The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-02
AN OLD CHARGE.
Refuted BY Bishop England Nearly a
Century Ago.


STAR" Of New Orleans. recalls the feet
that in their attacks upon Cath ,!ics
the Lutherans aid other sectarian
bodies have simply reramped an old
charge which was me: and rafured
nearly a century ago by the Right itev.
john England, the versatile and nrll.
liant Bishop of Charleston.
Then Gin 1920 1t was the Rev. Will
liam Hawley and his associates, clar"
gymen of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the United States, who as
serted: -
Il. A Roman Catholic can be IN
principle a faithful subject Of 4 Pro-
testant government only when All ur-
feithful subject of the Pope
"2. A consistent Papist and Il fair;1-
full subject of a Protestant admins
tration must be incompatible SO ,org
al the Pope shall claim jurisdiction
over all Christendom and the Roman
Church shall continue to maintain that
faith is not necessary to; be kept with
heretics.
"3. The only reason why, among
F'apisrs, there are MANY good sub
jects of Protestant governments arises
fl ON the fact that there are 10 many
in the Roman Church inconsistent
with their profession, better than :acir
profession, having. no idea Of all the
doctrines and all the erroneous cor
ruptions Of the faith. they acknowl-
edge" ,.
| Note the lefthanded compliment
conveyed by paragraph 8: There are
many good subjects Of Protestant .gpv-
ernments among Catholics for the ;ole
reason that they are eanconsistent with
their profession &, So Ignorant.
Compare this paragraph. with ,,le
following extract from the lettar of tae
Lutheran Synod and note the si.ni-
lerity in thought:
"We do not wish to be understood
as though we mean to accuse tie oulls
Ct Roman Catholics of being usloval
American citizens. We sincerely he
| lieve great many do not fully rea!i .e
the position the hierarchy nf their
Church maintains with reference TO
the principle in question, especially in
view Of the outgivings of their teach
ers in this country. ** Il"
There it is again Catholics are
loyal American citizens because t':ay
"do not fully realize the position thny
occupy; because they are ignorant"
Thanks for the acknowledgment
that there are many good, loyal citi-
zens among Roman Catholics, but :. AL
iy are they so ignorant Of the doctrines
of their Church? Might not the ignor-
ance be found among their accusers?
1t would occur to an unprejudiced IN Id
that the point is worthy of some in
vestigation on the part of our Luther
an friends. We throw out the sly-
gcstion; may they profit by it.
Bishop EnsIand's Reply.
The following extract from the ,epiy
OF Bishop England to Rev. William
Hawley and his associates of little less
than century ago is applicable TO
| the present situation and responsive 10
| the Lutherans' charge:
Cali the early martyrs of the Church
disobeyed kings and emperors In the
matters Of religion; will you call Them
traitors and say they ought to nave
been put to death? Was Nero justified
fl beheading st. Paul? Did he >nly
act as he ought in crucifying ST. Peter?
Was Pontius PLATE meritorious ,;pv-
ernor, who conscienticusly exercised
his authority in putting Jesus Christ
to death upon the charge Of seducing
the people from their allegiance to
Caesar?
"The charge which you make uaon
tie Papists is exactly the same ch1rge
which the Jews were in the h.lbit Of
making against the apostles. From
that day to the present we have mee it
as we meet it now. We have a King-
dom, it is true, in which we pay no
obedience to Caesar, hut our kingdom
is not of this world; and whilst we
render unto God the things thc. are
Gods, We render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesars. To the sue
cessors Of the apostles we render that
obedience which is due to the authority
left by Jesus Christ, who alone could
bestow it. We do not give it to ".e
President; We do not give IT. 20 ue
Governor; We do not give it. to the
Congress; we do not give it to the ueg-
islature of the State-nefther 10 y,u,
nor do they claim it; nor would ve
+, give it if they did, for the claim would