The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
CHURCH AND STATE.
Rev. Chancellor Vorke Continues
His Reply to Rev. DR.. Wendte.
The Rev. Father Yorke contributes the
following in answer to DR.. Charles w.
Wendte
Ianrarr d COG

following in answer to DR.. Charles W..
Wendte:
January "a, 1896.
To the Editor Of the Cali-DEAR SIR: In my
last letter drew The attention of your readers
TO the persecution of the Catholic church in
Germany during the Seventies That perse-
cutiOn was commenced by Bismarck a time
when the German Catholics had given every
evidence OF their oyaltyto the State In it he was
aided and abetted by the polySyllabic professors
whom DR.. Wendte calls 10 the stand to witness
against US. The distinguished defender of
American ideas then, with his usual inconsist-
ency, proceeds arm in arm with the persecu-
tors OF the nineteenth century to denounce
those who sanctioned persecution in the thir-
teenth.
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION.
The story of mans inhumanity to man is
long story and sad one. No chapter thereof
is longer or sadder than that which tells of
persecution carried on in the name of religion
for one would gladly leave that chapter
closed, for do not think 1t helpful to the
higher life to dwell overmuch on the barbarity
OF oEr ancestors. STILL the story of persecution
Is one OF these things which will not down. If
not openly spoken of it is hinted at and NUT
tered and whispered. Hence it is better to
face The truth at once fairly and squarely. We
Catholics have nothing to hide either in our
doctrines or IN our history Especially in this
question OF persecution we need not lear q
comparison with other denominations. am
glad, therefore, that DR.. Wendte's argumenta-
tive dragnet has brought up this matter. We
might as well examine 1t now as al any other
time.
WHAT BELLARMISE SAID.
As far as l can make out Dr.. Wendte's object
IN introducing the charge OF persecution is TO
prove that the Catholic ch uTch is necessarily
intolerant, and that if we had the power to-
day we would re.establish the inquisition. He
sums up our alleged doctrine in a quotation
which he ascribes to Bellarmine: "Heretics
when strong are to be commended to God; 4;
when weak, delivered to the executioner."
then designated that alleged quotation as
"moustrous sentiment" and 1 repeat now
that II IN no way expresses the practice OF
Catholics or Catholic nations even in the most
intolerant times.
In the first place let me remark that there is
no doctrine OF the Catholic religion which in
culcates the duty of persecution for conscience
sake Evidently DR.. Wendte has searched high
and low for such doctrines and all the pas
sages he has been able to produce are:
a. A sentiment attributed TO Bellarmine.
~ An answer from Aquinas that heretics
may be handed over 10 the civil power.
(3) A sentence from Plus TX that the So
called liberty OF conscience should not be pro.
claimed by law.
DIR. wENDTE's TACTICS.
Now, il DR.. Wendte were fair and anxious to
do justice TO Catholics he would have first
consulted our theologians who deal with these
points before accusing us OF narrowness un-
worthy OF our citizenship. He surely cannot
be ignorant that profess to be loyal to the
constitution and to American ideas. He surely
is not unaware that we declare that we are OPP
posed heart and soul to persecution. If he
knows anything about US he knows that we
pride ourselves on being the pioneers of re-
106Te1Ore
] say that If DR.. Wendte simply sought the
truth about us he would not have condemned
Us on such slender testimony. We have a
right TO claim belief for our words until our
words proved to be worthless.
We have right to that credence which one
man unhesitaungly gives to another until the
lie is made evident. But DR.. Wendte refuses
10 believe our words. He goes to an encycli-
cal, Catholic commentary on which he has
never read. He goes to BPllarmine. q volume
of whose writings he has never seen. He goes
TO the thirteenth century and to a paragraph
out OF Thomas Aquinas in order to show that
either we do not know the doctrines OF our
church or that we are lying about them Now
I Indignantly deny that we are ignorant OF
Catholic belief l assert that l know my re-
ligion well as DR.. Wendte knows his and
assert, moreover, that there is not dogma of
that religion which ineulcates the doctrine OF
persecution for conscience sake.
Let me ask the fair-minded Americans who
have been following this controversy who is
the more likely TO know what is the Catholic
teaching-Dr. Wendte or L? In many cases
have shown that he is entirely unaequainted
with Catholic writers, and that he relies alto
gether on the publications OF men whose hos
tility to the church WAS undisguised. Ger
tainly If l wish for information about the
character of my neighbor l do not go TO his
enemy. DR.. Wendte, however, confines him
self entirely to our enemies and from them he
has learned all he knows about US. Hence
claim that his views must necessarily be dis
torted and that his descriptions of our tenets
must always err from the truth.
THE TESTIMONY OF HISTORY.
Indeed. Mr.. Editor. if DR.. Wendte had re.
membered thehistories he read at school he
might we'll have hesitated before charging Us
with intolerance. He might have remem bered
that the first asylum Tor religious liberty on this
continent was founded by Catholics. He might
have backward cast his eye and have seen the