The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-05-11

Methodist intrenchments?
Telegram Too Courteous.
"a poor recompense it was, that
given to Mr.. Taft, for his courteous
telegram to the conference, on the
morning of it's opening session. tele-
gram altogether too courteous.
think, so far as it gave praise to the
work of militant Methodism in the
Philippines.
"Mr. Taft and his cabinet disposed
Of, the Catholic church is summoned
to the field. 1t is an old-time war
fare, that waged against the Cath
Ollie church and without a recurrence
of it a Methodist conference were
falling from the high estate of his
toric Methodism. No doubt before
the congress closes it's DOORS the
Catholic church will oft and oft he
put on the defensive. This time the
attack is on it's marriage laws-laws
that are purely a domestic matter of
its own, and in no wise interfere with
the conscience Of such people as pre-
fer to them the laws of states or Of
non Catholic churches.
1.-THE Catholic church, the Confer
ence declares, will not recognize as
valid in its own eyes marriages Of
Catholics contracted before State
magistrates or ministers of nom
Catholic churches. But is it not all
together a Catholic issue, in which
others than Catholics need not inter-
est themselves, in which others
should have nothing to say? Has not
the Catholic church at least as much
right to legislate for its membership
as Methodism have to legislate for
Methodists? Nor Is it to be expected
that the Catholic church will say that
in its eyes lapsed Catholics are to
be privileged, and, that having been
married outside its ministry they
have the right. denied to Catholics
Still anxious for communion with it
although disobeying for the moment
its laws, to compel it to register on
Its tablets their marriages as valid
before it's own laws and constitution
"A queer legislation it were for the
Catholic church to declare marriages
OF members of my communion con-
tracted outside my ministry are not
recognized by me as valid, unless pre-
viously those members have cut them.
selves off from me. becoming, for in
stance, Methodists. in which case, as
a reward for their disloyalty, I will
recognize their marriage, before
whomsoever contracted, as good and
valid. At any rate who is injured?
Not certainly the Iapsed Catholic
who no longer acknowledges the laws
of4the church of his baptism and, who,
if free from remorse, holds those laws
as null and void of effect? "a
'.' II-Befittins Charge.
THE conference continues: In this
insult, and it's accompanying defiance
OF our national laws regulating mar
rage the hierarchy Is entirely con-
sistent with it's medieval claim to SUI
preme authority over men and ma
TONS Ill-befitting this charge against
the Catholic church coming from q
Methodist conference that has just
ruled out of the reach of Christina
suffrage in America the President Of
the United States and members Of his
cabinet for having done something
that neither laws nor Constitution
forbid, which custom and unwritten
laws prescribe. But, Of course, in the
eyes of the conference Methodism IL
privileged Methodism may claim 'su-
preme authority over men and ma
tons; but not so any other Christian
body, least of all. Of course the Cath
Ole church.
"But is 1t true that in it's marriage
laws the Catholic church-outside it's
own specific spiritual sphere, outside
the special province appertaining to
it las a church-claims supreme au-
thority over men and nations? It's
marriage laws regard solely it's in
ternal life and rule. To the state it
leaves the legal right to say at its
will to what marriages shall be ac-
corded legal recognition and legal
rights. The Cathoic church speaks
exclusively to the consciences Of its
own members that and nothing
more. To Caesar the things of Gaze
sar; to the church the things Of the
church.
But, 1t may be asked. should not
the Catholic church, even in its own
laws. even in Its appeal to the con-
science Of its members. even in its
marriage rulings, adapt itself to the
laws of Caesar-holding itself subject
in its intimate life to the will of Cae-