The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-20

UNREAsONING EIGOTEY.

The Rev Dr. Justin D. Fulton's brutal
assault upon the Roman Catholic church
in sermon last Sunday in New York
city cannot be too strongly condemned.
There is no more prospect of a religious
war between Catholics and Protestants in
the United States than there Is of war
between men Of blonde hair and eyes and
men Of brunette compilations. The in
suiting reference to the present pope and
tile " instruments of torture of the In
QUESTION was most outrageous. The an
nais OF both Protestauts and Catholics
are disiigured by deplorable acts of gross
inhumanity due to the spirit of religious
bigotr;. and superstition that held the
world in chains up to the beginning of the
present century, and is not entirely with
out illustrations in more recent times;
hut TO grid the Church of Rome today
ard its humane and benefcent pope with
the crimes of the past is as ignorant and
ungsnerous as it would be to hold the
Scotch Presbyterians Of today responsible
Or the assassination of Archbishop
iharpe: the Church Of England response
bic for Archbishop Laud: for the ancient
persecution of Catholic Ireland from Will
lam the Third down to William the
Fourth.
The Puritans hung witches. hanged
Qgakers, banishei Baptists and sold In
dams into slavery. Within fifty years a
Boston mob burned a Catholic convent
Within sixty years a Connecticut mob,
composed of the best citizens of both par
ties, mobbed refined and upright
woman for teaching coorcd emil
dren to read. The Roman Catholic
church. through its present pope,
exercises n most beneicent influence in
both Europe and the United States. and it
Is an aboninable illustration Of ianaticism
and birotry for the Rev. Dr.. Fulton %
treat the Church OF Rome and its present
wise and philanthropic head with dis
respect. The resolutions passed by the
meeting referring TO Pope Alexander the
Sixth are about as absurd as if the Uni
tarians should meet in New York and pass
resolutions denouncins Congregational
ism and Presbyterianism because John
Calvin not only burned Seryetus but saw
him barn.
A a matter Of fact 1t is matter OF
grave historical doubt whether Pope Alex
ander the Sixth or anybody else ever
burned Giordano Bruno; 1t is matter OF
grave historical doubt whether the in
famous conduct attributed to this pope
and TO the other famous members of the
r.,
fact. Able and learned historical scholars
hold that the worst acts attributed to this
pope were the mere coinage of the malig-
nant brains of his political and civic enc.
mics. The last Issue Of the New York
Sunday Sua contains an interesting state
ment of these historic doubts concerning
the public depravity OF Alexander the
Sixth. OF course il makes no difference
whether this particular pope was mon.
alter or not. his career no more indicts the
Church Of Rome and rs pope today than
.he career and conduct Of George the
Fourth indicts the government OF Eng.
land and its queen, his niece Victoria
Can "lnstrumcnts Of torture Of the In
QUESTION" which pr. Fulton thinks should
be included among Catholic relics" ,.
any more Justly quoted against the Church
of Rome than the o.d slave drivers whip
the shackles. the bloodhounds and other
instruments of torture" can he quote.
against Protestant America of 10 year,
ago2 The Church If Rome historically i,
not today fairly open - any charge Of in
humanity or lack OF philanthropy; aus
the Church OF Rome is no more response
bic today for the crimes committed in ir
name than Protestant New England is 70
the crimes Of the Puritan thoocrscy. or III,
English church Of today for the persecu
;ion that peopied New England with Puri
tans.
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The Missouri Democrats are evidently