The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
WENDTE TO YORKE.
The Unitarian Clergyman Con-
tinues His Rejoinder to the
Priests Reply.

Rev. Charles w. Wendte, continuing his
reioinder in yesterdays Examiner to the
reply of the Rev. Father Yorke to his
paper on the relation of the Catholic
church to temporal government, says,
after denying that Father Yorke has been
able to disprove more than one of the au-
thonties cited in previous papers:
But it may be asked, "f you must often
quote from secondary sources, why not from
Roman Catholic books rather than Protes-
tant?" l answer because the former are not
likely to contain anything un1aVorable to
their church-at all events, not TO make it
prominent. But great Protestant scholars,
who enjoy the freedom OF thought criticism
and utterance which is so largely unknown
where Catholicism is in control, have given
especial attention TO these topics and have un-
earthed many valuable testimony from the
huge foltos of ecclesiastical literature which
Roman Catholic authors find 1t "mighty con
venient" for the time being 10 forget. The
works OF Doellinger, Carl Hase, Lipsius, Zeller,
Bauer, Schankel, Ranke, Gregorovius, Hatch,
Lecky, Gladstone, Milman and others are
monuments of learning, judicial fairness and
accuracy. What they say they abundantly
establish by proofs and citations. Even Father
Yorke uses their testimony when it suits his
purpose, and of course denies its value when
it does not.
To-day 1 will cite one more such witness to
show that my statement-the Roman Catholic
Church has always claimed 10 be a supreme
power over the state-Was correct. 1t is the
eminent Baron Won HoItzendorff, late protes-
sor OF international and civil law at the Ger
man University of Munich. This great author
ity sent me, with an autograph letter which l
cherish, a printed article on "The Prussian
Church Laws" My copy does not so state, but
l think 1t will be found in the now defunct
international Review, about the year 1571.
Speaking on this very subject at issue, Pro-
fessor Yon Holtzendorff says:
"Since the time of Gregory VII, of Innocent
III and OF Bonifacius VIII the cardinal doc
trine OF the Roman Catholics has continued TO
maintain the supremacy OF the papal power,
its preponderance in all matters, even OF civil
government, the subsection of kings and en-
perors under the absolute authority Of
priesthood, their liability to deposition in
cases OF heresy and rebellion against the eter-
nal laws OF the Christian church The Pope is
the sovereign OF the world, the king of kings.
According TO the doctrines of the canon law
there cannot be any sovereign political power,
nor any individual independence beyond the
limits assigned by the ecclesiastical power.
The consequence is that all civil government
must remain under the higher control of the
Pope. Neither the opposition which the spir-
ltual supremacy had TO encounter in the mid
die ages on the side of the emperors and the
Ghlbell1nes, nor the more powerful revolution
OF Professionalism, have been strong enough to
entirely subdue the aspirations OF that theoc-
racy In Europe. The Popes, it must be remem-
bered, nave not at all times been acting on
the principle OF ecclesiastical supremacy.
'ln order to win over to their temporal inter-
est the monarchs of Spain. France and Austria
they sometimes receded from their principles.
They could not always escape the necessity of
granting concessions to the temporal power
and of recognizing its equality in their treaties
OF alliance or in their concordats. Neverthe-
less, and in spite of apparent modesty, the
medieval doctrine has without any Interrupt
ton been taught as Christian truth in the cler-
ical instruction of Roman seminaries and col
leges. However weak in practice the theory
of papal supremacy has been considerably
strengthened since the times of Loyola, and
the doctrine o ofeternal war to be waged against
the Protestant heresy has been the constant
preaching OF Jesu1tism, whenever it was ad
mltted TO profess Its tenets. new world of
inventions has grown up around us, which we
cannot help seeing, yet the papal doctrine does
either ignore or condemn it,
"At no time whatever has the right Of individ-
ual liberty and conscience been acknowledged
by the Roman court"
But, now, to crafty the oft-repeated request
OF our friend, Chancellor Yorke, l Will cite
none but Catholic witnesses to establish what
follows.
observe that his denials of my citations
from ropes do not include Pope Bonifaces IA
nous, or infamous, bull, Imam Sanctam Ec-
cleslam, OF November 1S, 1902. In this he
asserted that Christ had subjected the whole
human race TO the authority of the Roman
PontlH; that Christ had granted q twofold
power TO his church, the spiritual and the tenn
poral sword, and that the temporal sword
welded by the monarch was borne only at the
will and by the permission of the Pontiff and
that the latter had the right to expel the king
and absolve his subjects from their allegiance.
AS matter OF history we know that Popes
LaNndlAhos Leu LII, AuIldU Ii, JONI VIII, GreR-
ory VII, Innocent III and others did exercise
the rights enumerated above.
But Father Yorke avoiding this issue tells us
that the Jesults were advocates of popular
rights and upheld the people against the king
so Bellarmine, Suarez, Mariana and others.
Irue, and why? Because as DR.. Francis Lieber
tells us in his work on political ethics, the
Jesults were eager to secure the deposition of
Protestant Queen Elizabeth from the English
throne, and of Henry III from that of France.
Hence they taught that dsloyalty, to prince
after he had been excommunicated was duty.
They further taught that to murder him (regi-
cide) was allowable. (See among others Suarez
Def. Fidei Catholical lib. b. c. a, col. 16l4.)
But Bellarmine is careful to maintain that the
Pope is superior to all, to the church councils
and the monarchy. If religion requires it he
may depose king. (See his De Conciliorim
Autorltate, c. 17.)
proceed with my main argument.
On August Is, 1882. Pope Gregory XVI is
sued an encyclical letter to the Catholic
world. in which he lays down clearly and
strongly the true Catholic doctrine, that there
IS no salvation out OF the Catholic church;
that 1t is an ''insanity" to believe that
freedom of conscience should be granted to
all de declares that freedom OF opinion leads
to the destruction of the state and the church
and destroys the soul, and that freedom OF the
press is horrible, and cannot be sufficiently
condemned. (He illustrates this by the ex-
ample OF the Apostle Paul burning the books
OF the magicians at Ephesus)
Ii licism were triumphant in our land it
Is evident that no suchifree discussion as our
people would be permitted.
But l cite a still more recent testimony,
which Father Yorke has challenged me to pro-
duce. Following his immediate predecessors
example, on the 9Th of December, 1864. and in
the nineteenth year of his pontitcate. Pope
Plus TX issued bis famous encyclical letter to
all the Roman Catholic Bishops, and through
them to the church. In this letter nearly all
the achievements which form the glory of
modern society-free schools, free science, q
free press liberty of conscience and OF religious
Worshlp-are indicted by name and con-
demned with the anathemas of the church,
and mankind is enjoined under penalty of ali
the terrors and disabilities at the command of
the Roman See to bend in penitence at the
footstool of st. Peter
Will cite those passages from this encyclical
which bear directly upon the subject we are
discussing. have the Latin original, but give
mere correct translation. Says the infallible
Pope:
Although we have not omitted often to pro-
scribe and reprobate the chief errors of this
Klnd, yet the cause OF the Catholic church, the
salvalon OF souls divinely committed to us,
ana the welfare OF human society itself, alto
gether demand that we again stir up your
pastoral solicitude to overthrow other evil
opinions, which flow from these errors as from
fountains. These false and perverse opinions
are the more TO be detested because they
chlehy tend to impede and remove that salu-
tary power which. the Catholic church, ac-
cordlng to the institution and commission of
ner divine Author, should freely exercise to
the end of time-not only over individual men,
Dut over nations nd hair rai,