The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25

taught That teaching was his private opin-
ion and is IN no sense dogma of the church.
1t comes to this that although the civil power
will put hereties to death on excommunica-
ton the church must not refrain from exconl-
municating them for that reason. He
does not say that the church COM
mands heretics to be put to dee tn; he
put them to death, but he believes that their
extirpation by the civil power should not be a
reason why the church should refrain from
communicating them.
Another point which DR. Wendte does not
touch upon but which history might teach
him is that heTesy during the middle ages was
always associated with rebellion or licentlous-
ness. do not think that he would care to be
identified with some OF the peculiar fanatics
who 1ourished in those DAYS Let US now turn
back few pages and see what st. Thomas
thinks of those whose heresy was not a
new revolt against the constituted authorl-
ties but an inheritance from their parents
In the tenth question Aquinas discusses the
cases of Jews and infdels who were then in a
small minority in Christendom. He lays
down the teaching that the children OF Jews
and of other non-ChriStians should not be
baptized against the will OF their parents be-
cause such action is opposed to natural JUS
tice.
He teaches that Jews and other non-Chris-
tians should not be forced to embrace the
faith, and he asserts without any ambiguity
that these sectaries should have fun liberty to
worship God as their fathers before them.
Surely this teaching does not look like the al
legged quotation from Bellarmine, "When
heretics are strong they are to be commended
to God, when weak to the eXecutoner."
Surely, it is not fair to draw from this the
conclusion that st. Thomas was bloodthirsty
inquisitor, going around seeking whom ne
might devour. He lived in an age when social
conditions and civil laws were far different
from what they are now. He spoke for those
times not for ours, and let US remember that
in this matter the church always stood Tor
mercy. The states which were most under her
influence were precisely the states where per-
secution was the least felt
THE PRESENT DOCTRINE.
But DR.. Wendte produces Gregory XVI and
Plus TX to prove that religious liberty is
right here that DR.. Wendte has not taken the
trouble to find out what these Popes meant by
religious liberty. He might have become a
little suspicious when he saw this liberty
characterized as $50 called" There is liberty
and liberty. There is religious liberty con-
demned by the United States and precisely the
same religious liberty is condemned by the
Pope Every constitution which grants free
dom of worship limits that freedom. There
are certain acts which are always excepted
which eventuate in hcentiousness or which
injure the peace and dignity of the state are
not tolerated. Within the past few years all
the preachers in America sanctioned religious
persecution in the case OF the Mormons be-
cause of polygamy.
When, therefore, the Pope condemns the So
called liberty of conscience he condemns it in
the sense that every has right to set
forth the plea of conscience in defense of all
his acts. No State in the wide world would
accept such a plea Are we to blame the Pope
for plainly saying sol
PROTESTANT PERSECUTION.
In conclusion let me remind DIR. Wendte that
neither he nor any Protestant should speak
too loudly of religious liberty. Says Hallam,
the eminent historian:
Persecution is the deadly original sin of the
Reformed churches, which cools every honest
mans zeal for their in proportion as his read
ing becomes more extensive-(Constit.H Hist, vol.
j, chap. H.
Hallams ideas are indorsed by Lecky, who,
after speaking of the persecution of heretics
by Catholics, writes:
But what shall say OF a church that was but
thing of yesterday, church that had as yet no
service 10 show no claims upon the gratitude of
mankind, church that was by PROFESSION the
creature OF private Judgment, and was
corrupt court, which, nevertheless, suppressed
by force worship that multitudes deemed neces-
sary TO their salvation. and by ali her organs and
with all her energies prosecuted those who clung
10 the religion OF their fathers? What shall
we say OF religion which COMPRISED at
world and which the first explosion Of pri-
vate judgment had shivered into countless sectS,
which was, nevertheless, so pervaded by the spirit
OF gmatism that each of these sects asserted its
distinctive doctrines with the same confidence and
prosecuted with tne same unnesltatln2 Vlfulence
defending herself against innovation and aggres-
sion, Mr.. Leckyl !, as the church which vener-
able with the homage OF more than twelve CEN
tures?
What shall we say of men who, in the name of
religious liberty deluged their land with blood
tramped upon the very first principles of patriot
ism calling in strangers TO their assistance [iust
the self-styled international ORDER of the A
p A are calling in British Orangemen TO help
them protect American institutions / and openly
rejoicing in the disasters of their country and who
when they at last obtained their object inme-
diately established religious tyranny as absolute
as that which they had subverted?
Nothing can b. more erroneous than to represent
lProtes ant persecution of Catholics as merely
a weapon which was employed in moment of
conflict or as an ontburst of natural indigna-
tion, the unreasoning observance of
old tradition. Persecution among the
early Protestants a distinct and definite doc
trine digeSed into elaborate treatses and enforced
against the most inoffensive as against the most
formidable 1t was the doctrine of the palmiest
days OF Professionalism. 1t taught by those
who are Justly esteemed the greatest OF its leaders,
(Lecky, Rat.onaiSm In Europe, vol. ii. PIP. 576l).
And now to close. Let me call DR.. Wendte's
Catholics by Protestants lasted longer and was
far more bloody than the persecution of
Protestants by Catholics. DR.. Wendte's school
makes much OF Bloody Mary, forgetting that
she prosecuted only for four years. while
Elizabeth prosecuted for forty. They speak
much Of the revocation of the edict of Nantes !;
they say nothing OF the broken treaty OF Linn
erick.
They denouDce the Inquisition, but they
never let it be known that the Court of High
Commission is responsible for far more death
sentences. They have one set of weights and
measures for Catholics, another for them
selves. In this letter / do not ask for any
favors but simply that we be judged
by the same rule as others. When it comes
fear from comparison, and if we are ques-
toned as to to-day let our deeds speak for us.
Yours, truly, P. c. YoRKR.