The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
admired by our defender of Americanism.
These be thy Gods, o Israel.


Dr. Wendte imagines that he has an infallible
argument against Catholics in the bull Imam
Sanctam. 1t will be easy to show that there is
not principle in that bull which is opposed
TO the constitution of the United States and to
American jurisprudence. First, let US see
see what Dr.. Wendte says:
But now, to crafty the oft-repeated request of
onr friend. Chancellor Yorke, will cite none but
Catholic witnesses to establish what follows:
observe that his denals of my citations from
Popes do not include Pope Boniface's famous, or
Infamous, bull. Imam Sanctam Ecclesiam of No.
vember lS, 1902. In this he asserted That Christ
had subjected the whole human race TO the author
ity of the Roman Pontiif; that Christ had granted
a twofold power to his church, the spiritual and
the temporal sword, and that the temporal sword
welded by the monarch was borne only at the will
and by the permission of the Pontin, and that the
latter had the right to expel the king and abSolve
his subjects from their allegiance
did not deny the aunthenticity of the bull
because, unlike DR.. Wendte, l make no asser-
tions or denials until l haye studied the mat
ter thoroughly and know of nv own knoWl.
edge whereof speak. The Bull imam Sanctam
is an authoritative document and it defines
the relations OF the spiritual and civil powers
AS to Dr. Wendte'S summary of its contents,
wish to say that 1t is both misleading and un-
true.
First-The definition contained in the bull,
or that part which is summed up In the sem
tence: Moreover, we declare, affirm, define
and pronounce it to be necessary to salvation
Tor every human creature to be subject to the
Roman Pontiff."
The meaning of this definition is that the
Roman Pontiff is the head of the church, and
that "out of the church there is no salvation" !"
Any one who knows the church TO be the true
church and does not join it is disobeying
what he knows TO be the will of God. The Pope
has spiritual authority over this church and to
that spiritual authority God wishes all men to
be SubleCt,
Second-That the Pope in speaking of spirit
uaI authority is clear from the distinction he
makes between the two swords the spiritual
ana the temporal. Among the writer's of the
Middle Ages the word sword was used as
synonym tor power or authority. The United
states constitution makes the same distinc-
non, and, by refusing to interfere with re-
Ilglon acknowledges that the temporal sword
ana the spiritual sword are separate and dis
tinct.
Third -Boniface did not say that Christ had
granted the spiritual and the temporal sword
10 the Pope. He says that "both swords are in
the power OF the church." The spiritual
sword is to be used by the church, the tenn
poral sword by civil rulers on behalf of the
church.
4. Bonifaee wrote at time when Europe
was was all Catholic. There was but one society
rms society had tWofold aspect. AS q tenn
poral society 1t was the empire, as a religious
society 1t was the church. The body of men
VINO formed the State and the body OF men
VINO formed the church were Identical. Hence
When Bonlface says that temporal and spir-
ltual authority were in the power of this body
OF men he but enunciated fact, truism
Ihe same thing is true OF America to-day. One
can well say that the two swords are
In the power of the United States. The body
OF men who use the temporal sword is pre-
r1ous manners use the spiritual sword. In the
Middle Ages the figure was more striking, be-
cause then the people all believed in one au-
tnority, and the spiritual power was not di-
Vided up as with us.
3. But these two swords are in different
hands. One is used by the church, the other
by the state in behalf OF the church. In these
United States the spiritual power is welded by
the church or the churches. The temporal
power Is used by the state in behalf of the
church. Every law, every ordinance which
makes for morality is the civil sword used in be-
half OF the church. Moreover, the state protects
every church, assures it liberty, peace and pro-
lection. Still more intimately is the sword used
IN behalf OF the church when the courts en-
force the rules and regulations of each
ecclesiastical society. If a member of Dr.
Neudte's congregation should tranSgress the
bylaws or ordinances made and provided the
civil sword will be used in behalf of the con-
gregatlon and the offender will be compelled
to submit or get out. If DR.. Wendte found any
one Infringing his clerical rights and the
rights OF his church he would not hesitate to
call on the temporal sword which would be
used at his bidding and at his sufferance.
g. Boniiace does not say that the temporal
sword Is borne only at the will and by permis-
sion OF the Pontin. He says that the spiritual
sword is welded by the hand of the priest and
the temporal sword by the hand OF kings and
soldiers in behalf of the church at the sugges-
ton and sutferance OF the priest. This signifies
that civil authority must be guided by the
only exponent OF that law was the
priest and the word ''priest" was therefore
used as synonym Tor the "moral ORDER
just as the word sword was used as g SYNONYM
for the civil or ecclesiastical authority. When
therefore, it is said that the sword is issued at
the suggestion and sufferance of the priest, it
means that the civil authority is not free TO
violate the law of God and TO run contrary to
morality. The Suggestion" of the priest
is the moral order prescribing the
enforcement of certain rules of con-
duct The "sufferance of the PRIEST
is the moral saying thus far shalt thou go
and no further. The jurisprudence OF the
hT1il ny, INTC i'll
temporal sword is borne at the suggestion OF
the priest" because all our laws are founded
on what is known as Christian morality. We
90 not legaIlze polygamy or the exposure OF
children as some states do, because''th suffer-
ance of the priest does not extend that far
In this regard as in other matters the power of
the temporal sword is restrained and why Z?
Simply because the spiritual sword" the
public conscience" the "priest'' or whatever
you wish to call the "higher law will not
grant its sufferance.
DoELLINGER's TESTIMONY.
That this is the true explanation of the bull
imam Sanctam is the teaching of Catholic
theologians. Even Doellinger, whom DR.
Wendte recognizes as an authority, and whose
interest II would be to interpret the bull
against the Pope, confesses as much At the
risk of unduly extending this letter, l copy the
extract in full.
Boniface opened the council, at which were
present from France four archbishops thirty
five bishops and six abbots, in November
13O2. one consequence OF this council ap-
pears 10 nave Deen the cele0rated decretal
IMAM Sanctum, which was made on the 18th
OF November and which contains an exposi-
ton OF the relations between the spiritual and
temporal powers. In the church. it saws
there are two powers, a temporal and spirit
ual, and as far as they are both in the church
they have both the same end. The temporal
power, the inferior, is subject TO the spirit
ual, the higher and more noble; the former
must be guided and directed by the latter. as
the body is by the soul. 1t receives from the
spiritual its conservation and its direction to
its highest objects, and must, therefore, should
1t ever depart from its destined path be cor
reeted by the spiritual power. 1t is truth of
faith that all men, even kings, are subject to
the Pope; if, therefore, they should be guilty
OF grievous sins, in peace or in war; or in the
government of their kingdoms and the treat
ment of their subjects, and should thus lose
sight of the object to which the power of
Christian prince should be directed, and should
give public scandal to the people, the
Pope can admonish them, since in regard to
sin they are subject to the spiritual power he
can correct them and, if necessity should re-
quire it, compel them by censures to remove
such scandals. For if they were not subject to
the censures of the church, whenever they
might sin in the exercise of the power en-
trusted to them, it would follow that as
kings, they were out of the church, that the
two powers would be totally distinct from
each other, and that they were descended
from distinct and even opposed principles,
which would be an error approaching to
the hPreSy of the Mapiphaac t.