The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-11-07
CONVERSATION XIII-(Coptinucd.)

"Otherwise' said O'Connor. eve should bo
obliged to deny all legitimate government outside
OF the Catholic society, to maintain that all egiti-
mate authority is conferred by grace and thus fall
into the heresy of Wiclitf and his followers. We
should be obliged to maintain that nfdes or non
Christians, cannot have lawful government and
that every nfide prince is a usurper without right
whom no one is bound to obey and whom every one
Is free to resist as he pleases This the church
does not and cannot cOncede for she has condemned
the error of Wicif as a heresy St. Paul. writing
under the intidel government under Nero the
pagan emperor Of Rome, at the same time that he
says, est potestas nsi Dec, adds, quoe autem
sunt Dec ordinate stunt. Itaque qui resistit po-
testati Del ordination resistita Thus plainly
teaching not only that infdel princes may have
legitimate authority for his unbelieving but even
for his Catholic subjects. The government of this
country holds from God through natural society
alone, and Catholic doubts or can doubt that he
is bound in conscience to obey it, precisely as he
would be were it professedy Catholic govern
ment"
'Infdel governments are legitimate said
Winslow, because the church legitimates them"
The church legitimate them" answered
Father John, only for their Catholic Subjects
whence then, derive they their Legitimacy for their
infdel subjects"
Nobody not even the most inveterate papist.'
said OConnor, maintains that all princes hold
from God through the church. denies that princes
may, and that some do, hold legitimatey from him.
through natural society"
But the church includes both societies. an
swered Winslow, land has jurisdiction under both
laws, and, therefore, may take cognizance of Of
lenses against the one we'll otfenses against
the other
''In the of those who members of both
societies, [ concede" said Father john ''but not
in the case of those who are members of natural
society only The church takes cognizance of of
lenses against either law, but she judges only those
persons who are in her communion, or are joined
to regenerated humanity by baptism. She can take
cognizance of public well private ofenses, of
the ofenses of the prince we'll of the subject;
but as her authority extends only to regenerated
humanity, her jurisdiction is necessarily restricted
to Catholic princes, and in the case of infdel
princes to their Catholic subjects. The infdel
prince neither prince man, is within
her jurisdiction He holds under the law of natural
society and within the limits of that law he is the
legitimate prince for all his subjects, Catholic or
non-Cathoc, not because the church legitimates
him, but because, as the church teaches her chill
aggregation to regenerated humanity, absoIves
from no duty or obligation imposed, and abrogates
no right or power conceded by the law of natural
society, as | have just said. Authoritarian is a
heresy. If the infdel prince transcends his legit
mate powers, and ordains what is contrary to the
law of God, natural supernatural, the church
forbids her children IN the matters thus ordained
to obey him, and she would do the same we're the
prince a Catholic, for must obey God rather
than man."
princes and nations outside of Catholic So
ciety," said O'Connor ARE in precisely the condi
ton of the Gentiles before the coming of Lord
The law of grace changes nothing in the condition
of individuals or nations till they come under it