The Irish standard., 1888-01-28

Eacl lnQlVlGuai iS IeSpDnSlUlog " 0ou
for his conduct in this regard; to Him,
and to Him, only, we stand or fall. he
commissioned the Church to teach His
doctrine-but He did not commission
her to persecute those who would not
receive it. He who beholds the evidence
of truth and will not follow it, is mex
lsable; he who will not use his best
exertions to obtain that evidence, is IN.
excusable; he VINO having used his best
lexertions for that purpose, and having
with the best intentions made mistake
| in coming to his conclusion. is not
criminal because of that mistake. God
alone the searcher of our hearts, can
clearly see the full accountability OF
each individual upon this head-because
each person must be accountable ac-
cording to his opportunities.
II feel that many and serious mis-
takes are made by my friends in this
country. 1 know who are mistaken,
but far be it from me to say that all
who err are criminal. have frequent
ly asked myself whether, if I had had
only the same opportunities of know
ing the doctrine OF my Church and it's
evidences that many have had, would
be what, 1 now am. indeed, it would
be very extraordinary if was. They
labor under those mistakes, not through
their own fault in several instances;
and if the Roman Catholic Church were
in her doctrines and her practices, what
they have b en- taught she is, would
not be a Roman. Catholic. They I'M
agine her to ba what she is aot, and
when they oppose what they believe her
to be, it is not to her their opposition is
really given.
ssTo God. and to Him. alone, belongs
! it ultimately to discriminate between
those who are criminal and those who
are innocent in their error; and / lock
in vain through every record, i'll vain
[ listen to every testimony Of nay doc
tripe to discover any command to per-
secute, any power to infict fine. or dis
qualification, or bodily chastisement
| upon those who are in mere religious
error. 1t is NO doctrine Of the Roman
Catholic Church; do not know that it
is the doctrine of any church calling
itself Christian; but, unfortunately, |
know it has been practised by some
Roman Catholics, and it has been prac
tised in every Church which accused
her of having had recourse thereto. 1
would then Say it was taught by no
Church; it has been practised in all.
Oue great temptation to its exercise is
the union Of any Church with the
State; and religion has more frequently
been but pretext with statesmen for a
political purpose, than the cause of
persecution for zeal on it's own behalf.
Christ gave to His Apostles no CON-
mission to use the sword or the brand,
and they went forth in the simplicity of
their testimony, and tine evidence of
their miracles, and the power Of their
evidence, to convert the world. They
gave freely their own blood to be shed
for the sake Of religion, but they shed
not The blood OF their opponents.
Their associates and their Successors
followed their example, and were sue
cessful by that imitation. And the
historian who represents the chastise-
merits of in6del barharians, by Chris
tian princes, for the protection of their
own people, and the security of their
own pr ,perty, mislead the reader whom
he would fain persuade that it was
done for the purpose of religion at the
instigation of those who laid down their
own lives in the conversion of those
barbarians.
sit is true, indeed, that we cannot
call error truth, nor style truth error;
it is true that we say there must con-
tinue to be an essential distinction be.
tween them; it is true that we cannot
belle our consciences, nor bear false
witness to our neighbors, by telling
them that we believe they adhere to
the doctrines Of Christ, when they con-
tradict what We receive as those doc
trines; we cannot believe two contra
dictory propositions to be at the same
time true. But such declaration on
our part does not involve as its conse-
quence that we believe they ought to be
prosecuted, The inquisition is civil
tribunal Of some States, not portion
of our religion"
We hope the mont Catholic reader who
has carefully persued the foregoing is
now convinced that persecution is NO
doctrine of the Catholic Church; and
that those who assert the contrary are
simply guilty of gross misrepresenta-
ton.
y-----c---------------------c.:---
EDITORIAL BREVlTiES.
THE Irish in America have no vulgar
antipathy to the British commissioners
now In Washing on. but wish to pre-
vent their imposing ON our modest
statesmen at the National capital.
They have an instinctiva rpvoranco fo,,