The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-28

II is not lawful.
Fifth-In the case of lawful King who reigns
tyrannically, the commonwealth can depose
and eXpel him. Thus the fathers OF this Re-
public did to George III, and l am sure Dr.
Wendte does not wish to call in question the
wisdom of the declaration of independence.
SiXth-Ifit is impossibleto effect the liberation
OF the commonwealth except by the death of the
tyrant the people can order him put TO death
because, says Suarez, "the state is engaged in a
just war against an unjust aggressor." The
Unitarians who trace their ancestry to the
Puritans of New England should not quarrel
with this teaching. The High Court OF Justice
was established ''to the end that no chief
officer magistrate might presume for the
future to contrive the enslaving and destruc-
ton of the nation with impunity."
The head of Charles l rolled from the block
because he was tyrant, and his death was
considered indispensable for the safety of the
English commonwealth. Fit be necessary on
tyrantS let that defense be offered by others
than the spiritual children OF the "regicldes"
Surely Dr. Wendte must be very hard pressed
for an argument against the church when he.
a roundhead, is compelled to take his stand
with the cavaliers.
HERETICAL KINGS
Now comes the question of heretical Kings
DR.. Wendte wishes us to believe that Suarez
taught that because King was hereto he
should be killed.
Suarez does not teach such doctrine
He is very careful to define what he means
by saying that heresy makes a King tyrant
Here are his words:
"Among Christians that prince is to be con-
sidered a Iyrant who forces his subjects into
heresy or apostacy or schIsm."
Does DR.. Wendte think that King has a
right to force his religious opinions upon q
people, When it was suspected that James II
OF England was trying to restore the Catholic
religion the English people reDelled and
brought over William OF Orange. viii Dr.
Wendte say they were not justified? That
James II did not share the fate of his father is
owing TO the simple fact that he was such an
outrageous coward that neither friend nor foe
could keep up with him when once he started
TO run.
DR., Wendte remembers, no doubt, that one
OF the grievances which the Continental Con-
gress urged against George III in TIL early
stages OF the agitation the danger to the
Protestant religion from the Quebec act.
In Armenia to-day, where a tyrant is forcing
his religion upon a deienseless people-and
after DR.. billions article in the Contemporary
no one can doubt that is the real cause OF the
persecution-would any one grudge the car
casses of half a dozen Sultans if such All offer
ing were the only way to stop the slaughter?
If Dr. Wendte would only go TO Suarez and
study that author he would not make such
absurd accusations against the Jesuits. He
complains that l have 10 explain away the
facts he brings against me- l admit that l
have TO explain at length, but the fault is Dr.
Wendte's. He finds a toenail in his travels
and he proceeds therefrom to construct a
pterodactyl 1t may take him but two words
TO introduce his find to the public; it may
take me a volume to explain the origin of the
putty and paint and plaster of paris OF which
the monstrosity is composed.
THE POPE AND HERETICAL PRINCES.
suarez gives in this same chapter the COM
mon teaching of the medieval theologians
about the deposing power of the Pope.
have already explained
l. That this power was exercised when the
European states recognized the old imperial
and Christian constitution.
2 That this constitution required the SUI
preme ruler to be a member of the Catholic
church, just as at the present day the British
constitution q
Protestant.
3. That the kings swore at their coronation
to observe the Catholic religion and to protect
it, and therefore when they became heretics
they broke their coronation oath.
T. That by divine right the Pope can excom-
municate even kings from the Catholic church
D. That as long as public opinion supported
the medieval constitution of Europe this SEN
tence OF accommodation meant that the king
was depoSed.
6. That as the civil conditions which pro-
duced this state of affairs have passed away,
the deposing power no longer exists.
Now, in Suarez time the condition of Europe
was changing. He stands at the threshold of
modern times. AS yet all hope had not fed
that the Protestant schism might be healed
and the theologians chung to the old theories
about church and state. When, therefore,
Suarez considers the case of a king who is
reigning tyrannicaliy, whether by ordinary
misconduct or by forcing, his subjects into
heresy, he lays down the following rules:
l. X is lawful for the people to depose a
tyrant.
2 If the end can be attained by expelline
him Hom the Kingdom let him be expelled.
g. II the end can be attained only by killing
him let him be killed by public authority.
4: In order, however, to avoid the seditions
and tumults which occur in a revolution or a
popular rebellion nation should act with
deliberation in deposing king.
D. To secure this elaboration the Christian
nations had constituted the Pope the supreme
court OF Christendom. His duty it was to state
when king was acting as tyrant.
%. Once this sentence was pronounced, Gays
suarez, 1t vas not lawful for every prince 10
wage war against him.
n. The Pope had no temporal power, there
fore he might commit the task of deposing the
tyrant to any Chris tian prince
8. If the Pope did not commit this task to
any Christian prince 1T devolved upon the
tyrants legal successor or on the kingdom
itself.
8. Under no circumstances should private
person undertake to depose or kill the tyrant
10. Therefore, in the same manner if the
Pope should depose tyrant not every king or
person should undertake t0 depose or kill him.
but they TO whom the Pope committed it.
Here, then, is DR.. Wendte's wonderful quo
tatlon In its proper place: lin the same man
ner II the Pope should depose King he can
be expelled OR killed only by those to whom
the Pope has committed that Office"
Dr. Wendte's translation, "that the deposed
King can only be killed by those" etc, shows
profound Ignorance Of the Latin language
The tyrant was expelled from the kingdom to
save the people. Only when simple expulsion
execute him.
We see at once that the office of the Pope in
this theory was that of a tribune of the people
He stood between tyrants and their subjects
In an age of force when kings relied on their
sword the Pope was the prophet whose face
was set like flint against The iniquities of the
great. That we had not in them iddle Ages a
repetition OF the cruelties of Nero and Domi-
tian was solely owing to the salutary fear that
the people were not alone, but that the spiritual
sword was ready to be drawn in their defense
When after the crusades the public opinion
OF Europe no longer supported The Pope then
began the era of great crimes in state and
church. If Dr. Wendte would but read the
modern histories OF this period he might not
Judge so harshly OF the papacy. Somebody
has well said that for the past 500 years his
tory has been conspiracy against truth. This
saying was never more applicable than to
the history of the Popes. But lies cannot
last forever, and little by little the
learned are coming to recognize that the posi-
ton OF the medieval Pontiffs was the saliva
ton OF Europe. Without them the world might
now be in the condition of the dominions of
the Callphs. They were necessary feature in
the evolution of free institutions, and
II Dr. Wendte lives to-day in a
civilized land in the enjoyment of lib
erty secured by law he owes IL TO those old
Popes who loveu justice and hated iniquity
ana VINO TOO often died that the people might
be saved.