Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-05
THE CINCINNATI EXPOSITION OF
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES.
The Pastoral of the Provincial C0un.
cil-s.Obey YOur Rulers''-The Equal.
ity of Wen Denied-The Western
Church Upon Divorce, strikes, SECRET
Societies, Education, Sc, &c.

Church Upon Divorce, Strikes, Secret
Societies, Education, &C., &c.
Below viii be found the full text of the pas
toral letter promulgated by the Catholic Pro-
vincial Council which net in Cincinnati lately.
So much discussion has been elected by
the brief telegraphic abstract OF the letter pub
lshed, that its presentation In full has been
called for, in order that the exact significance OF
the doctrines promulgated may be understood.
1t is quite evident that the letter will lead to
heated controversy, and it is doubtful if the
attitude taken by the Cincinnati Council in OPP
position to the doctrine of popular sovereignty
will be endorsed by the Catholic authorities in
other parts of the country:
To our Venerable Brethren of tie C1erqy, and
oar Beloved Children of the Religious and
Ldty of the ProUince Of Cincinnati, HeaHh
and Benediction:
Or the venerable prelates that last assembled
in council to consult for the interests of religion
there remains but the sanity and venerable
archbishop rich in the merits Of eighty-two years
Of life and forty-eight of episcopal labor. The
Others have gone to their reward, while to US
remains the burden of the ministry, shared by
jealous clergy, devoted religious, and faith
full laity.
review Of religion since the last provincial
council, twenty years ago. gives ample cause
for congratulation. Churches and schools have
been doubled institutions of charity and learn
ing largely incSeased: religion has assumed
more imposing and consolidated form, and
much has been done toward placing the church
within the province more in accord with the
general law Of the church. thus lessening the
missionary character it has heretofore had. As
building and the struggle to create shall have
passed away, and hxity and order shall have
come. law and forms will naturally follow.
ARanyy VI a m rotP 1acf yrhi 10 hy1ttA
up the material we forget the spiritual, mind
full Of the admonition of our Lord: What will
1t profit man If he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul ?"
HUMAN FREEDOM.
Not for three hundred years has society been
30 restless as it is at present. Change in the
political world and disintegration among nom
Catholics are marked characteristics. COvSerya-
tism is giving place to revolution; new theories
and false doctrines are suppanting revelation;
authority is met by revolt; right is crushed by
might; religion is rapidly losing its influence on
society; the state steadily seeks to subordinate
the spiritual to the temporal; systematic and
combined effort, both in Europe and America, Is
being made to secularize education, and to sub
stitute for God and religion science and material
progress. 1t Is claimed that 'all men are free
and equal and under that CRY religion and law
are asssiled.
Admitting in the fullest sense mans power to
choose between god and evil, and in this mans
responsibility we cannot but firmly and uncom-
promisingly reject the popular doctrine that
man Is free to accept or reject Gods revelations.
1t Is one thing to have the power to reject truth.
quite another to have the right; just 1T is one
thing to have the power to do evil. quite an
other to have the right. Truth does not depend
on mans acceptance for its existence or its right
to bo accepted and Obeyed, nor does the truth
Of Gods revelation or its binding effect depend
upon mans acceptance. Revelation is Gods
ma has M iOht Tn rpioc
By free will God has gifted man with the power
to reject or accept His revelations, but at the
same time God has distinctly warned man Of the
consequences OF rejecting revelation. Gods
first command to man Is, Thou shalt not have
strange gods before me-" But q revelation diff
ferent from Gods revelation Is strange god,
or an Interpretation of Gods revelation differ
emit from what God intended, is a strange god
an untruth-and no man, nor body OF men, nor
church, nor state, has a right to teach falsehoOd
or Change jOt or little of the law Of God. Yet,
In the face OF principles as clear as the above,
men claim under the cry Of religious freedom,
the right to try God. His law and revelation,
and to accept or reject. according as it agrees
with their reason. In other words such men
make their reason the court before which God
and His law shall be tried-that is God il to be
tried by man. not man by God.
Under the cry of political freedom there is
also the wide spread assumption that law is to
be resisted wherever it attempts to restrain pas
sion There IL grave reason to fear that soon
religion, thus making 1.-The belly Cod and shame
glory"
God alone Is free, because God alone is SUI
preme. With creation began law, and its viola
tion drove the angels from heaven, and created
hell When God said to man thou shalt not eat
of the fruit Of the tree of life, law was imposed
upon him, and with law obligation. No man is
Tree to break the laws of God, nor the just laws
Of the state. nor the reasonable laws of society.
All men are born subjectto law-if subject then,
not free. except 30 far as the law makes them
free Lite. property. health-all that we have
is Gods gift We can neither think nor act
nor will, but by the power of God. We
cannot add day to our lives nor an inch to our
stature Helpless and dependent as we thus
are, men speak and reason as If they were free
and undergraduates If church or state oppose a
barrier. the world cries down with both, and
then sings pRans to the progress of the age.
Man has not the right to reject revelation, nor
II he free to break just law does the truth of
revelation depend upon mans acceptance there
Of Revelation Is of God and is, therefore, above
and beyond mans right to reject.
HUMAN EQUALITY.
Nor are all men equal Neither in mind nor
body are men equal. In natural powers no two
men are equal; nor with the same chances will
any two men accomplish the same results. In
the sense that God is no respecter of persons,
and that Christ died for all-great and small
alike-it Is true that all men are equal It is
also true that technically before the law 1t Is
assumed that all men are equal yet In reality it
d o well known fact that men are not equal be-
fore the law Wealth gives men a standing be-
fore the law that poverty has not. and poti-
cally, the few control the many. This is in the
nature of things, and must be. as 1t is ordained
by God that some shall rule and some shall be
ruled Those who are appointed TO rule have
certain rights that subjects have not. Hence,
kings and magistrates, and bishops and priests,
are appointed to rule; If to rule. then are they
above those whom they rule. Before God their
sins may make them less than those they rule,
but as rulers they are above those they rule.
Besides this, talents and requirements make
men unequal, and thus one man succeeds where
another fails. Without this there would be no
motive for individual energy. 1t Is hence I'M
true to say that men who have less physical or
mental power are the equals of those who have
more, or that all mems labor, whether mental or
physical. is to be equally rewarded. Men should
be paid according to the labor and skill they
give-if more they should receive more; if less,
then they should receive less. Idenessand ina
bllfy are not TO be rewarded equally with labor
and talent. The Cry OF equality is the cry of the
Idle and the weak. but cannot, and viii not, be