Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-12-17

fiuence in the cause of proselytismp BY
no means. So delicate is their regard for
the religious conscience of their pupils
that they rarely consent to have these
young ladies baptised till they have OBJ
tanned the free permission of their pa
rents or guardians, after being thoroughly
instructed in all the doctrines of the
church.
The church is, indeed, so intolerant in
this sense that she can never confound
truth with error, nor can she admit that
any man is conscientiously free to reject
the truth when its claims are convincing
ly brought home to the mind. Many
Protestants seem to be very much dis
turbed by some such argument as this:
Catholics are very ready now to proclaim
freedom of conscience because they are
in the minority When they once sue
coed in getting the upper hand in num-
bers and power they will destroy this
freedom, because their faith teaches them
to tolerate no doctrine other than the
Catholic. 1t is, then, matter of abso-
lutte necessity for us that they should
never be allowed to get this advantage.
Now, in all this there is great mis-
take, which comes from not knowing in
its fullness the Catholic doctrine. shall
not lay it down myself lest it seem to
have been cotton of for the occasion. l
quote the great Becanus, who is admitted
to have been the greatest theologian of
his time, who taught the doctrine of the
schools of Catholic theology at the time
when the struggle was hottest between
Catholicity and Professionalism. He says
that religious liberty may be tolerated by
a ruler when it would do more harm TO
the State or to the community to repress
it. The ruler may even enter into
compact in order to secure to his sub
jects this freedom in religious matters,
and when once compact is made it
must absolutely be observed in every
point, just as every other lawful and
honest contract. This is the true Catho-
lie teaching on this point, according to
Becanus and all Catholic theologians and
Ecumenical Councils. So that if Catholics
should gain the maj .rity in community
where freedom of conscience is already
secured to all by law their very religion
obliges them to respect the rights thus
acquired by their fellow-citizens. What
danger can there be then for Protestants
if Catholics should be i'll the majority
here? Their apprehensions are the result
of vain fears, which no honest mind
ought any longer to harbor. The church
has not only respected the conscience of
the people in embracing the religion of
their choice, but she has also defended
their civil rights and liberties against the
epcroachments of temporal sovereigns.
One of the popular errors that have taken
possession of the minds of some persons
in our times is that in former days the |
church was leagued with princes for the
oppression of the people. This is base
calumny, which a Slight acquaintance
with ecclesiastical history would soon
dispel. The truth is, the most unrelent-
ing enemies of the church have been the
princes of this world, and so-called
Christian princes, too. The conflict be-
tween church and State has never died |
out. because the church has felt it to be |
her bounden and imperative duty in every
age to raise her voice against the despotic
and arbitrary measures Of princes. And |
an eminent Protestant reviewer we'll said,
some years ago, it was a blessing of
Providence that there was a spiritual |
power on earth that could stand like a
wall against the tyranny of sovereigns
and say to them: Thus far you shall go |
and no farther, and here you snail
break your swelling waves of passion; a |
power that would say to them what John
said to Herod: This thing is not lawful |
for thee; power that pointed the finger
of reproof to them even when the sword |
was pointed to her own fair neck and |
said to them what Nathan said to David |
"Thou art the man." She told princes
that if the people have their obligations
they have their rights, too; that if the
subject must render to Caesar the things
that are Caesars, Caesar must render to
God the things that are Gods.
Yes, the church while pursuing her
divine mission of leading souls to God |
has ever been the defender of the peo-
pies rights. St. Ambrose, Archbishop
of Milan, affords us a striking instance
of the strenuous efforts made by the
Catholic church in indicating the inter-
ests of the citizen against the oppression
of rulers. A portion of the people of
Thessalonica had committed an outrage |
against the just authority of the EN-
peror Theodosius. The offense of those |
citizens was indeed most reprehensible, |
but the Emperor requited the insult Of
fered to him by shocking and dispro-
portioned act of retribution. which has
left an indelible stain upon his otherwise
excellent character. The inhabitants |
were assembled together for the ostensi-
bic purpose of witnessing chariot race,
and at a given signal the soldiery fell
upon the people and involved men,
women and children in an indiscriminate
massacre to the number of about seven
thousand. Some time after the Emperor
presented himself at the Cathedral of /