The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25

NdluOlicS were supreme. Inc IOFQ proprietor
had been given an absolute grant CT the
province TO manage it as his private estate. He
| possessed alllegisla tive and executive powers
| was free from taxation and was bound by nc
| stipulation or understanding to enforce tolera-
1 tion. Yet this Catholic and the Jesuits who
were with him not only did not persecute Prot
estants, but offered home to men OF all creeds
] who would consent TO live in harmony and
agree to differ.
Men who are unacquainted with the tenor OF
| Lord Baltimore's grant inSinuate that policy
alone urged him to concede liberation. If he
| had confined his good will to Catholics and
| Episcopaians this theory might not lack veri-
similitude. But what prevented Baltimore
| from prosecuting the Puritans or the QGakers
| The English Government showed them nc
| mercy, why should he? Indeed the more we
| study the circumstances of the times the more
! we are convinced tbatit was solely 10 his own
liberality and to the liberality OF the Catholics
| who accompanied him that we owe the glori.
] Gus example which Catholic Maryland be.
| queathed to posterity.
! This is still more certain when we remember
that Baltimore, of his own yolition, insisted on
| the voluntary system in supporting churches
| He might easily have endowed the church
with large tracts OF land or taxed the people
! for its support. These methods were familieI
| 10 the other colonies; but Baltimore would
have none of them. When asking for priests
to accompany his expedition he frankly in.
formed the general of the Jesuits that he
would offer no subvention. The Jesuits ac-
cepted these terms, and can claim that they
inaugurated on this continent the American
system OF voluntary support OF the church.
PROTESTANT TESTIMONY.
Says Lecky in his tRationalism in Europe
vol. il: "hopital and Lord Baltimore, the
Catholic founder of MARYLAND were the two
first legislators who uniformly upheld religious
liberty when in power; and Maryland con.
t1nued the solitary refuge for the oppressed oi
every Christian sect till the Ppritans succeeded
IN suoyertlng the Catholic rule, when they
basely enacted the whole penal code against
those who had so nobly and so generously
received them"
Does Dir Wendta the p1oriOuS tpStj-
mony borne by the American historian, George
Bancroft, TO Lord Baltimore and his little
colony OF Maryland? Has he ever read that
calvert deserves to be ranked among the most
wise and benevolent lawglyerS OF all ages that
he was the first TO place the establishment OF
popular institutions with the enjoyment OF
| liberty of conscience; that the asylum OF the
PapiSts was the spot where, In remote corner
of the world, On the banks OF rivers which, as
| yet, had hardly been explored, the mild for
| bearance of proprietary adopted religious
| freedom as the basis of the state; that there
the early star of religious liberty appeared as
the harbinger OF day; that there the Roman
Catholics, who were prosecuted by the laws of
England, were sure to find a peaceful asylum
| in the quiet harbors of the Chesapeake; and
that there, 100, Protestants were sheltered
from Protestant intolerance"
ToLERATIoN IN IRELAND.
If DR.. Wendte knew the history of Ireland
he might have been more careful in imputing
intolerance to the Catholic church in America,
which traces its main stream back to the
Catholic church in Ireland. Whatever may be
said about the Catholics OF England or France
or Spain, the Catholics Of Irish descent can
hold up their hands to heaven and call the
world TO witness that they are free from
three times in the ascendency. Each period
OF power hac been preceded by q period of
relentless persecution on the part OF Protes-
tants. Did they retaliate? Let Protestants
answer DR.. Wendte.
Leland, Protestant historian, writes of tn e
reign OF Mary when in London the victims of
Cranmer had turned upon him and were met
Ing unto him the same measure he had
measured unto them, ''Such was the spirit of
liberation that many English families. friends
10 the reformation, took refuge in Ireland and
there enjoyed their opinions without molesta-
ton"
1t is matter of history that the Catholic
merchants of Dublin rented and furnished
seyenty-four houses to shelter the fugitives
from Bristol alone and not only housed them,
but provided for all their wants. After Mary's
death these fugitives were returned to Eng
land at the expense of their Catholic hosts
Lecky, who is a Protestant, says in his eng
land in the Eighteenth Century: "Among
the Catholics, at least, religious intolerance
has never been prevailing vice. In spite of
the fearful calamities OF the Reformation it is
memorable fact that not single Protestant
suffered for his religion in Ireland during all
land
Cooke Taylor, another Protestant historian,
says in the History OF the Civil War in Ire
land":
at is but justice to this maligned body Ohe
Irish Catholics) 10 add that on the three occa-
sions of their obtaining the upperhand they
never injured single person in life or limb
for protesting religion different from their
own"
If Dr.. Wendte had kept track of eontempo-
rary history in Ireland as closely as he has
kept track OF contemporary history in Ger
many he might have heard of the testimony of
Earl Spencer, who few years ago was Lord
Lieutenant.
have had some experience in Ireland I
have been there for over eight years, and I
don't know OF any specific instance where
there has been religious intolerance on the
part OF the Roman Catholic against the Protes-
tant fellow-countrymen But religious intol-
erance has been shown, and where? 1t has
been shown in Ulster, where more than half
the population belong TO the Protestant 1aith.
l believe the Protestants have been the chief
cause OF keeping up the animosity.
CATHOLIC TOLERANCE.
If DR.. Wendte had considered the history OF
liberation better he might not have been so
quick to accuse us of illiber6lity. He nigh |
have read that in 1549 Sigismund ii proclaimed
in Catholic Poland that the sword should not
settle religious differences and that the toler-
ance then decreed wes confirmed by the pacta
conYenta OF 1872. He might have noted that
there is nota Catholic country in Europe which
had not granted religious liberation years be-
fore the first Protestant country practiced it.
And thinking of all these things be might
have been suspicious of the authorities which
led him to believe that persecution is part OF
our creed, and he might have been more
NLdIlLdDlS III interpreting the USIdGleQ para
graphs which are brought to make us intoer-
ant in spite of ourselves.
THOMAS AoUINAs
Now, Mr.. Editor. let me explain as briefly as
possible the doctrinal attitude of the church
toward religious liberty. In the first place
will remark that Catholics believe that Christ
founded society to teach the truth which he
revealed. This truth Is something definite,
and no Catholic is at liberty to accept part OF
IL and reject the rest. Those who do so are
called heretics, from Greek word meaning to
pick and choose.
OF course when Catholic begins 10 exercise
this process on the dogmas OF the faith he rem
ders himself liable to communication. He
is a member OF a society with certain rules and
regulations, and as long he does not wish to
observe these rules and regulations the So
ciety has right to expel him. This right Is
used by every Protestant church in the United
States, and cannot be denied to the Catholic
church alone.
Hence we see that the proper punishment
prescribed for heresy by Catholic teaching is
expulsion or accommodation.
Now in the middle ages the civil law took
cognizance OF the eases of those who had been
expelled from the church fo- heresy. / do not
defend this provision of the civil law. l have
never yet seen Catholic author who did II
was introduced first by the Roman Emperors
I