The Irish standard., 1917-11-10
federation Among Christians
skepticism, Having Nothing at Stake
Can Afford to Be Indifferent.
STRONG POSITION
ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

YIN n6II0UOOS IvoGnI
Our Present Duty Is to Make Amends
for the Intolerance Of the Past, by
the Spread Of Christian
a, Charity.
A great Spanish writer (Balmes)
says: 1T is difficult to be indignant
at the opinions of others, when we
have none of our own"
The skeptic does not share in Sec
tartan animosities; but his indiffer-
ence is not necessarily tolerance He
has nothing at stake. He sacrifices
nothing; he need exercise no self
restraint or charity. But let his own
hobbies be antagonized, and he, too,
becomes fanatic. We must not. con-
found the sham tolerance of religious
indifferentism with the true spirit of
liberation.
The notion that a man of one Chris
tian sect is more disposed, because
of his sect, to be tolerant, than his
neighbor of another Christian sect,
Is also erroneous. = Not only is it err
roneous, but it is mischievous, in that
it furnishes a basis for intolerance.
For if special sect is thought to teach
intolerance, how can we, tolerate peo-
pie, tolerate such teaching, or trust
men of that sect? We are forced to
be intolerant in defense of tolerance.
This question has to be argued mostly
with our Protestant fellow-citizens,
who are persuaded that the Catholic
Church is logically obliged to be toll
Grant.
We are told that both Catholics and
Professionals prosecuted in the past, but
that Professionalism changes and pro-
crosses, while the Catholic Church
claims to be always the same-"sem-
per idem,'' as the expression is. This
is superficial argument, based on a
wrong conception of what Catholics
mean when they say that the Catholic
Church is always the same.'' The
principles of American liberty are sub
stantially the same today. as they
were in Washington's time, but great
changes have transpired in the nation.
The truths of religion may remain
unchanged, but we may become more
merciful, more intelligent and more
refined. The right or the duty OF
persecution was never proclaimed a
dogma Of the Catholic Church. A
leading Catholic Archbishop (Spald-
ing) says.
We are Catholics, but we are also
men, and though the essential tenets
OF faith are immutable, we ourselves
change. with the changing world"
Now, take glance at what history
tells us. And these comparisons are
not made for the purpose Of proving
that one sect is more tolerant than
another, but solely to take away the
grounds Of .egotism and self:conceit
which leads one creed to play the
Pharisee before the shrine of religious
liberty:
1. More people were put to death
at Geneva, on account of their reli-
gion, during the lifetime of Calvin,
than were put to death at Rome for
heresy during four centuries of the
Inquisition.
2. In the very year that the Catho-
lie Lord Baltimore was establishing
religious federation in Maryland, the
Scotch Parliament issued solemn
address to the English Parliament
against tolerance, and adopted
strong protest against liberty of con-
science: (Noal's History of the Puri-
tans, PIP. 221-22.)
3. While the Puritans were over
turning religious liberty, established
by the Catholics in Maryland, John
Milton, was writing a treatise against
the federation Of Catholics, whom he
denounced as idolators.
4. Spain abolished the Inquisition
in 1914, but England did not repeal
the last of her penal laws against the
Catholics until 1929.
5. While Denmark sustained (down
to 1850 law on her statute books
making it an offense punishable by
death. for a Catholic priest to cross
her frontiers, O'Connell, the great
Catholic emancipation, was advocating
the cause of universal religious lib
erty, and when questioned what he
would do if Catholics sought to perse-
cute PrOtestants, he said:
so help me, God! l would in that
case not only feel for the Protestant
and speak for him. but l would fight
for him, and cheerfully sacrifice my
life in defense of the great principle
of universal and complete religious
liberty"
6. Lecky, the historian, says that
persecution twas the doctrine of the
palmiest days of Professionalism" (vol.
H., p. 61), and that survey of his
tory inclines him to believe that there
are more instances of partial tolera-
ton being advocated by Roman Cath
olics than by orthodox Protestants."
(Vol. H., p. 5S.)