The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-12-12
DoNALDsoNyIILE La SATURDAY, DECEMBER T. 1908.
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Chief is not responsible for the
views expressed by correspondents.
Society of tue Holy Spirit.

1 uS SHiGl Oi NOV H. IhS E1UclGty now
rests in the assurance that it has
made it plain in its prior communica-
tions that the church was not respon-
sible for the ST. bartholomew mas
| sacre and in the last communication
refers TO it merely TO show how re-
liable Mr.. Arceneaux is as historian.
When in a previous article we pre-
dicted the possibility of union be-
tween church and state in this country
as was the case in continental Europe
and in Virginia in colonial days, the
Holy Spirit Society gave us the sooth-
ing reply: 'Let the gentleman rest
easy" Virtually, it means this: 'sDo
not judge the future by the past. Do
not study the conditions tha at surround
you. Dare not question the authority
of those who claim to- be your su-
periors. Rest easy. History will not
repeat itself.
As a contr asst with the above We cite
the opinion of the modern statesman
and historian, Hon. Thomas E. Wat
son of Georgia. Listen TO his forceful
language in arecent address: aOne of
the most fearful statements that was
ever made IS that history repeats itself.
The conquest of human reason by the
priest; the reign of religious intoler-
ance, with its dungeon,5 it's rack, it's
stake, for the independent thinker
history Is full of it; and when history
repeats itself the world viii have once
more lost its liberty ofconscience, will
again hear the shrieks of the victims
of inquisitions, will again shudder
with fear and horror as some other
Philip Of Spain slaughters his tens OF
thousands, some other Charles OF
France fires the signal gun for
massacre of ST. Bartholomew.
To prove the responsibility of the
church in the massacre in question,
we refer the reader to another article
of Mr.. Watson. Commenting upon
the Sentence of RavailIac, y he says:
Henry the Fourth, reared a Prot.
estant, owed hisaescape from the mas.
sacre of st. Bartholomew to his sweet
hearts devotion. Henry had enraged
the church of Rome by granting the
liberty Of worship to the Protestants
by the ed1ct Of Nantes, and the church
in those days never hesitated to re-
move those who stood in its way when
ever it could. Scott's Church History
says; "No computation can reach the
numbers who have been put to death
in different ways on account of their
maintaining the profession OF the Cos
pei and opposing the church of Rome.
A million of poor Waldenses perished
in France. . The historian, Albert
Barnes, records as follows: I'm the
year 1908 a crusade was proclaimed
by Pope Innocent III. against the
Waldenses and Albigenses in which
million men persisted. =
Let the Holy Society take Barnes
General History and read the account
of the "Civil Religious Wars OF
France (p. 4501. The Society will |
find under this heading the ST. Bar
tholomew massacre. The inquirer will |
also find that the gist of the matter
was this: AS the Germans had Sc.
cured from Charles V. a partial re-
1igious toleration by the treaty of I
Passau [ 1852, so the Huguenots-as
the Protestants were ealled-tried to
obtain In France freedom Of worship f
also. Denied this, they organized a
revolt-hence the eonvulsion OF France
by the horrors of civil war.
Our rival furnishes testimony TO
prove that the Albigenses sswere set
OF fanatics who held very wild and
doctrines. AS TO the
real profession of faith held by this
sect of people, we will not comment
upon the merits thereof, save ia the
nndeniable fact that they we're oppos-
ing the church of Rome. That fact
alone is sufficient to bring upon them
the title of "fanaticism.n We are
much doubtful that the Society be-
iieves modern Professionalism to be any
less deserving Of calumny than were
the Albigenses.
However, regardless of doctrine,
from what divine source could Pope
Innocent III. derive the authority to
ravage that land with fire and sword?
Why not enroll disciples with the
discipline of authority and reason,
rather than the sword and dagger? No
rational Protestant or Catholic, unles,
trained IN the school of sectional
prejudice, will justify persecution for
religious belief.
The crushing of the Albigenses is
fair demonstration of the union be-
tween church and state. Had not the
civil power through the monarch
Philip Augustus sanctioned the papal
and on the contrary raised |.
the voice of defiance. the city of Abb
would not have soaked 10 human
blood.
While the prosecutions OF the Lol-
lards in England did not consist of
death Immediately upon their adher-
ing to the doctrines OF Wycliffe, yet
death eventually became the penalty.
The year 14O1 brought the dreadful
crisis. By permission OF Henry ".