallible as to it's individ
ual doctrines.
| 1t follows that, as there can be no unior