The Irish standard., 1908-11-14
Discourse Delivered by Archbishop OConnel at the
Boston Cathedral on the Occasion of the
Catholic Centenary
CAUSE OF PUR|1AN'S HATRED TO THE CATHOLIC
The English Puritan had Double Antpathy to the French
and Irish Papists Account Of Their
Nationality.

utterly out of harmony with conditiona
enthusiastically and ctvilly in England.
They were sternly opposed to the
powers that were, both III Church and
State, and evidently the powers that
we're, were equally opro:,5l to them.
The mobiles of the realm and the bis-
hops oc the Established Church made
no secret OF their attitude, and soon
home. losing the charm Of 9eace, lost
for them it's chief attraction.
They were sturdy men and they
had sturdy ideals. Their tempera.
ments were evidently no. easily ADAPT.
able. England had lost her mother
lcvc for them; they would create
for themselves a new nation aid j.
would be their own natinh-their own
in religion and in government. There
was no other plan in ~. n'r, .,r i'm
ne heart ot thcs>, z.mrt:v iisco co:.. e,.s-.--
no idea of to,era,un. w.iu. tn~,.s
might believe or worship. They haS
been denied that themselves; the,
would deny 1t In trDn tD all con1e1s.
There was a certain grim logic in
this stand-this simple determination
to possess absolutely the land: 1t
was not large in its views nor pnssi-
BILE Of accomplishment. IL was not
the spirit which animated the Cath
Ollie settlers of Maryland, who open.tl
wide their doors to every protesting
Christian. 1t left out the important
consideration that tn. land they
claimed as theirs absolutely was tc be
wrenchcd foot by foot from. the In
dian whose natural rieIt to it was
sublimely ignored. Bu.. HISTORICAL
this was the fact. They looked upon
themselves as Gods chosen people;
this was the land Of premise and this
God given right admitted no adverse
claims. The land was Gods. and
they were His chosen people. With.
in its limits they established n the &c.
racy and set up barriers against the
Philistines around them.
What Is interesting here tc note is
the spirit dominating all their action.
It was q reversion to the Old Law
rather than an acceptation q the New
!; Testament. 1t was far more like the
religion of Moses than the faith ana
charity Of Jesus Christ. There was
little of love but much Of terror in
their laws. Today little is left of
their curious tenets, for time has
changed many things and the tide Of
! events has proven tneir untenahility.
Gods earth is of no one tribe. and
the wandering of the nations still
gees on changing the boundaries Of
people and shifting the preponder-
ance Of races.
! But great things they doubtless cid,
for whatever else thev lacked they
never doubted Gods special love for
them, and that perfect confidence
braced their spirits against awful odds
OF climate, Of soil. and Of environment,
And with all their pecul,sritics and
shortcomings they stand an exem-
rlification of what high ideal. even
! irnperfectly conceived. but tenaciously
held. and give man the power to s.c-
complish, against seemingly insuper-
able odds.
The Puritan had set himself against
tire Church of Englard. He was
Non conformist. For Anglicism he
lad only loathing. Fut the mere
mention Of the Church of Rome
drought to his mind visions W the
Babylonian captivity. 1t were peril
GUS for an Anglican 10 'trespass too
far upon this SOIL but tliat the Ioapt;st
should ever dream Of entering its con-
fines. would be the rasnness CT folly,
fol the penalty was first exile and
: then death"
And here, let ms repeat, am
merely narrating history and that al
ways with the one point in view, for
one only motive-to oury misunder-